Luka Dončić says he will not play for Slovenia this summer, as he focuses on securing joint custody of his daughters.
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Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
All-Star guard Luka Doncic sent out a harsh message to critics who questioned the severity of his injury after his Los Angeles Lakers were bounced out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
Doncic also seemed to accuse some media analysts of spreading misinformation about his injury, while reiterating that he tried his level best to play for the Lakers.
“It’s very frustrating. I know some people wanted me back, but obviously I wasn’t close to clearing,” Doncic told reporters during his exit interview.
“There was some stuff in the media that went out that wasn’t true. Nobody… those people saw my MRI. If I could be out there, I would be 100% everybody in that room knows that. I was sad not to help my team.”
Luka Doncic, who sustained a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, was initially expected to return within a four- to six-week timeline, which would have been enough for him to return for the second-round playoff series against the Thunder. However, the Slovenian shut down those reports last week by noting that the doctors gave him an eight-week timeline after initial injury diagnosis.
Doncic was so committed to joining the Lakers on their playoff run that he sought PRP treatments in Spain, hoping to expedite his recovery timeline. Unfortunately, the treatments didn’t yield the desired results, per multiple Lakers insiders.
“In the end of regular season we thought we could compete for championship. I think we had a great team,” Doncic said, reflecting on his untimely injury.
“We had great chemistry. And obviously playing with AR [Austin Reaves] and Bron [LeBron James] was unbelievable experience. There are two great players. And it was really fun to share a court with them.”
Doncic confirmed Monday that he won’t play for Slovenia in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers this summer. Lakers fans had previously expressed outrage when news surfaced that Doncic would represent his home country in FIBA competition after sitting out the playoffs without an injury.
Through a statement released on social media, Doncic noted that he plans to spend time with his daughters this summer and focus on the 2026-27 season for the Lakers.
“I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life,” Doncic wrote. “As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer.
“Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months,” he added.
Luka Dončić says he will not play for Slovenia this summer, as he focuses on securing joint custody of his daughters.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided's Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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