Entertainment
Luka Doncic Says Basketball Gives Him Peace Amid Split, Custody Battle
Luka Doncic
Basketball Gives Me Peace
… Amid Split From Fiancée
Published
Luka Doncic says basketball is providing an escape as he deals with issues off the court … telling a reporter in his native language he’s getting some much-needed “peace” during games.
The Slovenian superstar briefly addressed how he’s doing personally after dropping 51 points on the Chicago Bulls at home on Thursday … which came two days after it was revealed he ended his engagement with longtime partner Anamaria Goltes and is fighting for custody of his two daughters.
Reporter: Can I ask you to tell us in Slovenian how are you? How are you dealing with uncomfortable things on one side and on the other side you play games like that when it’s sometimes even harder for you in some ways?
Luka: Alright. That’s life, I don’t know what to say. But… pic.twitter.com/SZKSRZ1W8T
@LukaUpdates
According to a translation, Luka — who is currently signed to L.A. on a three-year, $161 million deal — said he’s okay … but ultimately, he’s making a lot of money to show up for the Lakers, so he has to be present to the task at hand.
He added that suiting up for the Purple and Gold is giving him “some kind of peace” … so he can block out the distractions for at least 48 minutes a night.
Luka also spoke about his recent trip to UCLA Health … and he said visiting with the kids there put things into perspective for him — that “you realize that you don’t really have problems in your life at all.”
Luka even wore a shirt signed by his new friends at the hospital ahead of the game … and as we previously reported, he had a really cute interaction with a seven-year-old named Malachi during his time at the facility.
The Lakers ended up victorious over the Bulls … with Luka’s big night contributing to the 142-130 outcome — he also had 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals.
It’s been a tough time for him … but he’s certainly not letting it impact his performance.