Luka Doncic has officially withdrawn from Slovenia’s upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifiers, announcing on Monday, May 11, that he will not join the national team this summer as he prioritizes family responsibilities and continues his recovery from injury.
The Los Angeles Lakers star shared the news via an Instagram story, explaining that his decision was not related to basketball but centered on his role as a father.
“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.”
He emphasized that his absence does not reflect a lack of commitment to his country, but rather off-court circumstances that have become increasingly challenging over recent months.
“Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months,” he added. “I have given everything to representing Slovenia and I am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer.”
The Lakers guard acknowledged the emotional weight of stepping away during a critical competitive window, but made his priorities clear: “But right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority.”
Doncic missed the end of the NBA season and the entire playoffs due to a hamstring injury, extending his absence from competitive basketball at both club and international levels.
Slovenia enters the next phase of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in a strong position within Group H, holding a 3-1 record. The team has scored 372 points with a +52 point differential, sitting above Czech Republic, Estonia, and Sweden in the standings. Key fixtures remain, including a clash against Estonia on July 3 that could influence final group positioning before the second round begins.
Under FIBA’s qualification system for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, results from the first round carry over into the next stage, so Slovenia’s current performance remains critical despite Doncic’s absence.
Without their NBA star, Slovenia will rely more heavily on its established core and system continuity. The team has shown balance across four games, but losing a primary offensive initiator will reshape spacing, creation, and late-game execution.
The 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, scheduled from August 27 to September 12 in Qatar, will feature 32 national teams, with qualification spanning multiple continents and windows.
