Luka Doncic Reflects on 'Hard' Choice of Leaving Newborn Daughter as Lakers Star Makes Timely Return for 76ers clash

Luka Doncic Reflects on
Luka Doncic Reflects on 'Hard' Choice of Leaving Newborn Daughter as Lakers Star Makes Timely Return for 76ers clash. (Photo: IMAGN)

Luka Doncic missed the LA Lakers' past two games after becoming a father for a second time. Doncic reflected on his feelings about leaving his newborn daughter to travel and face the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The Lakers are on the final stop of their three-game road trip.

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Speaking on Spectrum SportsNet before the game, Doncic opened up about welcoming his new daughter, Olivia, and then leaving a few days later to play for the Lakers. He said he feels happy that he was present when his fiancée, Anamaria, gave birth.

"It was a lot, but I'm just happy to be there when she was born," Doncic said. "It was a hard thing to leave. I was there for the child's birth, so I was really happy."
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Luka Doncic missed the LA Lakers' first two games on their road trip -- the win against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 4 and the loss to the Boston Celtics a day later. He made it back in time for Sunday's game at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

Doncic and his fiancée now have two daughters together. They first welcomed their daughter, Gabriela, on Dec. 1, 2023, when he was still with the Dallas Mavericks.

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The couple has been together since 2016, though they have known each other since they were teenagers. They got engaged in July 2023, though a wedding date has not been announced.


Luka Doncic opens up about being a father

Luka Doncic opens up about being a father. (Photo: IMAGN)
Luka Doncic opens up about being a father. (Photo: IMAGN)

There have been countless stories about athletes becoming fathers and how it changed their lives. Luka Doncic is no different, as he opened up to Snoop Dogg in an interview on Access Hollywood about his feelings after turning into a dad for Gabriela.

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"I mean, it changed me, for sure," Doncic said. "Just seeing things more clearly. At the end of the day, it's the best gift. You can't get nothing better. Just being part of her life, it's unbelievable."

Doncic also told Esquire in an interview last year that he plans to keep his kids' lives private. He doesn't want them exposed to the public and wants them to experience everything out of the spotlight.

However, it's going to be a hard thing to do, especially in Los Angeles. The city is known for celebrities, and one of the biggest nuisances for them is the amount of paparazzi following them around.

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Edited by Juan Paolo David
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