LUKA DONČIĆ WRITES A LETTER TO HIS DAUGHTER RIGHT AT HER GRAMMAR DESK — AND JUST ONE LINE OF EIGHT WORDS REVEALS HIS UNSPOKEN FEELINGS. Immediately after the final whistle, Luka left the celebratory embrace of his teammates and walked alone across the brightly lit court. As everyone turned to the screen replaying the final score, he quietly placed a folded piece of paper on the scoreboard — so old that the crease was worn and faded. On it was a short message: “Dad is still trying… for you.” Not long, not dramatic, but enough to convey the weight he carries each day. What made that moment unforgettable was Luka’s action immediately afterward: he gently smoothed the edge of the paper, as if deliberately concealing the final part of the message, the words only he knew. It was an almost instinctive gesture, yet it hinted at something he had never spoken aloud. His eyes as he left held neither sadness nor weariness—only a vague, profound emotion, making anyone who witnessed it feel as if they had just glimpsed a long-hidden piece of a puzzle.

Dec 13, 2025

—

Luka Doncic’s heartbreaking note to baby girl hints daughter is not with Lakers star

In a sweet birthday note to his “little princess,” the Lakers superstar suggests his daughter Gabriela and fiancée Anamaria do not live in LA with him.

Nov 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a call during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena.

Nov 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a call during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at State Farm Arena. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic seems to love playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. And Lakers fans have chosen him as their chosen one over LeBron James.

Unfortunately, it seems like his fiancée Anamaria Goltes might not be living in LA with him, along with their two-year-old baby girl Gabriela.

Luka Doncic

Nov. 12, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts to a fan during the second quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Usually celebrating your child’s birthday is a cause for celebration, but in a sweet note that the five-time All-NBA First Team selection shared in an Instagram post, there was a heartbreaking line that suggests their daughter lives back in Slovenia with mom.

“Happy birthday my little princess!,” Doncid wrote. “You bring the most joy to my life! I love you, I miss you so much and I can’t wait to see you soon .”

So what, you say, the Lakers must be on the road. Nope, they’ve been on a long homestand, playing the New Orlean Pelicans today for their third game in a row having been back since their game last Sunday against the Utah Jazz.

Why Anamaria and Gabriela would still be in Slovenia in-season

Anamaria Goltes

Anamaria Goltes/Instagram

His fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, a part-time model and influencer, also posted a loving birthday note on Instagram in their native Slovene language.

“Happy birthday my little explorer ,” Goltes wrote, translated into English. “Let the joy of life wake you up every morning, [en]courage [you] for new challenges and a smile that makes the world more beautiful. ”

Goltes and Doncic met as children in Croatia and began dating in 2016. They eventually got engaged in Slovenia with an idyllic backdrop on July 7, 2023, which was naturally celebrated as “7.7,” an homage to the five-time NBA All-Star’s No. 77. Gabriela was born the following November 30.

Goltes has admitted that it was hard to adjust to life in the United States, mostly still hanging out with friends from Slovenia that she she grew up with back home.

“You keep the real ones, am I right?,” Golte has said in the past.

Luka Doncic's fiancee Anamaria Goltes watches his Los Angeles Lakers debut with daughter Gabriela.

Luka Doncic’s fiancee Anamaria Goltes watches his Los Angeles Lakers debut with daughter Gabriela. | Anamaria Goltes / Instagram

So given the jarring nature of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka to the Lakers after finally getting adjusted to life in Dallas, it’s not a surprise that Goltes has chosen to raise Gabriela where the couple grew up.

Too bad dad lives a continent away.

Anamaria Goltes, NBA WAGs, Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic