Fans Say 'Custody Battle' Luka Dončić Is Playing His Best Basketball

Indiana Pacers v Los Angeles Lakers — Source: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty

Relationship drama and custody issues are rampant in professional sports, and reporters usually steer clear of such personal topics in post-game interviews, but Luka Dončić is addressing them head-on.

Embroiled in a battle with his former fiancée, Dončić — also an integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers making a playoff push— was asked by a reporter from his home country of Slovenia about the balancing act.

“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?” was the exact question.

He admits that the obligation of showing up for his team has actually helped his private life.

“That’s life, I don’t know what to say. This is my job,” he said. “So I have to be here. They pay me a lot of money to play for them. Basketball also gives me some kind of peace of mind because I’m playing the game.”

Dončić recently confirmed that he’s in the middle of a dispute with his ex-fiancée Anamaria Goltes, who’s currently in Slovenia with their two daughters. Goltes has filed a petition for child support, and according to Dončić, refuses to bring the two kids to California to spend time with their father.

“I love my daughters more than anything, and I’ve been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the U.S. during the season, but that hasn’t been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement,” Dončić told ESPN. “Everything I do is for my daughters’ happiness, and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can.”

But now that basketball has given him some peace, he’s been playing his ass off. He announced his issues with Goltes on March 10, and if you look at his stat line since around that time, he’s gone off for 44, 35, 31, 51, and 30 points. He cemented it last night when he hit a game-winner in overtime against the Denver Nuggets.

Of course, social media is now cracking jokes about how Dončić’s breakup has improved his play.

See the reactions below.