LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lakers superstar Luka Doncic says he has separated from his fiancee after his efforts to spend more time with their two young daughters were thwarted.
TMZ reported Tuesday that Anamaria Goltes filed a petition for child support and attorneys' fees in California. Doncic then issued a statement to The Associated Press saying he he had recently ended his engagement to Goltes because he was unable to have his daughters with him in Los Angeles more often.
“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,” Doncic said in his statement. “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.”
The 27-year-old Doncic and Goltes had been dating for a decade after meeting as teenagers in Slovenia. They became engaged in July 2023.
Their oldest daughter, Gabriela, was born in November 2023. Their second daughter, Olivia, was born in December 2025, with Doncic missing two Lakers games while he traveled to Slovenia to be with Goltes.
“I don’t even know how to describe it. It was a lot,” Doncic said at the time. “I was there for the birth of my daughter, so that means everything to me. But it was definitely a roller coaster.”
Goltes deleted all of her Instagram photos of her and Doncic together last week, fueling increased speculation around Doncic's relationship.
Doncic moved from the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles in a stunning trade for Anthony Davis in February 2025. He agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers last summer, cementing his near future in Los Angeles.
Any tumult in Doncic's personal life hasn't appeared to affect him on the court with the Lakers. He is the NBA's leading scorer this season at 32.5 points per game, and he ranks third with 8.4 assists while grabbing 7.8 rebounds.
Doncic had 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his 89th career triple-double on Tuesday night while the surging Lakers beat Minnesota 120-106 to move into fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić calls for a review of his shot late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić reacts as time runs out in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has resigned after six seasons, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office, the team announced Tuesday.
President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf made it clear after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley near the end of the season that he wanted Donovan to remain on the job. He said anyone who wanted to bring in a new coach was “probably not the right candidate for us.”
Now, it looks like whoever the Bulls hire to run their organization will get that opportunity.
“While we clearly wanted Billy to return as our head coach, we had open dialogue about the importance of respecting the process of bringing in new basketball operations leadership," Reinsdorf said in a news release. “Together, we mutually agreed that giving that person the freedom to shape the organization was the best approach for everyone involved.”
The 60-year-old Donovan consistently has said he still has a passion for coaching. The decision to leave the Bulls was made “after a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization,” Donovan said in the team release announcing the move.
“I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit,” he said.
Donovan was arguably the top candidate on the market when the Bulls hired him in September 2020, a few months after Karnisovas and Eversley got their jobs.
Chicago’s lone playoff appearance since all three were hired came during the 2021-22 season, when it finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 and got knocked out by Milwaukee in the first round. The Bulls lost in the play-in tournament the next three years.
Donovan got a contract extension last offseason. Reinsdorf said after firing Karnisovas and Eversley that the problem was the roster construction — not the coach.
Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael's father, praised Donovan for the “class and genuine care” that he brought to the organization.
“We wanted Billy to continue as our head coach — that was never in question,” Jerry Reinsdorf said. “But through honest conversations, we all agreed that giving our new head of basketball operations the right to build out his staff was the most important thing for the future of this franchise. That is the kind of person Billy is — he put the Bulls first.”
Karnisovas’ inability to land a franchise cornerstone player and refusal to give the Bulls a better shot at the No. 1 pick by rebuilding were glaring. He finally changed course before this year’s trade deadline, dealing Nikola Vucevic to Boston, Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Coby White to Charlotte and Chicago product Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota. The Bulls loaded up on second-round draft picks and did not get any first-rounders in return.
One of the players Chicago got in return was Jaden Ivey from Detroit. Chicago waived him following anti-LGBTQ+ comments about religion he made in videos posted on his Instagram account.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Chicago Bulls' Collin Sexton talks with Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan during a time out in an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Albert Pena)
Chicago Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan gives directions during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, left, talks with guard Mac McClung (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in Chicago, Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan shouts instructions during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
