Mavericks guard Luka Dončić is absent from Friday’s game against the Grizzlies, and he has a compelling reason for his absence. The 24-year-old Slovenian announced the birth of his first child on Friday with his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes.

 

Goltes welcomed a baby girl, named Gabriela, into the world. Dončić shared the news on an Instagram post featuring him and his fiancée holding their newborn daughter. The caption accompanying the post simply read “Gabriela” with two hearts.

 

Dončić and Goltes got engaged in July when the Mavericks star proposed in Slovenia.

 

Following the Friday game against Memphis, the Mavericks face a quick turnaround with a home game against the Thunder on Saturday. If Dončić doesn’t return for that game, his next potential appearance would be in the Mavericks’ matchup against the Jazz on Wednesday.

 

In the current season, Dončić has played in 17 games, boasting averages of 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, contributing to Dallas’ 11-6 record.