Amidst a multitude of former and
current NBA stars, the basketball world celebrated and honored the
career of Goran Dragic in a heartfelt farewell game in Ljubljana,
Slovenia.
Dubbed the ‘Night of the Dragon’, Dragic played
a charity basketball game in his home country with fellow Slovenian
and NBA player Luka Doncic. Dragic’s former teammates and NBA
legends Steve Nash (Phoenix) and Chris Bosh (Miami) were also in
attendance while European stars Dirk Nowitzki and NBA MVP Nikola
Jokic were on Doncic’s team.
Proceeds from the charity game
and adjacent events went toward the Botrstvo v sportu program of
the Friends of Youth Foundation Ljubljana Moste-Polje and the Goran
Dragic Foundation.
“The Dragon” also played a 1v1
against his brother Zoran Dragic in a wholesome moment with a
mini-soccer game and on-court moments with his family also taking
place, making the event memorable and meaningful for Dragic, who
retired from the NBA a year ago.
Dragic had a lengthy career in
the NBA, spending seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets,
and the Miami Heat. He was also a legend in the Slovenian
basketball scene, having led Slovenia to a historic EuroBasket
2017. Dragic became an all-star in Miami and was a key cog in the
team’s historic run to the 2020 NBA Finals.
The former second-round pick
averaged between 16 and 21 points per game in five different
seasons while playing 946 total games. His 4,405 career assists
rank 97th all-time. Dragic’s No. 3 is retired by the Slovenian
basketball team.
