Former Suns guard Goran Dragic plays farewell game with Steve Nash, Luka Doncic and others
Aug 24, 2024, 2:23 PM | Updated: 2:25 pm
Goran Dragic of Slovenia reacts during the basketball friendly match between Slovenia and Croatia in Dvorak Zlatorog hall on August 20, 2022 in Celje, Slovenia. (Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
Former Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic said farewell to basketball in Slovenia on Saturday, joined by Steve Nash, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and others.
The “Night of the Dragon” featured a game with Dragic leading one team and Doncic leading the other, as well as a one-on-one match between Dragic and his younger brother — and fellow former Suns guard — Zoran Dragic. The brothers played to a 5-all tie at halftime on a scoreboard held up by their mother courtside.
Legends like Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin McHale were all on hand. Former Suns head coach Alvin Gentry was among the coaches on the Team Dragic bench.
Players on the court during the game ranged from Bogdan Bogdanovic to Robin Lopez and from Boban Marjanovic to Nikola Vucevic.
One last time… THE DRAGON 🐉
Goran Dragic's "Night of the Dragon" Farewell Game is LIVE on the NBA App!
📲 https://t.co/XPFEMpvQem pic.twitter.com/afpUR3mj54
— NBA (@NBA) August 24, 2024
Chris Bosh, who had to retire from the NBA due to blood clotting issues, also took the floor as a former Miami Heat teammate of Dragic.
Halftime featured a cultural appreciation of Dragic, with performances by a choir, children’s accordion orchestra, 2023 Eurovision contestants Joker Out and more.
Even a soccer match broke out in the second half on the court with the players kicking a mini ball into mini goals with basketball shoes on.
We got a solution for @Goran_Dragic‘s career choice after basketball. ⚽️#IfeelsLOVEnia | #NightOfTheDragon pic.twitter.com/iZ1dcvL3Aq
— Goran Dragić Foundation (@FoundationGD) August 24, 2024
For the final stretch of the game, Dragic was joined by his son, nephew, father and brother to close out the win. Marjanovic even assisted the youngsters on dunks.
Family is everything 💚@Goran_Dragic @FoundationGD #ifeelslovenia #nightofthedragon pic.twitter.com/5MPXCHe3Td
— Feel Slovenia (@SloveniaInfo) August 24, 2024
Dragic played 946 NBA games from 2008-23, plus another 62 in the playoffs. No Slovenian player has seen more NBA action.
He spent two stints on the Suns, first from 2008-11 and from 2012-15. He won the Most Improved Player award in 2013-14 after averaging a career-high 20.3 points per game for the 48-34 Suns.
His shining moment with Phoenix was a 23-point fourth quarter in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in 2010, which helped the Suns push past a longtime foe.
⭐️ NBA All-Star
⭐️ 2014 All-NBA Third Team
⭐️ 2014 #KiaMIPGoran ‘The Dragon’ Dragic takes the court one final time in his farewell game featuring NBA Stars Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki and more!
Watch Live in the NBA App tomorrow at 2pm/et! ⤵️… pic.twitter.com/KYmclpsPM7
— NBA (@NBA) August 23, 2024
Dragic addressed the crowd after the game.
Proceeds from the game and related events benefited the the Botrstvo v sportu program of the Friends of Youth Foundation Ljubljana Moste-Polje and the Goran Dragic Foundation.
