Former Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic said goodbye to basketball in Slovenia on Saturday, joined by Steve Nash, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and others.
The “Night of the Dragon” featured a game between Dragic and Doncic, as well as a one-on-one match between Dragic and his younger brother, former Suns point guard Zoran Dragic. The brothers tied the game 5-5 at halftime on a scoreboard held courtside by their mother.
Legends like Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin McHale were in attendance. Former Suns coach Alvin Gentry was among the coaches on Dragic’s bench.
The players on the pitch during the match 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 spoke as Dragic’s former teammate on the Miami Heat.
Halftime featured a cultural appreciation of Dragic, with performances by a choir, a children’s accordion orchestra, Eurovision 2023 contestants Joker Out and more.
A football match even broke out on the pitch in the second half, with players kicking a mini ball into mini goals wearing basketball shoes.
We have a solution for @Goran_DragicCareer choice after basketball. ⚽️#IFeelLOVE | #TheNightOfTheDragon pic.twitter.com/iZ1dcvL3Aq
– Goran Dragić Foundation (@FoundationGD) August 24, 2024
For the final stretch of the match, Dragic was joined by his son, his nephew, his father and his brother to close out the victory. Marjanovic even helped the youngsters on the dunks.
Family is everything 💚@Goran_Dragic @FondationGD #jemeseSlovenia #lanuitdudragon pic.twitter.com/5MPXCHe3Td
— Feel Slovenia (@SloveniaInfo) August 24, 2024
Dragic played 946 NBA games between 2008 and 2023, plus 62 more in the playoffs. No Slovenian player has played that many in the NBA.
He spent two seasons with the Suns, first from 2008 to 2011 and then from 2012 to 2015. He won the Most Improved Player award in 2013-14 after averaging a career-high 20.3 points per game for the Suns (48-34).
His crowning moment with Phoenix was a 23-point fourth quarter in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in 2010 that helped the Suns get past a longtime foe.
⭐️ NBA All-Star
⭐️ 2014 All-NBA Third Team
⭐️ 2014 #KiaMIPGoran “The Dragon” Dragic takes the court one last time in his farewell game with NBA stars Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki and more!
Watch live on the NBA app tomorrow at 2:00 PM ET! ⤵️… pic.twitter.com/KYmclpsPM7
— NBA (@NBA) August 23, 2024
Dragic addressed the crowd after the match.
Proceeds from the match and related events benefited the Botrstvo v sportu programme of the Ljubljana Moste-Polje Youth Friends Foundation and the Goran Dragic Foundation.
