Former NBA All-Star Goran Dragic retires after 15 seasons; plans retirement game with Doncic and Jokic

Former NBA All-Star Goran Dragic announced a star-studded retirement event lineup, featuring Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more.

NBA veteran Goran Dragic has announced an upcoming two-day farewell event to celebrate his retirement in August, which will feature an impressive lineup of players. Throughout his 15-year career, Dragic played for seven different NBA franchises and built strong connections with many big-time former teammates and countrymen. Notable names scheduled to participate in the event include Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Luis Scola, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler.

"I wanted to bring all the stars I played with," Dragic shared with Sport Klub.

The event, set to take place in Slovenia in August of 2024, will include a game featuring the aforementioned players, as reported in Dragic's native country. Additionally, Dragic recently held a press conference alongside Zoran Janković, the mayor of Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital and Dragic's hometown.

Beginning his professional career at the age of 17, Dragic enjoyed successful seasons in Slovenia and Spain before entering the NBA Draft. He was selected No. 45 overall in 2008 by the San Antonio Spurs, ultimately being traded to the Phoenix Suns a few days later. Dragic's career began to gain momentum during the 2010 playoffs when he helped the Suns reach the Western Conference finals. Despite being traded to the Houston Rockets in 2011, Dragic later re-signed with the Suns in 2012, marking the start of a significant turning point in his career.

In 2014, Dragic won the Most Improved Player award and made his first and only All-NBA appearance, earning a 3rd Team selection. He continued to excel, averaging 20.9 points and 5.9 assists per game on 50.5% shooting from the field. Despite the Suns winning 48 games that season, they missed the playoffs.

Following his success in Phoenix, Dragic was traded to the Miami Heat in 2015, signing a five-year, $90 million deal. During his time with the Heat, he made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2018 and helped the team reach the Finals in the 2020 bubble season. Unfortunately, an injury during Game 1 of the Finals limited his participation as the Heat were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Subsequently, Dragic was involved in a trade to the Toronto Raptors in the Kyle Lowry deal, leading to stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks over the next few seasons.

In addition to his NBA career, Dragic achieved significant success on the international stage, notably leading Slovenia to its first-ever EuroBasket title in 2017 and earning MVP of the tournament.

As Dragic concludes his career, he leaves behind a legacy with averages of 13.3 points, three rebounds, and 4.7 assists across 946 games played (530 starts).

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