With 15 NBA seasons under his belt, former All-Star Goran Dragic is retiring. On August 24, Dragic is throwing a farewell party in his hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, with a number of current and former NBA players in attendance to celebrate.
Three Dallas Mavericks icons are on the roster: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Luka Doncic. In 2017, Doncic and Dragic were teammates on the Slovenian national team that won their first-ever Eurobasket championship. Even though Nowitzki doesn’t play basketball, his impact on European basketball will always be remembered. Nowitzki has stated that he has severe ankle problems, so this may be the first opportunity we have to see him “play” on a basketball court since his retirement following the 2018–19 season. From 2008 until 2011, Dragic played as Nash’s backup for the Phoenix Suns until being traded to Houston.
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The event, dubbed “The Night Of The Dragon,” sold out in 20 minutes and will include a team draft at a gala the night before. Other scheduled appearances by past and present players include Luis Scola, Robin Lopez, Nikola Jokic, Vladimir Radmanovic, Nikola Vucevic, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Chris Bosh, a native of Dallas, is expected to attend but will not play due to health concerns.
In 2013, Dragic was named the Phoenix Suns’ Most Improved Player, and in 2018, he was a Miami Heat All-Star. He played for the Suns and Heat for the majority of his career until switching teams in the final stages to play for the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks.
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