The Daring Dragon

Even when temporarily out, Miami Heat guard Goran Dragić is never down.

The 6-foot-3 star player had been sidelined for the first few games of the 2021 season as a result of an ankle injury but refused to let it affect his drive. And since returning to the court, Dragić, who goes by the moniker “The Dragon,” has had a fiery game. He scored 15 points in his first game back against the Toronto Raptors, then 26 in a Heat win against Utah two nights later. With his assistance, the team also overtook the Orlando Magic on March 11. 

And on March 12, Dragić roared. After a low-scoring and unpromising first half, Dragić prevailed in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points — 25 in the game overall — that ensured a Heat win over the Chicago Bulls 101-90 with, as NBC Sports observed, “every type of shot you can imagine — from twisting floaters to step back triples. He got everywhere he wanted.” Post-game, Coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dragić: “He’s an all-star, he’s a world champion, he has a savviness and a competitiveness. When he senses his team really needs something he can tap into all of his talent and previous experiences to make big-time plays like that…and we needed it.”

Dragić is no stranger to challenge. At 18, he left his native Slovenia to play his first professional season in Spain, a period of time he describes as one of the toughest in his life. “I had to leave home alone,” he recalls. “It was a different culture, a different language. It was hard. But you find a way to start fresh, make a new beginning. In the end, it was a learning experience. I think it helped me, made me stronger.” 

His potential had been unmistakable for years. As a child, Dragić, who turns 35 this month, first played soccer, but to those around him, it was clear he was destined for a different sport. “Even when I was playing soccer, a lot of people were saying, ‘Why don’t you play basketball?’ I had a lot of friends who were playing basketball and I finally decided I was going to go in that direction. And I think in the end it was a good choice, you know?”

This last sentiment is clearly an understatement. After arriving in the U.S. in 2008, he’s now going into his 13th NBA season. He was first drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, then quickly traded to the Phoenix Suns. His breakout moment came in Game 3 of the 2010 Western Conference semi-finals, where he dominated the second half, cinching a 3-0 lead series lead for his team. “I think it’s safe to say that may have been the best fourth quarter performance I have seen in a playoff game,” teammate Grant Hill said at the time. 

The following season, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, later returning to the Suns as a full-time starter in 2012. Despite an uneventful season, Dragić “emerged as the team’s indisputable MVP,” according to Bleacher Report. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2014. In February 2015, both he and his younger brother Zoran (who has since returned to Europe) were traded to the Heat. “NOW its #heatnation time, and I’m excited to bring the Dragon’s fire to Miami,” he wrote on Twitter to his growing fan base. 

Dragić has not cooled off since. He renewed his contract for five years with the Miami Heat in July 2015 for a whopping $90 million, later adding an extension for two more years, making him one of the Heat’s highest profile assets. Leading the team to the 2020 NBA Finals last year added to the value attached to his name. “Just his presence out there, particularly offensively, just allows everyone else to just kind of calm down,” teammate Duncan Robinson has said of Dragić. “His veteran presence is hard to come by. And just the way he does it is the ultimate leader, you just feel calm when he’s out there on the floor.” In 2017, he was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA EuroBasket, an international tournament that takes place during off-season, leading the Slovenian team to their first win in the tournament. He was also selected by the 2018 NBA All-Star team, joining the renowned Team LeBron. 

Growing up, he idolized players from his own country like Predrag Danilović and American greats like Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Canadian superstar Steve Nash — a list from which one ultimately became a teammate.

“I was drafted by San Antonio and then to the Phoenix Suns, so I played with Steve Nash for three years. It was something I was so excited and proud of,” he explains. “It’s funny how careers go. When I was a kid, my dream was to make it to the first Slovenian league. As soon as I achieved that, my goal was to play in the Euroleague. When I achieved that, I was like, ‘okay, the next step is the NBA.’ Of course you dream of playing in the NBA, but it’s a long road.”

He remembers experiencing culture shock when first arriving in the States and playing for the Suns. “Phoenix is a big city. The roads and everything are so spread out. I was coming from a small city, so when I came to Phoenix everything looked so big. I also had trouble with the food, everything tasted so sweet to me. The bread was like, ‘Oh my god!’ I could not eat it. That was the biggest thing, I missed the bread from Europe. Now I’m used to it,” Dragić says, recalling how he had to adjust to the weather conditions as well. “And back home we had four seasons, so when I got to Arizona, the heat was tough on me. But it has its advantages — the pool, the sunshine, no snow. After every season, I went back home so I was never there in the summer to experience that kind of heat.” 

Maintaining ties to Slovenia is a priority, especially when it comes to giving back. Through campaign #podamdaigram (translation: For The Game), his nonprofit foundation develops “smart” basketball courts, featuring information boards that lead basic and advanced drills provided by Dragić himself. “We already finished one, we’re starting a second one,” he says. “Giving the kids a place to play, that’s the main focus. Take them off the street and try to give them that, to work for something, to have goals.” His annual basketball camp (on hold this year due to the pandemic) gives disadvantaged children the chance to not only play ball, but learn valuable life skills. 

At home, he’s got his hands full with his own brood, son Mateo, 7, and daughter Viktoria, 5. “They call me ‘zmaj,’ which in Slovenia means dragon. They ask, ‘Dad, are you really the dragon?’ I say ‘no, that’s just my nickname.’”

His wife Maja is his most enthusiastic cheerleader. “We met back home and it’s now been 12 years. She’s been there for me every step of my career, before the NBA, before everything. It’s been awesome. My family — they mean everything to me.” For the 2020-2021 season, however, he made the difficult choice to go into the NBA bubble alone. “As soon as we found out I was going in, they went back to Europe,” he says. “So they were on another continent. That was tough. At the end of the day, we’re professional athletes and we know what our job is — but it wasn’t easy.” 

While the family normally returns to Slovenia every summer, there’s no question Miami will remain the place they call home. “I love it here,” Dragić affirms. “My kids love it, and my wife too. Right now I don’t have a lot of free time, but when I do, we go to the beach, rent a boat — go somewhere. There’s always something to do. We go to South Beach, Coconut Grove. Probably when I’m done playing we’re going to stay here. I don’t miss the cold anymore.”

For now, he’s putting all his energy into the current season. “It’s been pretty crazy. A lot of ups and downs with the COVID-19 protocols and everything. It hasn’t been easy on the players. Finally I think we’re going in the right direction and we’re going to elevate our game.”