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Highlights from Goran Dragić’s “Night of the Dragon” farewell game

© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Former Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragić had a star-studded “Night of the Dragon” farewell game on Saturday in his home country of Slovenia to commemorate his basketball career.

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Dragić announced his retirement from basketball on Dec. 31 after 15 years in the NBA, including parts of six seasons with the Suns.

Some of Dragić’s former Suns teammates who played or were in attendance for the exhibition game included Steve Nash, Luis Scola, Robin Lopez and his brother, Zoran Dargić. Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Chris Bosh and Dirk Nowitzki were some other notable players. Former Suns coach Alvin Gentry was also in attendance.

Here are the best highlights and clips of the game and other festivities that also featured a mini-soccer match and a one-on-one game between Goran and Zoran:

(via NBA, Miami Heat, Gordan Dragić Foundation)

Dragić’s Suns/NBA Career

Dragić was selected with the 45th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and traded to the Suns on draft night.

He did not play much early on for Phoenix, but eventually helped the Suns reach the Western Conference Finals in 2010. However, Phoenix traded him to Houston at the 2011 trade deadline.

Dragić then decided to re-sign with the Suns in the 2012 offseason. His breakout season came in 2013-14, when he averaged a career-best 20.3 points to go along with 5.5 assists on over 50% shooting from the field. Dragić won some major accolades from his season performance, taking home the 2014 Most Improved Player award and making third-team All-NBA, his only All-NBA team of his career. The Suns won 48 games this year, but still ultimately missed the playoffs.

The next season in 2015, Phoenix once again traded Dragić at the deadline, this time the Heat with his brother Zoran. Dragić would go onto sign a massive 5-year, $90 million deal with Miami in the following offseason. He stayed with the Heat until 2021 when he was traded to the Raptors. He then played for Brooklyn and Chicago as well before finishing his career with the Bucks last season.

In total, Dragić played 388 regular season contests with the Suns, starting 209 of them and averaging 12.3 points and 4.5 assists.

The funds raised at the Night of the Dragon game are to be divided between the Botrstvo v športu program and the Goran Dragić Foundation. 

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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau

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