Bulls News

Could this be Goran Dragic's final NBA season?

Goran knows he’s approaching the twilight of his career

Stephen Beslic

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Goran Dragic has had a lot of mileage on his body over the years. The 36-year-old Slovenian point guard has been in the NBA for 14 seasons, and he's played a ton of basketball during that time. Dragic has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game for his career, and he's played in almost 1,000 games. So, it comes as no surprise that he's contemplating retirement.

Curtain closing

Dragic signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, serving as a backup and veteran mentor to the team's young studs. The left-handed guard knows he's in the twilight of his decorated career and relishes every moment.

"I'm probably close to the end of my career. I just want to enjoy it and win games," said Dragic.

It has been a long and colorful career for Dragic, who the San Antonio Spurs selected with the 45th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Initially pegged to be Steve Nash's backup with the Phoenix Suns, the Slovenian eventually stepped out of the Canadian superstar's shadow and began making a name for himself with the Houston Rockets and back with Phoenix.

He was named the Most Improved Player in 2014 and an All-Star in 2018 with the Miami Heat, and he also tasted the NBA Finals in 2020, but the Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Orlando bubble.

"It means a lot. I never thought I'm going to be in the league for 15 years. When I came to the league, it was not easy. I needed some time to adjust to this style of play and the culture and everything. But I always worked hard. I always tried to be better the next season. I feel like because of that I'm still here," Goran said.

Nothing definite yet

As much as the heart and mind are willing, Dragic's body might not be able to keep up much longer. He acknowledged that he hadn't had extended breaks throughout his career, and his body is starting to feel the effects. Whenever he decides to hang up his sneakers for good, Dragic will go down as one of the best Slovenian basketball players of all time.

"You know, I played professionally when I was 15. It's a lot of mileage that's on my body. After every NBA season, I play for my national team for 12, 13 years. In those years, I didn't have a break. Now, it's a little bit different. But I'm still here. I'm still enjoying basketball. That's the most important thing," the Bulls' point guard said.

Published
Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

Home/News