Goran Dragic Made Miami His Home Away From Home
How a midseason trade in 2015 gave Goran Dragic a union he and Heat fans will always treasure.
Finding somewhere you genuinely feel at home is never easy. When we leave our childhood home as we hit adulthood and try finding our way in this world, we never know if there’ll be a place that gives that sense of mental stability and peace of mind. That sense of unknown can take an even more unknown length of time to appease. For Goran Dragic, it not only had to happen as he left his home country of Slovenia, but it also took years of different stints on different teams to find his basketball tranquility.
A Kid From the Balkans
Dragic grew up in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in a small studio apartment with the dream of making it as a professional basketball player. Growing up in a country that was once a part of Yugoslavia, a place where guys like Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic once represented, he knew just how far he could go. His favorite players growing up were guys like Sasha Danilovic and Aleksandar Djordjević, who helped spark his love for the game, though maybe not as popular in the states. These players took the difficult step of leaving a place they loved to head to the U.S. and the NBA. Goran knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but he was built to take any challenge and obstacle in his way. Goran stayed in his home country, joining the Slovenian minor league team KD Ilirija at 17. Soon he would climb his way up the ranks, joining Slovan, where he would play for another 2 years in the Slovenian Basketball League. But the next step was one that is all too familiar for a kid in his late teens. He had to leave home as he was put on loan to ACB Spanish club Murcia. It was a taste of something Goran would become familiar with in the future. The reality was that he would have to go beyond Slovenia's borders to get to his NBA dreams. The experience didn’t scare away the young dragon because he knew this was only the beginning of a long journey. He would play a few more seasons in Slovenia for Union Olimpija before stepping into the unknown spacious NBA pastures.
Who Wants to Give Goran a Home?
Goran was taken 45th in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs. But his destination would soon change as he was traded to the Phoenix Suns for the rights to some guy you’ve never heard of unless you were an actual member of Malik Hairston’s family. While on the day of the trade, no one saw it more than a throwaway deal for both parties. But for Goran, it was the first NBA team that saw him and threw him to the side like an old NSYNC CD they no longer had room for in their disc changer. After a quiet rookie year, Goran made a name for himself the following season as a solid contributor to a team that was a couple of bounces from the NBA Finals. Putting up a historic performance along the way against the Spurs, the same team who so casually threw him to the side not too long ago. San Antonio was the first victim of the fire-breathing player now known as the Dragon as he put up 26 points to help Phoenix grab a 3-0 series lead. It seemed Goran was being groomed along the way by future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash to take over his spot one day. It was all set up perfectly for him to be in Phoenix for years to come. But just as quickly as he ascended, the team traded him the following season to Houston for Aaron Brooks (not to be confused with the “legendary” Saints quarterback). But Goran was young, he wasn’t immune to being moved, and it was on him to prove to Phoenix that they made a huge mistake. The lockout would make things difficult as Goran would have to pack his bags again and go back to Spain, where he played for Saski Baskonia (no relation to Stankonia). Just another day in the life of the Balkan Nomad. After the end of the lockout and one final shortened season with Houston and having to share minutes to up-and-comer Kyle Lowry, it was obvious that it wouldn’t be the place where he made his mark. Having experienced some less than stellar years with the whole Aaron Brooks experiment and losing Steve Nash to general being-oldness, Phoenix would soon be at the doorstep of whatever hotel or apartment Goran was staying at. The two agreed to a new deal that gave him the role he was promised all those years ago. The freedom he felt spoke for itself as he had his best years to that point with the franchise that first believed in him. Putting up All-NBA stats and winning the hearts of the Valley faithful with a team that missed the playoffs at 48 wins in the 2013-14 season. But that didn’t stop Phoenix from loving such a fun team that was reminiscent of the offensive heydays of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. Was this it? Was this finally the peace he’d searched for so long? Was this the place he’d furnish and move his ottoman into?
Taking the Driver’s Seat
The following season saw the Suns acquire another ball-dominant guard in Isaiah Thomas to clog what was already a filled backcourt of Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. This didn’t sit well with Goran, and the team regressed in an ugly fashion. Goran had enough and was looking out of what he saw was a broken home. This time on his terms. He was tired of showing up at someone’s door without much of a say in how long he’d stay. He knew it was time for the next move to be the last. Miami came calling, and Goran was there to listen. He was sold on the culture and opportunity the Heat were offering. A stable place that took no B.S. and would make sure to make him feel needed. At the very last second of the NBA’s deadline, the Heat successfully pulled off a trade that saw them only give up a couple of first-round picks (one which only turned into Zhaire Smith) and players like Danny Granger, Norris Cole, and Shawne Williams, who wouldn’t even be in the league in just a few years in exchange for Goran and his brother Zoran who had just joined him in the states. The Miami faithful celebrated with such child-like joy. The team was just removed from the unexpected departure of LeBron James and was looking to bounce back. They wanted to give their fans something to look forward to after the recent rise of big man Hassan Whiteside. The fans saw something in a starting lineup of Wade-Dragic-Deng-Bosh-Whiteside. They felt a jolt of energy that day that was needed in an otherwise middling season. Sure it wasn’t LeBron, but it was a nice step.
Rough Patch, Followed By Future Memories
After the trade was made, Goran and Miami had to get acclimated to each other in a transition that was quite bumpy, to say the least. Just as pictures of Dragic-Bosh pick and pops danced in Heat fans’ heads, the team would find out the very same week that Chris Bosh would be out for the remainder of the season with blood clots in one of his lungs. It was a crushing blow to everyone involved. Goran was excited to make magic on the court in an improved version of what he did with Channing Frye in Phoenix. But he and the team pressed on, determined to make the most of the season. They fought the rest of the season valiantly but ultimately came up short of a playoff berth. Miami set their sites on bringing back Dragic as he was set to hit free agency. They saw unfinished business with the group as Chris Bosh was set to come back. It took not even 24 hours into free agency for the 2 to come to a deal that was seen as a bargain, but one that Goran Dragic was more than happy to make because he had a sense that this was where he belonged. He also wanted the team to have as much flexibility as possible with him around. The following season was a roller coaster ride that involved the unexpected loss of Chris Bosh in the middle of the season to even more blood clot issues that would force him to retire from basketball. This could have broken the spirits of Goran and the team, but they surged forward. They adapted by sliding Deng into the 4 and bringing in Joe Johnson to spread the floor. They would hit a groove that found them at the 3rd seed in the East. Goran saw what it was like when a franchise doesn’t falter at the slightest hint of uncertainty. More importantly, he was finally reunited with his wife and children this season. It was another step in making it known that this would be the team he’d finally settle down with. All while giving the fans a show anytime he stepped on the court. The immaculate finishing, the crafty drives to the rim, and the famous iron shoulder that made defenders fall back as if they were hit by a tractor. He then battled with his teammates in the NBA playoffs' trenches that saw him step up his game and reminded everyone he was an All-NBA player not that long ago. The run would be derailed by injuries to their big man, an all too familiar feeling for Goran. But that didn’t take away just how much fun everyone was having. He led a fun group that was a mix of young role players who didn’t back down and veterans who were out to prove they still had some gas left in the tank. This was the type of stability he had searched for. The type of leadership and accountability he saw missing in his previous teams.
Sticking Around Through The Weird Years
After the success of a near Eastern Conference Finals berth without 2 of their 4 best players, it was time for a shaky couple of seasons. Years that saw the departure of a Heat legend, a mismatch of guys no one wanted, successful reclamation projects, the return of said Heat legend, a short playoff appearance, and contracts that would be regretted soon thereafter. But Goran was there through it all. Even making an all-star appearance along the way. He never once wanted out, nor did the Heat ever look to send him out. He made the best out of each situation he was put in. He made that 30-11 team fun to watch by fueling a friendship and on-court partnership with Dion Waiters of all players. The original “7-11” duo was fun, don’t lie to yourselves, people. He welcomed back Dwyane Wade as he said farewell to the league and saw firsthand just how much the fans appreciated someone who had spent pretty much his entire career there. He wondered if that would be him in that position in the not too distant future. These couple of strange years would only help the bond between Miami and Goran grow stronger. Just like those lean years with Dwyane Wade in 2008-2010, you saw how committed they were to one another and how these types of years make you appreciate the highs that much more.
A Year to Remember
The following season saw Goran go through his weirdest but most fun as a member of the Heat. He showed just how much he was willing to sacrifice by taking on a 6th man role, similar to what Wade had done a few years earlier. A move that happened as smoothly as it did due to how much trust Goran had in his team, coaching staff, and organization. Goran rewarded the team with one of his best scoring seasons since joining the team. All while making quick friends with the newest member Jimmy Butler. They hit it off better than what you see in most Hallmark movies. They were guys who had bounced around the league, both from tough backgrounds, weren’t highly touted coming into the league and turned themselves into all-stars through hard work. They had both also found themselves on the team they were searching for this whole time. A place they knew was their home. It’s no surprise they brought the best out of each other. The duo is an absolute delight to watch interact on and off the court and makes it that much easier to fall in love with them. The season then included a stoppage due to a pandemic, followed by playoffs in a bubble that saw one of the greatest Heat runs of all time. Most of these nights saw Goran put up some of his greatest playoff performances as he was inserted into the starting lineup. He was leading them on and off the court in so many ways. All the way to a Finals appearance he had long been dreaming of. No one loved it more than Heat fans who had seen Goran go through so many different iterations of Heat teams. Fans who had grown so attached to Goran and that adorable cadence he speaks in. They had seen him lose actual teeth for this franchise - multiple times at that! It made it that much harder to watch as he had to sit out almost the entire NBA Finals due to a plantar fascia injury that occurred at the beginning of game 1. Seeing him tear up on the sidelines, knowing his chance at a title was not only slipping away but slipping away without him having a say in the matter. Goran didn’t need to prove anything to the Heat faithful, but still, he fought to play in game 6, and while it may not have been Willis Reed, it did show how much he wanted to be out there, knowing how fleeting those chances were. He had the guts, as Pat Riley would put it. Fans took note, and it felt like the love was growing for him even more than seemed possible.
Goran For Life
After the 2019-2020 run, everyone knew it was a forgone conclusion that Goran would sign his new Heat deal in free agency. But just in case, there were still some billboards in his native Slovenia imploring him to stay. And as soon as the window opened, the ink was on paper with a brand new deal for the Slovenian Dragon, announced via a Twitter video by the man himself. The video shows Goran standing outside his home in Slovenia surrounded by signs of him in a Heat uniform. It was appropriate to see him at one home announcing he’ll be sticking with his basketball home to “finish” what he and the Heat started. Something they started on that February in 2015. That day that saw them bringing in the franchise’s best point guard since Tim Hardaway. Hell, he might even be the best period. A point guard who bought in immediately and never once looked back on that day. He knew this would be where he’d make his legacy. Through so many ups and downs, Goran never flinched since he forced his way out of Phoenix. This is where he felt he belonged. All those times he was traded and tossed aside had culminated in finding the team he was meant to be with. The fanbase didn’t expect this love affair to turn out the way it did, but they’ll make sure to hold onto it for as long as possible. We’ll continue those dragon gifs whenever he catches fire until the day he calls it quits. Only with the NBA can someone from Ljubljana grow so close with a city like Miami, leading to someone like me, an immigrant from Mexico in Texas, connecting with both. Goran forever.