| Goran Dragić in November 2009 | |
| Houston Rockets | |
|---|---|
| Point guard / Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | 6 May 1986 |
| Place of birth | Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Nationality | Slovenian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45th overall |
| Selected by the San Antonio Spurs | |
| Pro career | 2003–present |
| Career history | |
| Ilirija Ljubljana (2003–2004) KD Slovan (2004–2006) CB Murcia (2006–2007) Olimpija Ljubljana (2007–2008) Phoenix Suns (2008–2011) Houston Rockets (2011–present) Caja Laboral (2011) |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| 2005 Slovenian League Rookie of the Year Slovenian League All-Star 2008 2010 Boris Stanković Tournament MVP |
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| Stats at NBA.com | |
Goran Dragić (born May 6, 1986) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. Dragić is 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) in height and weighs 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st). He plays at both the point guard and shooting guard positions. He signed with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA on September 22, 2008.[1] On February 24, 2011 the Suns traded Goran to the Houston Rockets with a first round (lottery protected) draft pick for point guard Aaron Brooks.
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Dragić began his professional career in the year 2003 at the age of 17 with the Slovenian 2D League club Ilirija Ljubljana. He played there for one year before transferring to the Slovenian Premier A League and Adriatic League club KD Slovan in 2004. After spending two years with Slovan, he transferred to the Spanish ACB club CB Murcia in 2006.
Dragić joined the Slovenian League, Adriatic League and Euroleague club Olimpija Ljubljana in the year 2007, and he played there for one year, during the 2007-08 season, winning the Slovenian League championship with them.
Dragić entered the 2008 NBA Draft, where he was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the San Antonio Spurs. His draft rights were then traded to the Phoenix Suns. After the Suns finished a deal with TAU Ceramica, with whom he was under contract, they officially signed him on September 22, 2008.[1] The Suns hoped that he would take over the starting point guard position after Steve Nash relinquished it.[1][2] On January 25, 2010, Dragic scored a career high 32 points, hitting 6 of 7 three pointers in a losing effort against the Utah Jazz.[3]
On May 7, 2010, during game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals, he led a Phoenix Suns comeback against the team that originally drafted him, the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 23 of his total 26 points in the fourth quarter. Dragic scored his points on 10/13 FG attempts including 5/5 three pointers and a 4 point play, as the Suns overcame an early 18-point deficit to defeat the Spurs 110-96 and take a 3-0 lead in their best of seven series in the Western Conference Semifinals. "I think it's safe to say that may have been the best fourth-quarter performance I have ever seen in a playoff game," Suns forward Grant Hill said.[4]
During the Phoenix Suns 2010 NBA playoff western conference finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Goran Dragić got into a verbal feud and brief altercation with his Slovenian National Teammate Sasha Vujačić.
On February 24, 2011 at the NBA Trade Deadline, Dragić was traded to the Houston Rockets along with a first round pick in exchange for Aaron Brooks.[5][6]
Goran picked up his first career triple-double on April 13, 2011 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 45 minutes Goran had 11 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. Goran also blocked a shot in the Rockets' blowout win.
During the 2011 NBA lockout he signed with Caja Laboral in Spain.[7]
Dragić won the gold medal at the 2004 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship with the Slovenian junior national team. He also played at the 2005 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.
He also competed with the senior men's Slovenian national basketball team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and the 2007 European Championship.
Dragić grew up in Slovenia playing football. However, an injury forced him to switch sports. As a child in Europe, he admired NBA players Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and former teammate Steve Nash, and woke up at 3 in the morning to watch NBA games.[8] He is fluent in Slovenian, Serbian, Spanish, and English.[9] Dragić has a brother, Zoran, who also plays professional basketball.[10]
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Phoenix | 55 | 1 | 13.2 | .393 | .370 | .769 | 1.9 | 2.0 | .5 | .0 | 4.5 |
| 2009–10 | Phoenix | 80 | 2 | 18.0 | .452 | .394 | .736 | 2.1 | 3.0 | .6 | .1 | 7.9 |
| 2010–11 | Phoenix | 48 | 2 | 17.8 | .421 | .277 | .608 | 1.8 | 3.1 | .8 | .1 | 7.4 |
| 2010–11 | Houston | 22 | 3 | 17.2 | .472 | .519 | .667 | 2.5 | 2.5 | .6 | .2 | 7.7 |
| Career | 205 | 8 | 16.6 | .434 | .378 | .700 | 2.0 | 2.7 | .6 | .1 | 6.8 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Phoenix | 16 | 0 | 14.8 | .430 | .325 | .742 | 1.8 | 2.3 | .2 | .1 | 7.6 |
| Career | 16 | 0 | 14.8 | .430 | .325 | .742 | 1.8 | 2.3 | .2 | .1 | 7.6 |
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