Goran Dragić, the golden captain, may still play for the national team

Goran Dragić played his last national team match against Sweden, which the Slovenians won 84:81.

Even with his farewell, he showed why he is one of the best basketball players.

Not everything came easy for Gogi. He achieved great success through hard work, but he remained a humble boy who always emphasised that he was only Gogi from Koseze.

It all started right there, where he played basketball with his brother Zoran.

He took his first real steps in the club Slovan.

At the age of twenty, he ventured abroad for the first time, to Spain. The coach did not allow the players to speak English, so he found himself in a difficult situation. He jumped over that hurdle too. In the evenings, he picked up a book and learned the Spanish language.

After returning to Olimpija, he impressed sports fans and soon took his name to the world. The Phoenix Suns were the first to warm up to him in the NBA.

Ever since then, he has been playing in the most prestigious basketball league in the world, and he’s also regularly played for the Slovenian national team.

He wrote the story of his life in 2017. He was the captain of the national team that became the European champion. He also won the title of the best player of the championship.

At that time, he decided that he would no longer play for the national team, but almost five years later he changed his mind.

Although he claimed that the matches against Italy, Croatia and Sweden were his last, it seems that he has again left the door slightly open for his return.

Points To Consider

1. Do you watch national team basketball matches?
2. Is it hard to fight when it seems like it won’t work?
3. What qualities are most important for a good athlete?

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The original version of this article was published on July 4th.

English translation courtesy of JL Flanner, Total Slovenia News, an English language website with news from and about Slovenia.