Goran Dragic is beloved by the fans, players, coaches, and all others in the Miami Heat's organization.
So it was impossible for him to pass up the opportunity to give back to the NBA and connect with his peers at once. This comes through the NBA Mexico City Game 2024.
Dragic traveled to Mexico City, Mexico, to participate in a handful of events prior to the Heat's matchup against the Washington Wizards on Saturday at 9:30 ET.
This game marks the league’s 33rd in Mexico since 1992, more than any country outside of the United States and Canada. Dragic shared with Miami Heat On SI's Anthony Pasciolla what led him to take part in the exciting event.
"So I got the opportunity to do some NBA events, and luckily for me, the Heat are playing vs. Washington," Dragic shared. "And so I said, you know what? I want to be involved a little bit and come to Mexico City and do some stuff for the NBA, and at the end of the day, watch the game and reconnect with my old team. I'm a die-hard fan, Miami Heat guy, [I] can't wait for the game."
It's abundantly clear the retired All-Star guard holds a serious passion for basketball.
This is why events including a Her Time to Play basketball development clinic for about 120 girls ages 8-14 as part of the weeklong celebration and a Jr. NBA Coaches Academy clinic for 200 local coaches and physical education teachers mesh flawlessly with Dragic's interests.
The growing love for the game of basketball in Mexico is obvious, as there are more than 32 million NBA fans in the country, according to the NBA Global Fan Study. In addition to this, the youth popularity has tripled in Mexico and Brazil since 2019, per YouGov.
With players like Dragic returning post-retirement, it shows there's a connection that runs deeper than just stepping on the court. Still, there is a key difference the former Heat guard recognizes between a typical regular season game and one in Mexico.
"Altitude," Dragic began. "I can tell you right now I don't remember the altitude, but I think it's way higher than Denver too. I remember when I was here with the Heat, Spo would sub us out like every two minutes because it was so hard. Everybody was breathing hard, you couldn't run anymore, and then you needed some time to break. That was probably the hardest thing."
The 2024 Mexico City game (which is presented by Michelob Ultra) features what Dragic certainly hopes is a victory for his Heat in a sold-out Arena CDMX matchup.
