The Miami Heat’s win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday was a bit more special for Goran Dragic as he reached 11,000 career points.
The team’s official Twitter account posted a congratulatory message, to which the Slovenian responded with modesty.
Dragic’s reaction was unsurprising as this was not the first time he has shown humility.
From 2012 to 2018, the All-Star point guard started in every game he played for the Phoenix Suns and Heat. However, an injury in the middle of the 2018-19 season caused him to miss 31 straight games from December to February.
In his first game after the extended absence, Dragic was relegated to the bench. He was only brought back to the starting lineup again during the last eight games of the regular season.
Before this season began, the Heat had planned to reshuffle their starting lineup by bringing the 33-year-old off the bench again. Dragic had no problem with the decision and graciously accepted the new role.
So far, it has paid dividends. With the way he has been playing, Dragic could very well be a starter if he were on another team.
But his current role as one of the Heat’s spark plugs off the bench has been instrumental in the team’s early season surge to one of the best standings in the Eastern Conference.