Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals Goran Dragic's importance to his NBA career

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Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals Goran Dragic's importance to his NBA career image

Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo is happy to now be playing for the Miami Heat. It is a team that he has become familiar with during his time in the NBA, as he has had plenty of duels against the Erik Spoelstra-led team since making his NBA debut in 2013 for the Milwaukee Bucks.

For a long time, Giannis remained loyal to the Bucks, but their recent struggles were the tipping point for the Greek superstar. Now, he will be playing for the Heat with a new jersey number, the #7 that was previously worn by former Heat All-Star Goran Dragic.

Giannis Antetokounmpo recalls the connection he made with former Heat All-Star Goran Dragic

As one of the most physically imposing players in the league, Antetokounmpo has worked hard to become one of the strongest players. Despite that, he does have some trouble with injuries from time to time. This has led to him making adjustments to his gear, including wearing his now-iconic shooting sleeve.

Apparently, that decision to wear a sleeve stems from a showdown with the Heat back in the day. The reason he is wearing a shooting sleeve now is because of Dragic, which is a bit poetic, considering Antetokounmpo is the player wearing his old #7 jersey number.

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Dragic has found out about this, as Antetokounmpo spoke to him over the past few weeks. The former Heat guard has given his blessing to the newest superstar, as the #7 will now be synonymous with Miami's newest Greek superstar.

"Goran Dragic? Of course he played here. He almost ripped my hand off; the reason I wear this sleeve is because of Goran Dragic. I was going through a screen, and he came so fast, and he hyperextended my elbow. So I had to put that on so I can protect it, and then I just stick with it," Giannis said to his wife, Mariah, about his history with Goran.

Now, it has all been forgotten because Antetokounmpo has reconnected with the former Heat guard. In fact, he has a good relationship with Dragic now as they now share an iconic number in Heat history.