The story behind Goran Dragic’s surprising return. And champion Dion Waiters speaks
The expectation was that Goran Dragic’s season was over after he tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in Game 1 of the Finals.
But after missing four consecutive games, the determined Miami Heat veteran guard fought through the pain to return and play in Game 6 on Sunday. Even Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was surprised by Dragic’s return.
“How about Goran even just going out there and playing tonight? That’s just crazy,” Spoelstra said following Sunday’s season-ending loss to the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. “There’s no way he should have been out there.”
Then Spoelstra told a story that revealed just how unlikely Dragic’s return seemed a few days ago.
“He texted me — the night he got hurt in Game 1 he texted, I got a text literally around 4:15 in the morning,” Spoelstra said. “He said, ‘Coach, don’t give up on me on this series. Give me a chance. I’ll find my way back.’ I talked to the trainers the next day and they said, ‘Not a chance.’ And sure enough, he was basically begging every one of us the last three games just to give him a chance.
“That just shows you his character and how much he wants to give. Not for himself, he has already proved himself. He’s one of the most decorated players in this game, but he wanted to do it for his teammates, and he’s another one of those special human beings that I’m just honored that I’ve been able to coach him and develop that kind of relationship with him over the years.”
Dragic, 34, said “it has been hell for me the last 10 days” but “I just wanted to be out there to help my team as much as possible.”
Dragic finished his Game 6 return with five points on 2-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes off the bench. Sunday marked his first game as a reserve this postseason after starting the first 16 playoff games he appeared in before the injury.
“It was really a small chance to come back, but I pushed it,” Dragic said. “I did all the treatment I could and even today I pushed it. I didn’t feel right, but it is what it is. I tried to be out there for my team.”
Dragic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, was one of the Heat’s most reliable and efficient offensive options this postseason. He entered the Finals averaging a team-high 20.9 points on 45.2 percent shooting, to go with 4.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists during the playoff run.
The foot injury will not require surgery, Dragic said. He’s expected to make a full recovery by simply resting it.
“I love him to death. I wish I could play with him as a teammate for forever,” Heat All-Star wing Jimmy Butler said. “Because these are the moments that you cherish. He put his body on the line for me and the rest of our guys for this organization. That shows the type of player that he is and the type of person that he is. We go down swinging, I’m glad he was out there fighting with us.”
WAITERS AN NBA CHAMPION
It has been a year full of highs and lows for guard Dion Waiters, who began the season with the Heat before he was traded in February to the Memphis Grizzles and then later signed with the Lakers in March after he was released by the Grizzles.
Waiters served three team-issued suspensions for a total of 17 games with the Heat during the first two months of the season. The first suspension was for unprofessional conduct, the second suspension was for conduct detrimental to the team, and the third suspension was “for his failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination.”
On Sunday, Waiters won an NBA title with the Lakers. He did not play in the Finals.
“After the year I had. Suspensions, they tried to bury me,” Waiters said on Instagram Live in the middle of the Lakers’ postgame championship celebration. “They really tried to bury me, bro. I ain’t even do nothing. ... Look at me now, man.”
▪ What did Butler learn about himself in his first season with the Heat?
“That I’m a decent player,” Butler said after Sunday’s loss. “I think that I grew in every aspect of the game. So I can smile about that. More than anything, I’ve learned that here, me works. Here, I’m always, always, always, always going to believe in my guys. I think the one thing that I learned more than anything is how fun it is to play with these guys. It really was fun watching all my young fellas grow. Having vets come in and showcase what they can still do and teach me so much. It was a great time.”
