Goran Dragic plays down EuroBasket favorite talk / News - Basketnews.com

Slovenia national team veteran Goran Dragic has refused to be drawn into conversations about his team being favorites to win the EuroBasket 2022.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Slovenia national team captain Goran Dragic runs away from the conversations where his team is mentioned as the EuroBasket 2022 favorites.

Goran Dragic

Position:PG, SGAge:36Height:191 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Ljubljana, SloveniaProfileNewsStatistics

A 36-year-old Chicago Bulls guard feels this is one of the toughest EuroBaskets he ever played.

Dragic, who debuted in the EuroBasket 2007, is set to start his sixth European championship.

"This EuroBasket is going to be one of the toughest. So far, everybody has shown up. A couple of injuries happened, but I feel this European championship is going to be one of the hardest ones," Goran Dragic said in the pre-event press conference.

Slovenians are entering the competition as the reigning champions, but at least a few powerhouses have their arguments to lift the trophy this year.

The list includes Serbia with the back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, the NBA finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, a complete French national team and others.

"As a professional athlete, you love to compete against the best. Our group is one of the toughest. They call it a group of death. It only fuels us to be more prepared," Dragic smiled.

"We always want to have a good challenge. For us, it's going to be exciting games, and we can't wait," Dragic added.

Many put Slovenia at the top of the EuroBasket 2022 rankings.

Five years ago, Dragic, Doncic, and their teammates didn't have pressure to win the competition. But after winning the title and making a historical Olympic semifinals run, Slovenians now is a team to beat here in Germany.

Dragic plays down the EuroBasket's favorite talk.

"We're not thinking about the rankings. We're focusing on our practices and preparation. We want to go game by game. Tomorrow is the most important game for us. We are playing against Lithuania, one of the best teams in the EuroBasket. We have to be focused and start the game well," Dragic pointed out.

"We're not thinking, 'okay, our wish is to win a medal.' It's too far. First, we need to take care of business in this group, and from there, we'll see with whom we'll play and how we'll play this tournament," Dragic concluded.

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