The Toronto Raptors taking on the Brooklyn Nets had even more meaning behind it than your usual regular-season game between divisional rivals. After spurning the Raptors, Goran Dragic made his return to Canada to face a fanbase that becomes irritated at the very sound of his name.
One of the two main pieces that came over in the Kyle Lowry swap, Dragic played just five games before his eventual trade and buyout. From his now-infamous “higher ambitions” quote to the fact that he left an already thin Toronto bench without an experienced point guard, Dragic had a talent for making fans’ blood boil.
When the Nets get all of their star pieces back, they figure to be a favorite for the championship. Dragic joined Brooklyn for that express purpose. No amount of championship glitz and glamour could help him evade the boos of a very angry fanbase.
Dragic was serenaded with a healthy chorus of boos as he came back to Toronto, showing that the fanbase is not going to forget how little he gave to the team during his time here. Early in the game, Dragic missed some free throws and turned the ball over as the boos piled on.
Warm welcome back for Goran 🙃 pic.twitter.com/xjzMD6x7Ad
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 2, 2022
To make matters worse for Dragic, Toronto pulled off a 109-108 victory that gave the team their second victory in as many days against the Nets. This will be important if a tiebreaker scenario arises.
Toronto Raptors fans booed Nets guard Goran Dragic.
In some respects, Dragic and the Raptors tried to make it clear that the decision to excommunicate him was mutual. Both Dragic and Nick Nurse have been quoted as saying that there are no hard feelings between the two parties. That won’t make Dragic any more endearing to the fanbase, however.
Dragic finished the night with 10 points, two rebounds, and two assists on 4-8 shooting. While not a dominant showing, it was nonetheless a solid performance. It may have left some Raptors fans wondering what could have been if he stayed with the team.
dragic definitely doesn't deserve this hate but it's the first game back at full capacity and the fans absolutely should get every penny's worth
— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) March 2, 2022
Toronto leaned on a very balanced effort in this game, as all five starters ended up in double figures. Scottie Barnes was making plays all night long, Gary Trent Jr. was the team’s leading scorer once again, and Thad Young overcame a slow start to close out the night in the fourth quarter.
In the end, both parties got their wish. Dragic can join a contending team to finally slip a ring on his finger, and the Raptors moved forward with their young core and Thad Young in tow. However, the mark Dragic left on the fanbase won’t be washed away so easily.