Bidding farewell to the game of basketball with a game full of your former teammates and fellow countrymen sounds more like fantasy than reality.

But for Goran Dragic, it’s a dream come true!

Today’s Lineup

The Night of the Dragon

Very rarely do professional athletes get to experience a “storybook ending.” Unless you retire after winning a championship, the world’s ultimate competitors are often forced to hang up their sneakers with something of a sour taste in their mouths.

That was not the case for Goran Dragic, who got the chance to retire from basketball in style. On Saturday, Dragic and his foundation hosted the “Night of the Dragon,” a charity game in Dragic’s native Slovenia to celebrate the end of his incredible career. Participants included Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Chris Bosh—the current stars even had a bit of fun with one another, capturing the spirit of the game.

All in all, we love the idea of legendary players getting one last run before calling it a career. It’s so cool to think about the games we could see and the teams that could assemble, all in the name of celebrating and Enjoying the game. Happy trails, Goran!

Record Retrospective

It’s easy to view the NBA’s record books as relics of the past, with old players, old numbers, and statistical feats so gaudy they don’t even seem real. But it’s important to remember that these games all really happened, and appreciating them is part of appreciating the game today!

In that spirit, let’s take a look back on the highest assist game in NBA history.

Scott Skiles: 30 AST for the Orlando Magic on December 30, 1990

After spending the first few seasons of his career with the Bucks and Pacers, Scott Skiles was selected by the newly-formed Magic in the 1989 expansion draft. Skiles was primarily a backup during his first season in Orlando, but he didn’t look back after being given the keys to the offense in 1990.

Skiles erupted during his first season as a starter, leaping from 7.7 PPG to 17.2 and bringing home the MIP award. But the season’s high note came one day before New Year’s Eve, when Skiles rewrote the NBA’s record books.

On that day, Skiles exploded for an NBA-record 30 assists, leading Orlando to a 155-116 win over the Nuggets. Skiles’ pinpoint passing led the Magic to a 12-point first quarter lead that they never looked back from, cruising to a win in which eight players (including Skiles himself) scored in double figures. Skiles’ record has scarcely been touched since—John Stockton dropped 28 AST in a game less than a month later, but Rajon Rondo is the only player to crack 25 or more since 2000.

In the Courtroom

When your brand is hot, everybody wants a piece of the action. And while the NBA seeks a new home for its sizzling broadcasting rights, its former business partner has been left out in the cold.

Over the weekend, the NBA filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit from Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns TNT) against the league for an alleged violation of their previous contract. Earlier this summer, the NBA rejected WBD’s new media rights deal and elected instead to sign a new 11-year, $76 billion deal with Amazon.

WBD argues that it was their “contractual right,” to match a third-party offer, while the league contends that the agreement submitted by WBD was actually substantially different from the one offered by Amazon. WBD has until September 20th to respond—and only time will tell if this battle impacts where we watch our basketball.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to take whatever frustration comes your way in stride. Rarely do things go exactly the way we imagine, but it’s the way you bounce back that defines the situation. See you soon!

-Walker Carnathan