Dragan Bender facts for kids
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Bender with Maccabi Tel Aviv in September 2015
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| Free agent | ||||||||||||||
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| Power forward / center | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 November 1997 Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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| Nationality | Croatian | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2012–present | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Split | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Kaštela | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Ironi Ramat Gan | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Phoenix Suns | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | →Wisconsin Herd | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Obradoiro CAB | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Dragan Bender is a professional basketball player from Croatia. He was born on November 17, 1997. Dragan is very tall, standing 7 feet (2.13 meters) tall! He plays as a power forward or center. In 2016, the Phoenix Suns picked him as the fourth player overall in the 2016 NBA draft. Dragan also plays for the Croatian national team. He has played for many teams in Croatia, Israel, and the NBA.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Start
Dragan Bender was born in Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. When he was young, his family moved to Split, Croatia. At just 12 years old, he started playing basketball at an academy run by Nikola Vujčić. Vujčić was a famous basketball player himself.
At the academy, Dragan learned to play all positions on the court. He even played against older kids, including his own brother, Ivan. Dragan looked up to Toni Kukoč, another famous Croatian NBA player. He watched Kukoč's old games to learn from him.
Professional Basketball Journey
Playing in Croatia
Dragan started his professional career very young.
First Team: Split (2012–2013)
At 15 years old, Dragan played his first professional game for KK Split. He played for a short time and scored two points.
Moving to Kaštela (2013–2014)
The next season, Dragan joined KK Kaštela. This team was in Croatia's second-best league. Dragan helped them move up to the top league, called the A-1 Liga. He even made a game-winning shot with only three seconds left!
In 2014, he also played for the KK Cedevita junior team in a special tournament. He had a great game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Playing in Israel
After playing in Croatia, Dragan moved to Israel.
Loan to Ironi Ramat Gan (2014–2015)
In 2014, Dragan signed a long contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a big team in Israel. But first, he was loaned to Ironi Ramat Gan for a season. This team was in Israel's second-tier league.
He played his first game there in October 2014, getting 13 points and 13 rebounds. He had many good games, including one where he scored 25 points. By the end of the season, he was averaging almost 10 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv (2015–2016)
After his loan, Dragan joined Maccabi Tel Aviv. He played his first game for them in October 2015. He scored 15 points in a game against Maccabi Kiryat Gat. He also scored a season-high 16 points in December 2015.
Dragan helped Maccabi Tel Aviv win the Israeli State Cup in 2016. He was also chosen as an All-Star player for the Israeli All-Star game.
In April 2016, Dragan decided to enter the 2016 NBA draft.
Time in the NBA
Phoenix Suns (2016–2019)
On June 23, 2016, the Phoenix Suns picked Dragan as the fourth player in the 2016 NBA draft. Many people thought he was the best international player in the draft. He was known for being able to shoot well and for his potential.
Dragan made his NBA debut on October 26, 2016, scoring 10 points. He was one of three teenagers on the court for the Suns in that game. He got his first double-double (scoring double digits in two categories) with 11 points and 13 rebounds in December 2016.
In February 2017, he had a small surgery on his ankle. He returned to play in April.
During the 2017-2018 season, Dragan improved his scoring. He scored a career-high 15 points in November 2017. Then, he scored 17 points in December. In January 2018, he scored 20 points, making six three-pointers! His career high became 23 points in February 2018. He also had a career-high 14 rebounds in April 2018.
In October 2018, the Suns decided not to keep Dragan for another year, making him a free agent after the season. In April 2019, he had a career-high seven blocks in a game.
Milwaukee Bucks (2019–2020)
In July 2019, Dragan signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. He also played for their minor league team, the Wisconsin Herd. The Bucks later decided to let him go in February 2020.
Golden State Warriors (2020)
In February 2020, the Golden State Warriors signed Dragan for 10 days. In his first game with them, he scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds against his old team, the Phoenix Suns. He signed another 10-day contract. In his last game before the NBA season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he tied his career high with 23 points.
Return to Maccabi Tel Aviv (2020–2021)
On September 23, 2020, Dragan went back to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. He played in 34 EuroLeague games, averaging 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds. In May 2021, he got an injury that made him miss the next whole season.
Playing in Spain (2022)
On August 23, 2022, Dragan signed with Monbus Obradoiro in Spain. He played 10 games, averaging 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds. However, in December, he suffered a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) which ended his season.
Playing for His Country
Junior National Team
Dragan played for Croatia's national Under-16 team in 2012 and 2013. He improved a lot, especially in 2013, averaging 9.8 points and 10.8 rebounds.
In 2014, he played for the Croatian national Under-18 team. He averaged 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds. He helped his team win a bronze medal and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
In 2015, Dragan was supposed to play in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. But he couldn't because of a disagreement about shoe sponsors. His team had a deal with one brand, but Dragan had a deal with another.
Senior National Team
In June 2017, Dragan was allowed to play for the main Croatian national team in a tournament called EuroBasket 2017. He played in 6 games, averaging 4.3 points.
Player Style
Dragan Bender has been compared to another tall basketball player, Kristaps Porziņģis. Both are big players who can shoot the ball well. While Porziņģis might be a better shooter, Dragan is often seen as a better passer and ball-handler.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season
| Season | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds Per Game | Assists Per Game | Steals Per Game | Blocks Per Game | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Phoenix | 43 | 0 | 13.3 | .354 | .277 | .364 | 2.4 | .5 | .2 | .5 | 3.4 |
| 2017–18 | Phoenix | 82 | 37 | 25.2 | .386 | .366 | .765 | 4.4 | 1.6 | .3 | .6 | 6.5 |
| 2018–19 | Phoenix | 46 | 27 | 18.0 | .447 | .218 | .593 | 4.0 | 1.2 | .4 | .5 | 5.0 |
| 2019–20 | Milwaukee | 7 | 0 | 13.0 | .476 | .444 | .667 | 2.9 | 1.3 | .0 | .7 | 3.7 |
| 2019–20 | Golden State | 9 | 3 | 21.7 | .437 | .324 | .727 | 5.9 | 2.1 | .4 | .4 | 9.0 |
| Career | 187 | 67 | 20.1 | .399 | .323 | .654 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .3 | .6 | 5.4 | |
EuroLeague Statistics
| Season | Team | Games Played | Games Started | Minutes Per Game | Field Goal % | 3-Point % | Free Throw % | Rebounds Per Game | Assists Per Game | Steals Per Game | Blocks Per Game | Points Per Game | Performance Index Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 7 | 0 | 10.5 | .333 | .250 | .500 | 1.4 | .6 | .3 | .4 | 2.1 | 1.1 |
| 2020–21 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 34 | 16 | 19.1 | .476 | .345 | .756 | 3.8 | .7 | .4 | .5 | 6.6 | 6.7 |
| Career | 41 | 16 | 17.4 | .463 | .337 | .745 | 1.4 | .6 | .3 | .4 | 5.9 | 5.7 | |
About His Life
Dragan's older brother, Ivan, also played college basketball.
To learn English when he was young, Dragan watched American TV shows like Friends and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
See also
In Spanish: Dragan Bender para niños
