On February 23 this 27-year old basketball player from Ljubljana at first improved the Slovenian record and scored 35 points in the match against Huston, the team in which he played in his career, which Phoenix lost with 112:115. Goran had to skip one match because of a slight ankle injury, but he came back in style. Five days after the record match he gave 40 points to New Orleans for a victory of 116:104, placed a new landmark and sent the US Airways Hall into delirium, earning standing ovations and MVP chants. Surreal for real!

In the interview for MMC "Gogi", who is always a pleasure to talk to, remained modest and showed no star whims, although his latest performances put the Americans into ecstasy – and they know the best how to make a star. He told us about the fantastic performance against the Pelicans, and appraised the very successful season for Phoenix Suns, said a few words about Jeff Hornacek, Eric Bledsoe, All Star weekend, and the new selector Jure Zdovc.

MVP chants are not very frequently heard in Phoenix. The last time they were intended for your mentor, and one of your idols Steve Nash. How does it feel to be on the receiving end of such chants?
I got goosebumps. It was surreal. I don't have the words to describe the feeling. It is something any athlete would like to hear. I was surprised when the chanting started. During the final four free throws I said to myself that missing them was out of the question – since the audience was chanting MVP (laughter).

Was it the biggest compliment in your career? Or one of the three biggest?
Definitely it belongs among the three biggest ones … I believe it proves I am on the right path, that my training is good, and that I am improving year by year. I would really like to hear something like that again.

Which compliment from this season you remember best? And which are you most proud of?
This season there was a lot of them, so it is rather difficult to say. Each was something special. Scoring 40 points was something special, and what Kevin Durant said – that I deserved to be in the All Star team, and that I belonged there, MVP chants… This season was so good for me and for my team that it impossible to set out one moment – the entire season was the best.

Were you very angry for being left out of the All Star team? On a scale from one to ten … how angry were you? A number of basketball players, just as Kevin Durant did, said in public that you should have been there.
Well, it used to be ten, but not any more, as that's behind me. I must find something positive in all that. I should take it as additional motivation for the next season, and try to get into the All Star team next year. But I was disappointed and angry. Here as well all the media wrote that I should have been invited. In the end I don't even know what happened. Perhaps the reason was that I come from a very small country, which Slovenia is, and we are not so recognizable marketing-wise… I think I did everything in my power on the field; the decision was not in my hands.

It seems you made a step forward under the leadership of Jeff Hornacek. How you two get along?
I don't consider Jeff a coach, but a friend. He has a friendly relationship with all the players, and we all respect him very much. We know what kind of player he was. Thanks to the fact that he used to be a player he knows how the things look to us, players, on the field. That's what makes him so successful as a coach, in my opinion. He keeps his calm on the bench, even if we are losing by 15 or 20 points. He improves our self-confidence, helps us to believe in ourselves, that we can come back and change the score in our favour. He really is a great coach.

The fans are crazy about you, you play the basketball of your life, but many people claim you still have room for improvement, and that the best is to come in the following seasons. What should you perfect in your game?
Everything. I always considered my playing as a whole, I never thought of improving only one part. There is room for improvement everywhere. Perhaps I somewhat reduced the aggressiveness of my defence. I am always a step behind, as I play for so many minutes that I simply can't endure the entire match at the same high level in defence. I see reserves in physical power and fitness, I should also work on my shot, and passes… On everything. If you wish to improve year after year, you have to keep improving, in everything. Improving one thing, getting worse in another is not acceptable – it would mean remaining on the same spot.

Your excellent performances were praised by other Slovenian basketball players, starting with Beno Udrih. Do you keep in touch with the other Slovenian basketball players?
As much as possible. Of course I mainly keep in touch with my brother Zoran. With Edo Murić we exchange SMS messages. I stay in touch with Nachbar through Twitter, we write to each other a lot. I spoke a couple of time with Lakovič through Skype. I met Udrih in New York, where we played against each other. I follow their matches and I can see everybody is playing well. I wish them a lot of success, and no injuries. I hope we Slovenians will continue to rule regardless of where we are!

You said you were very tired after the European championship, but it didn't show in your games. Perhaps you started the NBA season better prepared thanks to your participation in the national team?
Most certainly, I agree. My self-confidence was boosted as well. I started very well. I had some troubles with injuries, but I was better prepared, and felt better, mainly due to the competitive rhythm. In previous seasons I started with friendly matches, and everything was more relaxed. This year I started well prepared from the very beginning, and it really helped.

We must say a few words about the national team. Jure Zdovec came back as selector. You said you would like Božidar Maljković to remain. You cooperated well with Zdovc in Poland, and now he said that the game will be built around you, and that for Slovenia you signify what Parker signifies for France.
I do wish to be a leader. I think it is my duty, as I am one of the most experienced players in this rejuvenated team, and that when something happens and there is a tie, I should assume the responsibility and try to close the match, or do a move. We cooperated well with Jure in Poland. I think that when Maljković resigned from his position as selector, the only sensible and logical solution was to put Jure in that position. He still holds the best result as selector, and his present results in Turkey are outstanding. I think we will work well, and have nothing to fear in future.

Was your son present at the match when you scored 40 points? He saw you at the previous match, when you improved your personal record twice.
No, he was not there. He saw me break the record twice in first two matches, but this time he was not in the audience. But my father and mother were there.