He arrived in Piraeus as a teenager and left as one of the best centers in continental basketball. In his eight seasons with Olympiacos, Dragan Tarlac helped the Reds go from a rising powerhouse to the European elite. Together they reached three EuroLeague championship games and won the title in 1997.

Tarlac's career started in his native Serbia, first with Vojvodina Novi Sad and then with Crvena Zvezda Belgrade. He was still a teenager when he signed for Olympiacos in 1992, but soon was providing the team with a physical presence in the paint. His rebounding skills and post moves earned him a solid place in the rotation of Coach Ioannis Ioannidis, who would play Tarlac 25 minutes in the 1995 EuroLeague championship game, which Olympiacos lost to Real Madrid. When Olympiacos hired Dusan Ivkovic as coach and returned to the EuroLeague Final Four in 1997, Tarlac was ready to deliver. He posted a double-double in both Final Four games: 10 points and 13 rebounds in the semifinal against Union Olimpija Ljubljana, followed by 11 points and 14 rebounds in the title game against FC Barcelona. That season, Tarlac averaged 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds in 19 EuroLeague games. In his time with Olympiacos, he also helped the team win five Greek League titles and two Greek Cups.

Tarlac went on to play one season with Chicago in the NBA, suited up for two seasons with Real Madrid and played his final campaign with CSKA Moscow before retiring in 2004 at the relatively young age of 31. Tarlac's career also saw him win EuroBasket 2001 with the Yugoslav national team. However, he may be best remembered as a cornerstone of Olympiacos's 1997 triple-crown team of EuroLeague, Greek League and Greek Cup champions. For that reason, he will always be a beloved figure in Piraeus.