2023-06-10 20:19:00
NBA – Last team not yet to have a coach for next season, the Raptors finally preferred Darko Rajakovic to Sergio Scariolo and Kenny Atkinson.
At 44, the Serb was therefore preferred to Sergio Scariolo and Kenny Atkinson following a long process, since the president of Toronto, Masai Ujiri, and his GM, Bobby Webster, took almost two months to validate their choice. .
Taylor Jenkins’ assistant in Memphis since 2020, Darko Rajakovic had previously moved to Oklahoma City (2014-19) and Phoenix (2019/20), as an assistant to Scott Brooks, Billy Donovan and Monty Williams. At the Thunder, he participated in the development of many young players (Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, Terrance Ferguson, Victor Oladipo, Dennis Schröder, Alex Abrines…), continuing his work at the head of the Tulsa 66ers, the G-League team affiliated with OKC, which he led from 2012 to 2014.
The second European coach to lead an NBA franchise
Before arriving in the NBA universe, he had been coach of the Espacio Torrelodones, a Spanish fourth division team, following having made his classes in the youth categories of the Red Star of Belgrade.
Nevertheless, he has always been attracted to the United States since he came to observe the training of Lute Olson (Arizona) and M
ike Krzyzewski (Duke) in the mid-2000s, also serving as a scout and assistant for the San Antonio Spurs Summer League team from 2004 to 2011.
Darko Rajakovic is renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of the game and its evolutions, as well as his passion. His qualities as a trainer are also recognized by everyone in the small world of the NBA. In attack, he advocates a style of play almost opposite to that of the Raptors this season, with five players invested in the creation of the game, in a quest for “beautiful basketball”.
Note that he becomes the second real European coach to lead a franchise in the Great League. We wish him more success than the first, Igor Kokoskov, who only stayed a year at the head of the Suns, before being pushed out. At the Raptors, Darko Rajakovic has work to do, but he will probably have some time to work.
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