The Raptors surprised more than one by entrusting the reins of their team to Darko Rajakovic, a “rookie” as “head coach”, a foreigner moreover. The former Grizzlies assistant is only the second foreign coach to lead an NBA team, after his compatriot Igor Kokoskov, author of a lightning passage to the Suns. But Rajakovic is not a “youngster”, and above all he has not skipped any step to get there.
“Since the beginning of my coaching career, I have always been very ambitious, but at the same time I knew that a coaching career is not a 100 meter race, but a long marathon. I only ran half a marathon, I still have a long way to go” believes the Serbian. “I am currently in my 27th year of coaching and I hope I will stay in this field for as long as possible. I like it and it’s nice. »
Since 2012 in the United States
Of his 27 years of coaching, Rajakovic has spent almost half in the United States, since he arrived in 2012, first as an assistant in Tulsa, before joining the Suns, the Thunder and most recently the Grizzlies.
Many experiences that allowed him to make a name for himself as a trainer, and 11 years ago he never thought he would get to this stage. “I couldn’t imagine it, because at the time there were no such examples. It didn’t seem possible, but things have changed over the years. Basketball has become a global sport”.
