When he started the recruiting process with the Raptors, Darko Rajakovic had no intention of please anyone “. No, what mattered to him was staying true to his ” beliefs » and to his « basketball philosophy “. ” In the end, that’s what they liked the most and so they decided to hire me », reports the new coach of the Canadian team.
His philosophy is linked to his training in his native lands. The 44-year-old technician says to himself “ lucky to be born in Serbia and to have evolved within a Serbian basketball school.
” It helped me a lot to be in the situation where I am today. I grew up watching our national team and our great coaches, from Zeljko Obradovic and Duda Ivkovic to Svetislav Pesic and Bozo Maljkovic… There is a very long list of people and coaches who left a very, very deep mark on our basketball and who helped me a lot “Assures the coach, who also mentions Bosa Tanjevic, whom he had the opportunity to meet briefly at Fenerbahçe.
The “head coach” also does not forget to mention a certain Igor Kokoskov, recruited in 2018 by the Suns, thus becoming the first “European” coach in the Great League.
He who ” arrived in the NBA about 20 years ago began to open doors for international coaches. It is truly a great honor and privilege to be in this situation. I am aware that this is a consequence of the considerable results and successes that our coaches and players have achieved in the past. “Judge Darko Rajakovic.
Sacrifices to be made
Like his compatriot, he chained assistant positions (Thunder, Suns, Grizzlies) before getting this first opportunity to coach a team.
” No path is easy, everyone has their own story and journey. I learned early on that as a coach I shouldn’t compare myself to anyone and shouldn’t look at how someone else succeeded or failed, but should fight in my own way, to persevere. Of course, there were a lot of sacrifices. It was not easy to leave Serbia or my home, to work in Spain, and then to go to the United States. These are my great sacrifices, as well as those of my family who accompany me on this journey. “, Finishes the new mentor of the Raptors.
