On June 13, 2023, the day dawned rainy and gloomy in Toronto as the summer appeared to be arriving late in a spring with no basketball playoffs.
Darko Rajakovic’s Arrival and New Raptors Era Expectations
Around noon, the sun came out as if to signal the dawn of a new era for the city. Outside Scotiabank Arena, the Raptors set up a stage to introduce Darko Rajakovic, sharply dressed for his debut as the team’s new head coach.
Rajakovic, a longtime Serbian NBA assistant coach coming off Memphis, looked flawless in his black suit, tie, and pocket square.
He wore a radiant smile in the glaring sunshine and a clean haircut, embodying the freshness and new ideas that Masai Ujiri, then president of the Raptors, had been seeking after firing Nick Nurse.
Despite his serious reputation, Ujiri drew plenty of laughter from the crowd during the introductory press conference.
“Good time for Serbs right now,” said Ujiri, alluding to recently proclaimed NBA champion Nikola Jokic and newly crowned Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic. “I’d like to be called Masai Ujirianovic,” added the executive, expressing his hope that the new hire would bring another championship to Toronto to match their 2019 triumph.
That has not happened, at least not yet, but it turns out that Rajakovic has also made his fellow Serbians proud with an unprecedented achievement.
Rajakovic Makes NBA History
The same building that saw him introduced as a head coach nearly three years ago, Scotiabank Arena, erupted as fans celebrated the Raptors’ first postseason berth in four years after a 136-101 blowout victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Toronto clinched the 5th seed and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Although Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo led the Memphis Grizzlies to the playoffs last year, he did so as an interim head coach after taking over for the fired Taylor Jenkins in March.
Rajakovic became the first-ever European coach to qualify a team for the postseason as a full-time head coach while leading the team for an entire campaign.
Unlike Rajakovic, Iisalo was only in charge for nine regular-season games and was required to navigate the play-in tournament to secure a playoff spot.
Rajakovic Takes Pride in His Serbian Roots
With a characteristic smile, Rajakovic modestly downplayed his achievement, adding a touch of sarcasm regarding the scarcity of European coaches in the NBA.
“It’s not a lot of us, it’s not a huge accomplishment,” Rajakovic told BasketNews.
The Serbian is one of three European-born coaches currently in the league, alongside Finland’s Tuomas Iisalo and Spain’s Jordi Fernández, who stood on the opposing sideline last night for the Nets.
However, Rajakovic became emotional, his eyes glazing over when asked how his Serbian heritage has shaped him personally and professionally.
“I was born and raised in Serbia, lived 29-30 years there before I moved to Spain, and that’s where I started playing and coaching, falling in love with the game. There are so many players, so many coaches from ex-Yugoslavia, especially from Serbia, who made this path possible for me.
“Without all of those successes of the national team, without successes of the clubs, of individual successes of players and coaches, I would never be in this position over here. So I’m very grateful for the opportunity to represent my country and my fellow countrymen,” the Balkan coach said.
Throughout his three years in Toronto, Rajakovic has often highlighted the influence of illustrious Serbian coaches such as Zeljko Obradovic, Svetislav Pesic, and Igor Kokoskov.
“We are in the middle of a rebuild; this is not a finished product. There is more work for us to do. We have a lot of young players who still have to see a lot of growth, a lot of development, but there is going to be a time and place to talk about next season. I think this is a moment for everybody to enjoy this moment, to seize this moment”, Rajakovic added.
Breaking Barriers for European Coaches
Rajakovic has broken down a barrier that only years ago seemed insurmountable due to the NBA’s historical reluctance to hire European-born-and-raised head coaches.
Israeli David Blatt and Italian Mike D’Antoni, both dual-national Americans, were among the previous coaches with European ties to reach the NBA postseason.
However, the NBA didn’t appoint its first head coach born and raised in Europe until the Suns hired fellow Serbian Igor Kokoskov in 2018.
However, he barely lasted one season in the position.
Nevertheless, Serbia paved the way for European coaches in the NBA, a movement that continues to expand with Rajakovic seemingly picking up the mantle from Kokoskov.
Credit AP-Scanpix
A New Wave of European Coaches in the NBA
Rajakovic has been a pioneer in his own way, much like his close friend and mentor Kokoskov.
However, the Serbian flag is not the only one from Europe represented on NBA benches during this record-breaking season featuring three European head coaches.
As previously mentioned, Spanish Jordi Fernández (Brooklyn Nets) and Finnish Tuomas Iisalo (Memphis Grizzlies) are the other European-born-and-raised coaches currently patrolling the sidelines.
From Cacak to the NBA: Darko Rajakovic’s Journey
Rajakovic has worked his way up to the highest heights of coaching, following a very unorthodox path from the bottom to the top.
Born in Cacak, 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of Belgrade, Rajakovic never played professionally, instead beginning his coaching career with the Borac Cacak youth teams at the age of 17 in the late 1990s.
He continued his grassroots development at Red Star before moving to Spain in 2009 to lead the semi-professional team Espacio Torrelodones.
Rajakovic guided Torrelodones to the fourth tier of Spanish basketball and began his NBA journey in 2012, taking the reins of the Thunder’s affiliate team, the Tulsa 66ers, where he remained until 2014.
He then served as an assistant coach for the Thunder, the Suns, and the Grizzlies until landing the Toronto head coaching position in 2023.
Credit AP-Scanpix
Rebuilding the Raptors Step by Step
The Serbian has managed a tough rebuild with the Raptors, navigating major roster overhauls and two difficult seasons before leading the Canadian franchise back to the postseason.
In the 2023-24 season, Rajakovic’s first at the helm, Toronto moved on from the final pieces of its championship core by trading Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby midway through the year.
The Raptors ended the campaign 12th in the East with a 25-57 record, followed by a similarly challenging 30-52 finish the next year.
However, the new project has taken off this season, centered on the Scottie Barnes-Brandon Ingram duo and an identity defined by physical defense and a dynamic, team-oriented offense.
Rajakovic’s staff includes Serbian Ivo Simovic, Panathinaikos legend Mike Batiste, and former Portuguese WNBA player Mery Andrade.
The Raptors start to see the light. The sun rises in Toronto as spring peaks and the first playoffs in four years approach. At the same time, European basketball continues to expand its horizons.
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