Darko Rajakovi膰 always feels like he’s representing Serbia. At the All-Star Game, he’ll be representing the world.
Rajakovi膰, the Toronto Raptors’ head coach, will be the coach for the international team at the All-Star Game in Inglewood, California, on Feb. 15, the NBA announced Tuesday. It’s a move that will give the new even more of a global feel.
Rajakovi膰, who is Serbian and coaches the only NBA team that plays its home games outside of the U.S., will be an All-Star head coach for the first time.
鈥淲e had conversations with the NBA, and they were discussing the best way how to have a coach for the World team, for All-Star, for a little bit different format,鈥� Rajakovi膰 told reporters in Toronto on Tuesday. 鈥淎nd obviously, it is amazing honor to represent Serbia, to represent Canada, to represent the whole world at the All-Star Game. Really excited to get there together with guys, and, you know, to be part of the great spectacle.鈥�
He’ll lead a team that includes, among others, Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam, plus Canadians Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray.
鈥淎ll of those guys, obviously the best of the best, and it鈥檚 going to be a lot of fun to see all of those international guys being on the same team,鈥� Rajakovi膰 said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be three or four guys that speak my language, so it鈥檚 going to be pretty fun. Nikola Jokic, he鈥檚 celebrating his birthday around that time as well, so we鈥檒l have a good time.鈥�
Rajakovi膰 has done one of the finest jobs in the league this season.
The Raptors are 30-21 so far this season, on pace for their best record since going 53-19 as the defending NBA champions in the coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 campaign. The Raptors already have matched last season鈥檚 win total and are in line for what would be their first playoff berth since 2022.
The NBA will announce Tuesday night which players are on which team for the All-Star tournament.
Rajakovi膰 has a long history in international basketball, starting as a coach in his homeland as a 16-year-old, then later coaching in Spain and eventually serving as a European consultant for San Antonio for the better part of a decade before coming to the U.S. in 2012.
He also coached as part of Serbia鈥檚 staff at the 2019 Basketball World Cup.
鈥淕rowing up in Europe and coaching in Europe in 17 years before coming to the NBA really shaped me as a coach in fundamental things,鈥� Rajakovi膰 said. 鈥淣ow taking over as a coach with the Toronto Raptors and really understanding that I represent a different NBA team, a team that represents a whole country, a team that is in Canada, I think it鈥檚 a great fit for me and the organization.鈥�
At All-Star Weekend, Rajakovi膰 will join J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons and Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs as the coaches for this season鈥檚 mini-tournament 鈥� the first time the NBA has tried the U.S. vs. The World concept.
Bickerstaff got his spot because the Pistons have the best record in the Eastern Conference. Johnson got his because the Spurs were the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference at Sunday鈥檚 cutoff date; the nod ordinarily goes to the coach of the team with the best record, but Oklahoma City鈥檚 Mark Daigneault was ineligible this year since he coached at the All-Star Game last season.
Rajakovi膰 will be one of at least four people in the Raptors organization taking part in All-Star: Scottie Barnes will be in the All-Star Game, while Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin will be in the Rising Stars event.
Rajakovi膰 was part of the 2014 All-Star weekend as an assistant coach on Scott Brooks’ Oklahoma City staff.
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