IN THE COMPANY OF THE BEST AND HIGHEST

DARKO RAJAKOVIĆ, the new head coach of the Toronto Raptors, talks about his first positive impressions of Toronto, the team and how it is important for one to love their job and work hard to achieve a successful career. With this mindset, the sky is the limit. Darko always believes in the team he works with, while acquired friendships in the cities he resides in make the best memories.

It has been five months since you arrived in Toronto. What were your first impressions of the city, and have they changed so far?

I had a great feeling when I first came to Toronto. Everything about the Raptors organization, the team, the owner, and management left a positive impression from the very start. Of course, I only knew Toronto as a city I would visit once a year to play games. I didn’t get a chance to truly get to know the city. However, since coming here, I was delighted to find out how pleasant and hospitable its residents are. I love that it is a highly multicultural city, home to people from all over the world. It’s a much different feeling than life in some parts of America, and it reminds me of living in Europe. I have adapted very well for now, and my family enjoys it here.

Do you feel the presence of the Serbian community in the city?

Yes, I have already met many people from Serbia, and due to circumstances, some friends and acquaintances from twenty-something years ago from Serbia now live in Toronto, so I’ve had a chance to meet with them as well. Of course, there is a prominent Serbian community in Toronto. I enjoy having the opportunity to go to church, see our people, and visit restaurants with Serbian food. I genuinely feel good and accepted; a huge reason for that is the large Serbian population in Toronto.

You started your first job as a coach as a 16-year-old. Did you ever believe in your potential to get to the NBA coaching position?

I could never have dreamt of this when I first started coaching. I was always really in love with my job and would take it one step at a time, to master the next step in my career, to have the opportunity to prove myself and to learn. I’ve been patient. Little by little, I managed to be hired in Spain, then in the followed by assistant coaching positions in the NBA for ten years. Of course, the crowning achievement of my career so far is that I got this fantastic opportunity to be the head coach of the Toronto Raptors and to represent Serbia in some way, along with the Serbian community, Serbian coaches, European coaches, and Europe in general. It’s a great honour to be in the position that I’m in right now.

Watching press conferences with players and observing their behaviour during timeouts, it’s evident that players seem to believe in you and your vision. How do you feel about gaining your team’s respect so quickly?

First and foremost, I believe in my team, I believe in my players, and it is great that we have fantastic guys on the team – true professionals. They make my job a lot easier, and I do everything I can to help them develop individually and team-wise, play as well as possible, and be united as a team. We use every opportunity we must build that team spirit collectively.

What’s it like working with young talent like Scottie Barnes, who understands the semantics of the game and can process tactics so systematically?

Scottie Barnes is a fantastic talent. He’s a guy who’s a great worker, a great winner, a great competitor, and it’s a pleasure for me to work with him and try to help him in his early NBA career to take his game to the next level. We work well together; I greatly respect him, and it is a great honour to have the opportunity to train such an extraordinary talent.

Besides this new opportunity in Toronto, where have you enjoyed working the most?
I’ve always had a good time as a coach, with many beautiful moments while I worked in Serbia in Borac and for “Red Star.” Later, I had three fantastic years in Spain. I also truly enjoyed Memphis, Phoenix and, of course, Oklahoma, where I spent seven years. There was something nice and memorable in all these places: friendships and memories of extraordinary people, things we experienced together. The memories have always been pleasant (no matter where I have been geographically) because of the people around me who made experiences more wonderful, including my family who was also happy and enjoyed their time in all these places.

You studied Greek culture and philosophy at the University of Belgrade. Do you ever apply the principles of philosophy to your coaching strategy?

Sure, my education formed me as a person. Knowledge of the philosophy and culture of ancient Greece shaped me in some intellectual sense. I remember some of the lessons from that time. When I talk to players and coaches, I try to pass on some of that knowledge. Some principles I use, more subconsciously than consciously, include phrases and ways of thinking. Just today, in training, I mentioned Socrates and his approach to learning.

The presence of Serbs in the association is increasingly prominent, including the best player in the league and other key rotational players. Now, you have become the head coach of a championship team. What do you think about this trend?

The NBA has become a global representation of the sport, not only the best league in the world but a global sport that is present everywhere. It used to be very difficult to get NBA broadcasts, but now, the NBA app exists along with its League Pass service for watching games live from anywhere. As a result, a much larger number of people are in touch with the NBA world. The NBA is working hard to recruit the best players, trainers, psychologists, and coaches worldwide. As a result, I think there will be more and more international players, coaches, and employees in the league, which is very positive.