NBA names Raptors’ Darko Rajaković as coach of All-Star Game team
Darko Rajaković of the Toronto Raptors will coach the international team at the All-Star Game on Feb. 15, the NBA announced Tuesday, a move that will give the new USA vs. The world looks even more global.
Rajaković, who is Serbian and coaches the only NBA team that plays its home games outside the United States, will be the All-Star coach for the first time.
Announcement
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 COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. The Raptors have already matched last season’s win total and are in line for what would be their first playoff berth since 2022.
The NBA will announce Tuesday night which players will be on which team for the All-Star tournament.
Rajaković has a long history in international basketball, starting as a coach in his homeland at age 16, then coaching in Spain and finally serving as a European consultant for San Antonio for nearly a decade before coming to the United States in 2012.
He also coached as part of the Serbian staff at the 2019 Basketball World Cup.
Announcement
At All-Star, Rajaković will join JB Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons and Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs as coaches for this season’s mini-tournament — the first time the NBA has tried the USA vs. USA concept. World.
Bickerstaff got his job 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 as of Sunday’s deadline; usually the nod goes to the coach of the team with the best record, but Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault was ineligible this year because he coached in the All-Star Game last season.
Rajaković will be one of at least four people from the Raptors organization taking part in the 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.
Rajaković took part in the 2014 All-Star Weekend as an assistant coach on Scott Brooks’ Oklahoma City staff.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA