Toronto Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic to Lead World Team at NBA All-Star Game
The Toronto Raptors will have additional representation at the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend, as head coach Darko Rajakovic has been appointed to lead the World Team. This announcement adds to the team's presence, with reserve selection Scottie Barnes also participating in the event.
Rajakovic's Honour and Excitement
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the decision on Tuesday, confirming Rajakovic's role for the February 15 game in Inglewood, California. Rajakovic expressed his profound honour and enthusiasm during a team practice in Toronto.
"It is an amazing honour to represent Serbia, to represent Canada, to represent the whole world at the all-star game, and really excited to get there together with the guys, and to be part of the great spectacle," Rajakovic stated.
In his third year as head coach, Rajakovic has guided the Raptors to a 30-21 record, matching the team's win total from the 2024-25 season. He highlighted the thrill of coaching premier NBA players, including his friend and fellow Serbian Nikola Jokic, as well as Canadian superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
"All of those guys, obviously the best of the best and it's going to be a lot of fun to see all of those international guys being on the same team. There's going to be three or four guys that speak my language, so it's gonna be pretty fun. Nikola Jokic, he's celebrating his birthday around that time as well, so we'll have a good time," he added.
Player Reactions and Support
Raptors players shared their excitement and support for Rajakovic's achievement. Sandro Mamukelashvili praised his coach's qualities both on and off the court.
"He deserves it. He's an amazing coach," Mamukelashvili said. "First of all, he's an amazing person, just seeing how he communicates with us, his family, his kids, just definitely something I'm trying to learn from. But on the court, he's amazing. He gets the best out of every player and kind of understands the mental part, and always, always helps everybody. So it's a big accomplishment. I'm definitely rooting for (Team) World."
Mamukelashvili noted Rajakovic's ability to balance intensity and calmness, while point guard Jamal Shead described how the coach tried to keep the news low-key during practice.
"He was trying to hide it. He's giving out everybody else's little awards, you know, all-star rising stars, and coach Jama (Mahlalela) had to stop him and shout him out, and we all kind of cheered for him. So I think it's a really big accomplishment for him and a really big accomplishment for our team," Shead explained.
Rajakovic's Coaching Journey
Darko Rajakovic's path to the NBA has been a long and dedicated one. He began coaching in Serbia as a teenager and later collaborated on a paper about the pick-and-roll with current Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder.
His NBA experience includes roles with the San Antonio Spurs organization, the Oklahoma City Thunder—where he first attended an All-Star Game as part of the staff—the Phoenix Suns, and the Memphis Grizzlies. Rajakovic was named the tenth head coach of the Raptors in June 2023, succeeding Nick Nurse.
He joins Nick Nurse and Dwane Casey as the only Raptors head coaches to represent the franchise at All-Star Weekend, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Coaching Philosophy and Impact
Mamukelashvili elaborated on Rajakovic's coaching style, emphasizing the freedom and support he provides to players.
"Just allowing you to be you and just not think too much. Just play hard. Gives you freedom to decide on the court how you want to play. And only thing he asks from you is every day to bring 110% of intensity, work hard and just be coachable. But on the court, he just gives you that freedom, which is great for a player, because it just makes you be you, and it helps you, and also he has a very unselfish style of basketball, so it's kind of built towards you," Mamukelashvili said.
He also expressed surprise at the limited number of European coaches in the NBA, noting the differences between the NBA and Euroleague coaching styles. Rajakovic's ability to blend European and American coaching approaches was highlighted as a key strength.
"He can kind of turn it on and off. He can, like, get super, super mad. And kind of reminds me of that, like, you know, European coach Serbian coach I had on the (Georgian) national team like that too. So that's the best thing, just being able to do best of both worlds, calm and disciplined in situations, but at the same time, he won't let you, like, mess up over and over again, then you're gonna show emotions. And that's how you know, like, no, it's time to lock in. You don't want to be that guy who you have to repeat," Mamukelashvili added.
