NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has revealed the leader of the world's top talent in the NBA All-Star Game, with Darko Rajakovic (a Serbian native) officially appointed as head coach of Team World. He is the third head coach in Raptors history to participate in All-Star game, after Dwane Casey in 2018 and Nick Nurse in 2020.
Of course, on Sunday night, Raptors fans found out that their defensive ace, Scottie Barnes, was named an All-Star reserve, while his teammate Brandon Ingram missed out — an omission that surprised many, but also seemed understandable to some degree. Ingram still has a shot at making the All-Star team, probably as an injury replacement, but that’s yet to be determined.
However, the news of Darko Rajakovic getting the head coaching nod is just as significant for the Raptors organization too. On the American side of things, coaches Mitch Johnson (Spurs) and J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons) are set to lead the two Team USA rosters. Those are two incredibly talented head coaches in their own right, both guiding their NBA teams to very evident success. This year, with the NBA trying out a new Team USA vs. Team World round-robin format for the first time — having Coach Darko called upon to lead Team World is a clear sign of recognition.
It certainly affirms his status as the league’s top foreign-born NBA coach.
Darko Rajakovic may just be the world's best coach after his latest honor
Considering some of the other contenders in the league for this role, coaches like Ime Udoka (Nigeria), Steve Kerr (born in Lebanon), interim head coach Tiago Splitter (Brazil), Jordi Fernandez (Spain), and Tuomas Iisalo (Finland) might have been strong candidates. Maybe only Udoka and Kerr truly had a case to earn it — but I’d still say Rajakovic had them beat.
Coach Darko has been instrumental in transforming the Raptors from a modest 30-52 record to an impressive 30-21 at the time of writing. They've already matched their previous season's win total and are now sitting as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference — widely driven by a star duo of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram leading the way on the player’s side.
The early years of Darko Rajakovic stepping into the Raptors' head coaching role after the Nick Nurse era were unquestionably a time of adjustment and retooling. In many ways, despite the recent success, Rajakovic still views this season as a rebuilding phase. Be that as it may, the Raptors have managed to embrace a defense-first mentality that Coach Darko and his staff prioritize as the team's emerging identity.
While they’re still a work in progress — it’s evident that, with time, Raptors Nation has begun to see how well Rajakovic can connect with and develop the squad. However, I won't say this version is a clear-cut title contender just yet, but a perfect storm could be brewing if the Raptors can iron out the kinks and address some of those glaring issues.
This turnaround could also serve as a strong case for Rajakovic to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year, if Toronto’s season continues to rise. If that outcome were to happen, I’d say Toronto’s decision would undoubtedly be paid in full. And for a decision that has been debated for a while now — whether Rajakovic was the right hire — moments like this not only validate that choice but also give Coach Darko the chance to claim he’s one of (if not the) best coaches in the world.