Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajaković will lead the international team at the upcoming All-star game and thus become the first European coach to participate in this prestigious NBA event.
Eurohoops states that Rajaković will lead the international selection, and he will be joined on the bench by assistant Ivo Simović.
It is expected that he will soon be officially presented in this role. His selection comes after Toronto’s excellent results this season.
The Raptors are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and are recording significant progress compared to last year.
In addition to Rajaković at the All-star game, among others, Nikola Jokić, the Denver ace, will be present.
Rajaković already had experience at the All-star weekend in 2014 in New Orleans when he was part of Oklahoma’s coaching staff as an assistant coach.
New format of the All-star weekend
The new format of the All-star game implies that 24 players be divided into three teams, which is why three head coaches were chosen. Spots have already been secured by J.B. Bickerstaff from Detroit and Mitch Johnson from San Antonio, who have the best records in the Eastern and Western Conferences, while Rajaković is the choice for the third coach.
In addition to the classic East – West match, a mini-tournament will be organized in which two teams composed of American players and one team of international basketball players, the so-called “World Team”, will participate.
The three teams will play on a round-robin basis, and each match will last 12 minutes. Each team will have at least eight players.
This year’s All-star weekend will be held in Los Angeles from February 13 to 15.
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Source: RTS, Photo: EPA / ERIK S. LESSER