The Toronto Raptors of the National 스포츠토토 Basketball Association (NBA) have found their new head coach.
According to ESPN, citing sources, Toronto has selected former Memphis Grizzlies coach Darko Rajakovic, 44, as its new head coach.
Rajakovic was born in Serbia and got his start in basketball coaching at the age of 16, when he coached the Serbian team Borak Kakak youth team.
In 2009, he went overseas to coach Espacio Torrellones of the Spanish EBA League.
In 2012, he was named head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s D-League affiliate, the Tulsa Sixtysixers, making him the first foreign head coach in the G-League.
He joined the Oklahoma City coaching staff in 2014, then the Phoenix Suns, and has been coaching Memphis since 2020.
ESPN reported that Rajakovic stood out during Toronto’s head coaching search, catching the attention of president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster.
The media outlet said the Raptors were looking for a coach who could keep them competitive in any situation, whether they were currently running a veteran-oriented team or undergoing a younger rebuild.
Golden State Warriors coach Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee Bucks coach Charles Lee, and others were in the running, but the team ultimately settled on Rajakovic, who contributed to Memphis’ recent glory days.
After finishing the 2022-23 season with a 41-win record and losing a seeding game, Toronto fired head coach Nick Nurse and was looking for a new coach.