Darko Rajakovic has been in a good mood ever since the Toronto Raptors made him the 10th head coach in franchise history.
“The last three days I’ve had a smile on my face so much my jaw is starting to hurt,” Rajakovic joked Tuesday at an outdoor news conference.
Rajakovic, 44, replaces Nick Nurse, who was fired on April 21 after Toronto went 41-41 and lost in the opening round of the play-in tournament.
We’re really, really excited for this day,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said, seated alongside Rajakovic on a stage set up outside the team’s downtown arena. “I know it’s change and sometimes change is hard, but we believe change is good, and change is good for our ballclub and our organization now.
General manager Bobby Webster said Rajakovic “didn’t go in as the favorite” when Toronto started its search, but won over the Raptors as the process evolved.
He’s really smart, he’s detailed, he’s structured,” Webster said. “He has a really diverse set of experiences internationally, but also in the NBA. He’s worked for a number of organizations and directly with a lot of, like, high-caliber players and it just kind of all fit. He just exceeded our expectations and just really impressed us.
Rajakovic said he felt an immediate connection with Toronto’s front-office staff.
“The first time we started talking on a Zoom call, what I felt from day one was unity,” Rajakovic said. “Everyone in the organization, you could just feel that everybody is together.
Born and raised in Serbia, Rajakovic has been involved in coaching since his teens. He coached in Spain before coming to the United States.