"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."
"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."
Adam Silver named Darko Rajakovic head coach of Team World for the NBA All-Star Game. Rajakovic becomes the third Toronto Raptors head coach to participate in an All-Star Game, following Dwane Casey (2018) and Nick Nurse (2020). Scottie Barnes was named an All-Star reserve while teammate Brandon Ingram was omitted, though Ingram remains a possible injury replacement. The NBA will trial a Team USA versus Team World round-robin format. Mitch Johnson and J.B. Bickerstaff will lead Team USA. Rajakovic helped transform the Raptors from a 30-52 record to 30-21 at the time of writing, reinforcing his standing among foreign-born coaches.
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