By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Darko Rajakovic is in his second season at the helm of the Toronto Raptors. The team is still in the process of rebuilding, stacked with talented players, and the Serbian coach is trying to teach the team as many things as possible to help them grow.
As he revealed to Mundo Deportivo, Rajakovic is also trying to learn concepts from other sports and pass them on to his players, using the example of his compatriot and tennis champion Novak Djokovic.
“Mentality should be the most important thing that differentiates the best athletes in the world, no matter the sport. At this level, the highest, everyone has physical attributes, and what really makes the difference is the mentality. Novak Djokovic is probably one of the best in history with his mentality and how he approaches the game, how he can navigate all those ups and downs with the crowd liking him, with the crowd not liking him…” Rajakovic said.
He also admitted playing some of Djokovic’s interviews to his team.
“I’ve been trying to listen to many of his interviews. I had the opportunity to play some of his interviews for our team as well, just to understand the mentality of a champion. So, there’s definitely a lot to learn.”
Even though he couldn’t recall the exact quotes, he believes that his players can learn a lot from an Olympic champion and the winner of a record 24 men’s singles Grand Slam titles.
“It was about mentality. It was about embracing adversity, being present in the moment, you know, tennis is a sport where every match between the best players is decided by one possession, one ball. So listening to him, to Rafa Nadal, to Alcaraz, those guys are the masters of mentality, and there’s always something to learn from them,” Rajakovic concluded.
Toronto Raptors are currently 24-46, sitting at the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. But with the likes of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, the future seems bright for the Canadian side.