Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic delivered a touching pregame tribute to late Serbian coaching legend Dusko Vujosevic. Rajakovic praised Vujosevic as an amazing mentor who shared vital knowledge during their early days in Belgrade, reflecting on his lasting impact on the global basketball community.

Before the matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the Miami Heat, the reporters had no more questions for Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic in the pregame press conference and were about to head over to Erik Spoelstra’s presser.

However, Rajakovic was not done yet. Before everyone could leave, the Raptors coach announced he had one more thing to say and proceeded with a special statement. 

What followed was more than a mere statement; it was a touching tribute that lasted nearly a minute. 

“Dusko Vujosevic was an amazing man, an amazing mentor,” Rajakovic began, speaking of the legendary former Partizan coach who passed away last Wednesday at the age of 67. 

Rajakovic’s message wasn’t only a mere show of respect to Vujosevic from a countryman.

The Raptors’ coach remembered how vital the late Balkan legend was during the early stages of his coaching career. 

“I was coaching with the youth program of Red Star, in Belgrade, and he was with Partizan at the time, coaching their pro team,” Rajakovic recalled. “We were sharing the same gym, and he was well known for always liking to steal a little bit of our time and do a little bit more work.”

“But he also, even on the opposing side, was always open to coming, talking to me, and saying, ‘This is part of my practice, to share knowledge.’ That’s something that I really, really appreciate,” added Rajakovic, who coached in the Red Star’s youth program between 1999 and 2007. 

Credit AP-Scanpix

The Serbian brightened the somber moment, drawing laughter from reporters with the story of Vujosevic attempting to steal court time from his team. 

“Even though we never worked together, he was always trying to help me; he was always trying to help all the coaches in the community. Just my condolences to his family, Partizan team, and the whole basketball community back in Serbia”, Rajakovic also said to finish his statement. 

This tribute to Dusko Vujosevic mirrored the honor Rajakovic paid to Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic upon his passing in 2024.

Rajakovic had also opened a pregame press conference with a personal remark on the day of Milojevic’s death.

Furthermore, he has frequently spoken of Milojevic during media appearances whenever the Raptors face the Warriors. 

On Friday, Partizan Belgrade also honored Vujosevic with a special pre-game tribute ahead of their clash against Zalgiris Kaunas.

An emotional video dedicated to Vujosevic was played following the player introductions, as fans lit up the arena with their phone flashlights.

Several of Vujosevic’s former Partizan players were in attendance, including Novica Velickovic, Sasa Pavlovic, Milenko Tepic, and Joffrey Lauvergne.

A minute of silence was observed just before tip-off, after which Partizan supporters chanted the late coach’s name for several minutes, while white roses were thrown onto the court.

Also outside the arena before the game, large lines of Partizan fans waited to pay their respects to Vujosevic by signing the book of condolences.

Toni Canyameras

Toni Canyameras began his basketball media career in 2021, covering FC Barcelona. He became a fan of the sport thanks to Barça and the Japanese manga series Slam Dunk.

Toni moved to Toronto in 2022 and has since been covering the NBA from a European perspective, reporting on games, All-Star weekends, and the Summer League.

He holds a degree in Journalism, a Master’s Degree in Sports Journalism in Spain, and a Postgraduate in Journalism in Canada.

About author

Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.

If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.