The Toronto Raptors hired Darko Rajakovic this past offseason, giving him his first head coaching gig.
It has been a season filled with more losing than anticipated, but it is a part of the process. After trading Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby, this Raptors turnaround will take sometime.
Despite the losing, Rajakovic shows tremendous passion for his players and wants to succeed. Which is a redeeming factor to have in a head coach and someone players want to play for.
Rajakovic took his likeability up a notch as he and his wife Gaga, will donate $20 to children’s hospitals for every Raptors assist this season:
Raptors HC Darko Rajaković and his wife, Gaga, will donate $20 to children's hospitals for every Raptors assist this season 🙏 pic.twitter.com/1W2kHGPZnW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 24, 2024
Every assist will be counted towards the donation, dating back to the season opener. He announced on Jan. 24 that the final amount would be split between Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and a children’s hospital in Belgrade, Serbia.
Currently, Toronto averages 29.6 assists per game, ranking second most in the NBA. The Raptors are on a 27-game streak of 25 or more assists per game, which is the longest active streak in the league and fourth longest in league history.
This was something Rajakovic planned on doing all along and waited to announce this because the team planned to visit Sick Kids’ Hospital and Variety Village after practice on Jan. 24.
Back in his days with the Memphis Grizzlies, Darko and Gaga visited St. Jude in Memphis. He would take the Raptors to that hospital again when the team was in Memphis back on Jan. 3.
Overall, this a beyond generous gesture by Darko and his wife. This gives the Raptors an added purpose to their season and a chance to make a difference in the world.
Darko Rajakovic uses love and truth to motivate team
Coaches have to find a way to motivate their players, especially during losing streaks or tough periods of the season.
After going through a lot of change with lineups and trades, Rajakovic uses love and truth to motivate his team during these challenging times.
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