"Would not exclude Nikola Jokic" - Raptors coach opens up on coaching 14-year-old Luka Doncic, opines on his 'best European player' status
Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic praised Luka Doncic ahead of the game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, November 8. The Serbian coach also praised Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' two-time MVP and reigning champion.
The Serbian coach faced the Mavs guard a decade ago when he was part of the Real Madrid basketball team. He reminisced about the time when he had to coach against 14-year-old Doncic in the EuroLeague.
"When I was coaching in Madrid, he actually came there as a 14-year-old," Darko Rajakovic said to media. "We played against each other, he played against my team, even if he was 14 years old. So, yeah I know Luka for a long time. He is exactly the same now, smile on his face, enjoying the game, embracing the competition, you could see that he is going to be very special." [via Basketball on X].
Rajakovic then addressed whether Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic should be considered among the best European players of all time.
"He (Doncic) is young, he is definitely on the path to be one of those, but I would not exclude Nikola Jokic and Dennis Schroder (laughs) as the best players from Europe, absolutely. Competition is really tough, but he is definitely amazing," Toronto coach added.
Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are two of the best players in the NBA and should be among the frontrunners for the MVP award this season.
Luka Doncic calls Nikola Jokic 'probably the best basketball player in the world'
Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic faced each other last Friday in the opener of the NBA In-Season Tournament. The reigning champions rallied past the Mavs (114–125), with both megastars flirting with the triple-double.
Doncic had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Jokic posted 33 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. After the game, the Slovenian superstar had nothing but great words to say about his opponent.
"He's not really on the media stuff a lot, but all the players, all the coaches know how special he is," Doncic said, per Dalton Trigg of FanNation's Dallas Basketball. "Everybody knows how special he is… He’s right now, probably the best basketball player in the world." [via Sports Illustrated].
"It's great (to compete against him). It's always fun with him. Of course he’s an amazing basketball player, but he's a great guy. That's what I love the most about him, just always joking around. He's just a simple and very amazing man."
Luka Doncic has played in all seven Mavericks games this season, averaging 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three. With a 6-1 record, Dallas is second in the West.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic has led the Nuggets to a 7-1 record, averaging 28.4 ppg, 12.9 rpg and 8.4 apg, shooting 63.3 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.