Open Gym Pres. By Bell S12E13 | Coach

Open Gym Pres. By Bell S12E13 | Coach

There you go that’s a good Espress right there knowing his history as a basketball player himself how he became a young coach he has that Competitive Edge and how he loves to be on the floor teaching he’ll do whatever for his team and as a player you love that he’s got a

Direct very authentic personality both as a coach as a friend coach Darko and his wife Gaga they’re going to donate $20 for every assist the Raptors achieve he has a all of qualities but I would say one the qualities that he has he really cares about People Darko is one of the best basketball mins I’ve been around I think the thing is you get to know him is he’s unbelievable about building relationships that extend beyond the basketball court he just brings such great energy every day can really get a group to play hard

To play together to really build a culture here that I think is going to last a long time I want to be more aggressive okay let’s go let’s go come on he’s a teacher at his core and I think a situation like our team is in

Right now needs teaching and you got to learn the skills and then you got to be developed and grow and kind of allowed to blossome and I think that’s what Darko really specializes in I think he brings a lot to that type of situation he’s doing a great job so far grabing

Water here him right here the amount of time he spends with guys and really helps them understand here’s what we’re trying to accomplish as a team here’s your responsibility and help us win but then how that can help you individually grow and what our staff’s going to do

For you to help develop in your own right as well so we really gravitates to guys you know gets them to understand what’s the big picture you know from a team standpoint where their role is in on that and then how the him and the staff are going to pour you know their

Heart and soul to help them be the best players possible within that system every been him like oh got CH usually it’s going to beat he’s gotting you trying to beat you to shot and now your leg and now separation to get a shot I I think NBA players want to be coached

They want to be held accountable and I think Darko does that really well he has standards that he wants our guys to to reach and he doesn’t sacrifice or compromise on those he he really pushes but at the same time he players know that he is in their Corner every day and

So that’s why that’s why that combination works I’ve played for coaches who are great coaches but they just cared about your growth on the court you know they I’m a basketball coach you know but he’s more than that and he seems like he’s a basketball court Mentor life coach and and you can

See why you know he’s had some success already this is this is two-way street we got to keep each other accountable for everything we do on the court okay my job as a coach is to keep you guys accountable you always have the freedom

To come to me and say coach we need to do better with this or that okay he’s definitely definitely coffee Maniac I can go like that and uh uh so I a quick story so I we were in Spain coaching and coaching together and we had a lot of

Meetings in the morning together let’s have let’s grab a breakfast before whatever practice and you know I was 34 5 years old I never drink coffee before and every morning he was like come on man you going to try you got to try coffee you got to try coffee and I was

Like I don’t need I know I don’t like coffee then he started ordering coffee like yeah you got to try coffee try coffee so I try coffee one two three third time fourth time then it kind of like become habit for me like every morning we meet and we have a coffee so

I I’m not a coffee manc like him right now but you know I have every day I have a coffee but he he’s at another level he’s at another level he is like he’s 100% into it all right let’s go get some espresso always when we uh travel when

We go on the road uh we’re bringing our espresso machine and uh it’s something that we as a coaching staff and the players and staff in general we uh try to get it morning afternoons um preg games uh just to to get us going to get

Us ready for the game J saigo is always the one that puts machine together and makes it going and uh uh she always has a good setup for us with cups and all all all that we need what up B up beginning of the Season he brought us to

His house uh and we did like a coach’s sort of retreat and he had the express machine right there and pretty much I wasn’t allowed to leave before I had an expresso myself and think I’m still Wired from that and that was like 4 months ago so definitely a coffee guy he

Loves his coffee we bring it on the road with us all the time uh it’s kind of fun to have it around fact that we travel with an espresso machine levels that we’ve gone to to have it not only for him but for our team as well he’s always educating

Our staff like hey you should have this TR not necessarily for the caffeine fix of it but as much as like hey it’s just something I enjoy kind of opens up a discussion and a conversation and then also just kind of maybe takes your mind off for the basketball Bar for a minute

Of where you can just sit back relax and have a casual conversation as well this is our coach’s meeting room in the morning and once we meet in the morning always here we we have our espresso machine as you can see it’s already on which means that somebody just used it

So uh it’s uh nice and ready to Go me make sure that I have enough coffee Now we’ll need to add a little bit extra there you go this is going to be perfect it is a a science you got to know what you like this is going to be a good one and uh when you prepare espresso uh the form

Should be 3 to 5 mm thick and it should actually look when you make a really good espresso it should should look like a tiger’s skin let’s see how this one is going to come out see what it looks like there you go that’s a good Espress right There there you go awesome coach Darko and his wife Gaga they’re going to donate $20 for every assist the Raptors achieve retroactive to the beginning of the season it’s going to be split between 30 hospitals of course sick kids being one of them St judee’s in Memphis as well as a local

Children’s hospital in his native Serbia and I want to welcome you all to our Hospital coach Darko God bless you for being here and bringing the team here um he’s know he’s obviously knows mempis very very well he knows St je Children’s Research hos you talked to a

Lot of people about Darko before he got here and they will say something and then the way he conducts himself reinforces that like all of the stuff that he does is is selfless yeah I’m not surprised at all to be honest I think he went through a lot in his life we grew

Up in Serbia in a tough period of time with a Civil War in our country he understands like he’s in position right now to help other people and he’s using every single opportunity to do that and uh I’m so proud of him and uh and happy

That he can he can do that type of stuff he oh no just the time that he takes for all of us the hospitals and when we went to Memphis going to St Jude’s and prioritizing that stuff understanding uh we’re all very fortunate to work in this

Industry and not taking any of it for granted there such an influ influence and impact we can have off the court as well obviously you guys can see how special this place is and uh friend of M I had chance to meet over here he worked

For this hospital for 17 years he was in idea to shared with me one information that blew my mind since everything this Hospital works on donations and uh 90% of donations that this hospital is getting it’s coming from families from low income low and medium income think

About that think about like how how money is out there and the companies and what not and they choose not not to support or so you know I think it just brings awareness and uh you know thank you for being here today and supporting this thank you

Everybody we are heading today to siik kids hospital and we’re going to have a couple of our players and then staff members joining us in just giving support to to to the kids and their families and and the staff at the hospital hello hello hello I got something for you we wanted

To help kids and we don’t see any borders between the countries we just want to provide in places where we lived just a ability to give back to to communities that we were part of good there you go thank you so go nice meeting you guys

Hello Coach Darko nice to meet you every time when we have opportunity to go and meet people and support different causes here in in a community I think it’s unbelievable privilege for us thank you nice meeting you take care Guys are we about to witness baby’s first words let’s hear them oh johned out by the blender rookie mov oh so B audio Magic Eraser you kidding me h Hello pixel in the clutch share that with Grandma Google pixel 8 even better with Belle

In this week’s episode of Open Gym, the undeniable zest of Toronto Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajaković is illuminated through coaching, relationships, love of coffee, and his continuous philanthropy. #Raptors #TorontoRaptors