By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dreamland Gran Canaria announced a contract extension for head coach Jaka Lakovic on Monday.
The latest deal with the 46-year-old Slovenian tactician lasts until the end of the 2026-27 season.
The contracts of sport director Willy Villar and team president Sitapha Savane were renewed as well.
Following head-coaching experience with ratiopharm Ulm from 2019 to 2022, Lakovic replaced Porfirio Fisac and took over Gran Canaria before the 2022-23 campaign. The former player stayed in the EuroCup and won the 2022-23 installment of the 7DAYS EuroCup, the second tier of Euroleague Basketball behind the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
The 2024-25 journey went from reaching the Semifinals of the Copa Del Rey in February to a losing effort in a best-of-three series opposite Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv in the BKT EuroCup Finals. With five games remaining in the Liga Endesa Regular Season, a 16-13 record sits at the bottom end of the ACB Playoffs zone. Overall, he has featured in a total of 167 games as the head coach of the team based in the Canary Islands, between the EuroCup and domestic competitions in Spain.
A successful and extensive playing career as a point guard was highlighted by becoming an EuroLeague champion with Regal FC Barcelona in 2010. The native of Ljubljana also played for Panathinaikos, Galatasaray, Sidigas Avellino, and Royal Hali Gaziantep. Representing Slovenia in international tournaments, he was capped in the World Championships of 2006 and 2010, and also made his way to seven straight editions of EuroBasket from 2001 to 2013.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net