By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
As reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the 44-year-old Serbian assistant coach of the UCLA Bruins Ivo Simovic is set to become an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, joining the coaching staff of Darko Rajakovic, who was appointed as the newest head coach of the Canadian franchise.
Ivo Simovic and Darko Rajakovic worked together in Crvena Zvezda‘s youth system from 2001 to 2007. From that year until 2015, the former worked as sports director of the Spanish EBA League side CB Espacio Torrelodones, where he could mentor the latter, who worked in Spain from 2009 to 2012.
The 44-year-old coaching specialist previously worked at Hartford, Charlotte, Loyola, and UCLA at the NCAA level. The Toronto Raptors decided to acquire Darko Rajakovic following his assistant coaching experiences with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Phoenix Suns, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sources: UCLA basketball assistant Ivo Simovic is finalizing a deal to become a Toronto Raptors assistant coach. He joins the staff of fellow Serbian Darko Rajakovic, who he has worked with previously in Serbia and Spain. pic.twitter.com/rTHL6KTXJB
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 26, 2023