List of Serbian NBA coaches explained

The following is a list of Serbian basketball coaches who have been assistant or head coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In 2000, Igor Kokoškov became the first non-American to hold a full-time assistant coach position in the NBA.[1] In 2004, he became the first non-American assistant coach to win an NBA championship, and in 2006, he became the first to serve on an NBA All-Star Game coaching staff.[2] In 2018, he became the first fully European head coach in the NBA.[3]

In 2004, Igor Kokoškov won the NBA championship as an assistant coach of the Detroit Pistons. Since then, Dejan Milojević won the league in 2022 as an assistant coach of the Golden State Warriors.[4]

Key

Denotes coach who is still active in the NBA

Note: Both lists are correct through the start of the .

Serbian coaches

CoachNBA CareerHonours
Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach (–)2[5]
*23[6]
Golden State Warriors assistant coach (–)3NBA champion (2022)[7]
*10All-Star Game (2014)[8]
*Toronto Raptors assistant coach (–present)1[9]
*11[10]
Phoenix Suns assistant coach 1[11]

Coaches with Serbian citizenship or parentage

The following is a list of coaches, who are or have been assistant or head coaches in NBA, who have citizenship of Serbia or Serbian parentage or who are Serbs of former Yugoslav republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia).

NationalityRelationCoachNBA CareerHonours
Serbian father[12] [13] *35[14]
Serbian father[15] *Dallas Mavericks assistant coach (–present)2[16]

See also

Notes

Details
  • Other nationalities, ethnic groups, native-language
  • Notes and References

    1. Web site: Magic Name Igor Kokoskov Assistant Coach . 2022-07-27 . 2018-05-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180516153523/http://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic-name-igor-kokoskov-assistant-coach . live .
    2. Web site: Jazz Announce Basketball Staff Additions. July 1, 2015. NBA.com. June 2, 2017. September 14, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170914131531/http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/jazz-announce-basketball-staff-additions-0/. live.
    3. News: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter. Twitter. 2018-05-03. en. 2018-05-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20180506053758/https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/991816217081073669. live.
    4. Web site: Nemanja Bjelica četvrti Srbin sa NBA prstenom . mozzartsport.com . 17 June 2022 . 27 July 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220727233228/https://mozzartsport.com/kosarka/vesti/nemanja-bjelica-cetvrti-srbin-sa-nba-prstenom/422892 . live .
    5. Web site: Aleksandar Dzikic new assistant coach in Minnesota Timbervolves . 4 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928172258/http://www.24sec.net/article.asp?index=2500 . 28 September 2011 . dead.
    6. Web site: Igor Kokoškov Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. March 28, 2016. April 9, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160409082840/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/kokosig01c.html. live.
    7. Web site: Warriors Announce Coaching Staff Additions . nba.com . 14 August 2021 . 13 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210813182419/https://www.nba.com/warriors/news/coaching-staff-20210813 . live .
    8. Web site: Darko Rajaković Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. March 28, 2016. March 22, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160322005148/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/rajakda01c.html. live.
    9. Web site: Report: Toronto Raptors Hiring UCLA Assistant Coach Ivo Simovic . si.com . 6 November 2023.
    10. Web site: Meet the 2016-17 Nuggets Coaches. nba.com/nuggets. NBA. October 24, 2016. October 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161025092232/http://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/nuggets-2016-17-coaches-091416. live.
    11. Web site: COACH NENAD TRAJKOVIĆ. druga.aba-liga.com. ABA league. July 27, 2022. July 27, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220727233231/https://druga.aba-liga.com/player/3195/21/2/nenad-trajkovic/. live.
    12. Web site: 'Pop' art. Wojnarowski, Adrian . Yahoo! Sports. June 10, 2007. Sometimes, you get the idea that Popovich is fighting a war within himself. "He's even got the Serbo-Croatian conflict going on", Buford said. "His mother was Croatian and his father was Serbian. That's the battle he faces internally.".
    13. Web site: The Spurs Speak Out, in Different Languages. June 11, 2014. February 24, 2018. NYTimes.com. ...born in East Chicago, Ind., to a Serbian father and Croatian mother, ....
    14. Web site: Gregg Popovich Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. July 28, 2022.
    15. News: Marko Milić: Jednom legenda, uvek legenda. 12 November 2017. kosmagazin.com. 20 October 2015. sr.
    16. Web site: Marko Milič Statistics. basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. November 6, 2023.