/
I t was only ten years ago that the general public rst heard about this man born in the village of Banatski Brestovac 47 years ago, when he became the rst non-Amer- ican to become a member of the coaching sta of an NBA team. Since then he’s gone on to become the rst non-American coach to win the NBA league (as an assistant), then the rst non-American coach to be involved in an All-Star match, then the rst non-Amer- ican to become the head coach of an NBA team, since Igor Kokoškov took over the helm at the Phoenix Suns last year. He previously won gold at the European Championship with Slovenia’s national team. That 2016 nal saw his team defeat that of his native Serbia, led by Aleksandar Đorđević, which was tough for him to handle. At the time of our conversation, the Pheonix team wasn’t in the best of form. Having amassed only four victories, the team was stuck at the bottom of the Western conference, so our story starts from there ... “It’s not the best result and not an impres- sive start, but... I have a good understanding and manage to have an overview of the situ- ation from several sides. My team is a mix of young players who are yet to come of age. I have three rookies in the team. We’re not yet even close to what we expected, but there’s time ahead to mature. We play constantly and the rhythm is very fast, so we don’t have much time to think about what’s already hap- pened – only what’s yet to happen.” Responding to the comment that he and other NBA players from our country are the reason why Serbia doesn’t sleep, he laughs... “Thank you! I hear the NBA is followed a lot, thanks for also following my Phoenix. I think that we have reasons for all of us to be proud.” We ask him to recall the period of 20 years ago. His impressive CV might not have been so impressive had life circumstances not taken care of that. Behind the current success of Igor Kokoškov is the hidden story of a youngster in a Yugoslav People’s Army uniform whose dream of becoming a professional basket- ball player collapsed, just as the country was collapsing, due to a motor accident. “My plan was to complete my army service, return home, enrol in the Faculty of Sports and Physical Culture, and to continue practising sport. However... Life intervened to ensure that didn’t happen.That sunny spring day turned my life in a completely new direc- tion. I was lying in a military hospital with a broken foot. I had to wait for my military ser- vice to nish, then to be treated again in Bel- grade, and then to undergo surgery again.” It was a dicult moment for someone who had become aware at the age of 18 that he would never be able to play basketball pro- fessionally. However, as is usually the case,
“At that time it would have been really too ambitious to think that I could one day be- come the head coach of an NBA team. But life has somehow led me in that direction. I have no other explanation. I had good timing in everything; I happened to be in the right place at the right time. Although, just so we under- stand each other, I must say that I wouldn’t have been dissatis ed if I hadn’t achieved all that I have. However, given everything that’s happened, this is an honour and a challenge for me. I don’t have time to think about what’s happened in the past. I’ll think about that when this whole journey ends.” And that journey has just begun, so a re- cap of Kokoškov’s achievements will have to wait. Still, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t al- ready aware of his ultimate goal in the world’s strongest league. “I want to leave behind something tan- gible; for people to remember me for posi- tive and good things. Nothing lasts forever, and that includes my career here. I was for- tunate to be given this opportunity to be the head coach of an NBA team, and now I have to be smart enough to keep the job.” Apart from club basketball, Kokoškov has also achieved great success at the inter- national level. He won gold at the Europe- an Championship in 2016 with the Slovenia national team, defeating Serbia in the nal. “There again my timing was good. A lot of factors of luck came together. We beat Ser- bia, and I must emphasise once again that it was an honour and a privilege for me to play against Aleksandar Đorđević’s team in the nal. That victory in Istanbul will always have a special place in my heart,”concludes Kokoškov.
Čujem da se NBA baš prati, hvala što pratite i moj Finiks. Mislim da imamo zbog čega svi da budemo ponosni I hear the NBA is followed a lot, thanks for also following my Phoenix. I think that we have reasons for all of us to be proud
when life closes a door it opens a window. In his case, that was window to the distant land of America... “I travelled to America for the rst time 26 years ago. Staying there never occurred to me. I was eager for knowledge, and Amer- ica was then unknown to me. I was working with Partizan’s juniors and the Yugoslav na- tional team and had no ambition to try my hand in the NBA.” Nevertheless, his rst job in America came in 1999, as an assistant coach in Mis- souri. It was then that his continuing NBA mission rst began.
50 |
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator