Igor Kokoškov - 1st European head coach in the NBA

[Emmette Bryant]

It took America 526 years to hire a European basketball head coach, but today Igor Kokoškov became the first to have the honor. This 46 years old Serbian continues a great tradition of winning Serbian coaches on a high note. Since the 2000/2001 season, he worked in the league, starting with the L.A.Clippers. He worked as a Utah Jazz assistant coach past 3 years. Past summer he took a dual role, he also coached Slovenian national team and unlikely won the European championship in a convincing fashion. Dragić led the way, Dončić followed. The latter might be leading the break for him next year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Koko%C5%A1kov

I believe that he is a great choice for the young and struggling Suns. He will bring a new breeze of fresh air in the valley, new principles, good communication, contemporary approach and he is still young, innovative and hungry.

Isn't Dragan Bender a Croat? Wonder how that's going to work out.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

It took America 526 years to hire a European basketball head coach

Basketball has not been around that long.

The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball


127 years?

526 years ago puts us in year 1492, which is when Columbus reached land in the Western Hemispehere (Caribbean Islands). So I'm guessing the OP is hung up on the fact that Columbus didn't hire any European head coaches to coach the colonies.

That's always been my biggest issue with Columbus.

[Phantom255x]

It took America 526 years to hire a European basketball head coach

Basketball has not been around that long.

The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball


127 years?

526 years ago puts us in year 1492, which is when Columbus reached land in the Western Hemispehere (Caribbean Islands). So I'm guessing the OP is hung up on the fact that Columbus didn't hire any European head coaches to coach the colonies.

That's always been my biggest issue with Columbus.

Freakin' Colombus...

[ederson]

It took America 526 years to hire a European basketball head coach, but today Igor Kokoškov became the first to have the honor. This 46 years old Serbian continues a great tradition of winning Serbian coaches on a high note. Since the 2000/2001 season, he worked in the league, starting with the L.A.Clippers. He worked as a Utah Jazz assistant coach past 3 years. Past summer he took a dual role, he also coached Slovenian national team and unlikely won the European championship in a convincing fashion. Dragić led the way, Dončić followed. The latter might be leading the break for him next year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Koko%C5%A1kov

I believe that he is a great choice for the young and struggling Suns. He will bring a new breeze of fresh air in the valley, new principles, good communication, contemporary approach and he is still young, innovative and hungry.

Isn't Dragan Bender a Croat? Wonder how that's going to work out.

Absolutely no problem....

[kozlodoev]

It took America 526 years to hire a European basketball head coach

Basketball has not been around that long.

The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball


127 years?

526 years ago puts us in year 1492, which is when Columbus reached land in the Western Hemispehere (Caribbean Islands). So I'm guessing the OP is hung up on the fact that Columbus didn't hire any European head coaches to coach the colonies.

That's always been my biggest issue with Columbus.

But Columbus WAS a European.

[Androslav]

It took America 526 years to hire a European basketball head coach, but today Igor Kokoškov became the first to have the honor. This 46 years old Serbian continues a great tradition of winning Serbian coaches on a high note. Since the 2000/2001 season, he worked in the league, starting with the L.A.Clippers. He worked as a Utah Jazz assistant coach past 3 years. Past summer he took a dual role, he also coached Slovenian national team and unlikely won the European championship in a convincing fashion. Dragić led the way, Dončić followed. The latter might be leading the break for him next year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Koko%C5%A1kov

I believe that he is a great choice for the young and struggling Suns. He will bring a new breeze of fresh air in the valley, new principles, good communication, contemporary approach and he is still young, innovative and hungry.

Isn't Dragan Bender a Croat? Wonder how that's going to work out.

Absolutely no problem....

Ederson is right.
Serbo-Croatian conflicts are mainly deriving from politicians these days. To boost their popularity by sounding very tough while bluffing. The vast majority of normal young people, like healthy athletes, don't live in the past.

Kokoškov hire is an absolute win for Bender.
The main reasons:
- He will have a home voice in the locker room. Serbs and Croats share the similar, almost identical, language.
- Kokoškov has a great reputation for developing young players.
- The fact is that Bender can't have any worse coaching, teammates, and teams tanking ambitions than he did so far, so there will be some natural progression there. His coaches basically told him to stand at the 3pt line at all times, and that he shouldn't step inside like there is some kind of puddle there since there is noone else on the team that can shoot from the outside. Jackson, T.J.Warren, Chriss, any Sun's center (Len, Chandler, Monroe) any Sun's PG (Payton, Uliss, Bledsoe). 0 spacing, the leagues 30th offense.

[konkmv]

he did take advantage of the moment... he was the national coach of a team with the 2 best players dragic and donsic... probably a good coach but in europe there are better coaches out there... obradovic pasqual itoudis are better