Igor Kokoskov swore he has never coached Luka Doncic.
What?
Kokoskov, the Mavericks’ new lead offensive assistant, had just finished working one-on-one with Doncic after a practice earlier this month when he made that assertion. The two were instrumental as head coach and promising young newcomer to winning the Slovenian national team’s first European championship in 2017.
Was he joking?
Not quite.
Kokoskov says much has evolved about Doncic’s on-court game and off-court stardom in the four years since Kokoskov last orchestrated a title-winning offense that featured him.
“Today he is one of the best players in the world,” Kokoskov said. “This is a different Luka.”
But good news for the Mavericks: The personal connection between Doncic and Kokoskov has only improved, too.
While watching the Mavericks’ regular-season opener Thursday night in Atlanta, recall the decades-long relationship between Dirk Nowitzki and mentor Holger Geschwindner and then notice the similarities for the same dynamic with Doncic and Kokoskov.
Since training camp started, they’ve been nearly inseparable. Now their relationship — built on a history of winning, offensive ingenuity and a common Balkan background — is perhaps even more central to championship aspirations, this time with Dallas.
“It’s great,” Doncic said. “I won a championship with him. I’ve known him a lot since then, and he helps me a lot.”
Kokoskov, who is from Serbia, first had a hint he’d like coaching Doncic just before Slovenia played an exhibition against Russia in preparation for that 2017 EuroBasket tournament.
Whiteboard in hand, Kokoskov spent a few minutes before the game explaining how the team would need to play small ball because they were without any power forwards.
From the side, Doncic turned to an assistant and started to point. The 18-year-old wanted the staff to know he was willing and ready to move from guard to the frontcourt.
“You would [think] a young player who’s playing first time for a national team — he would be a little bit anxious, a little bit nervous,” Kokoskov said. “But he was so confident. He was what Luka does: no stress.”
Doncic didn’t take the four spot in that game, but Kokoskov molded his offense around him and captain Goran Dragic as a tandem to lead Slovenia to a 9-0 record, instilling concepts for the program that continued through the Doncic-led Olympic run this summer.
Kokoskov made play calls easy to remember from his voluminous offensive playbook. He dubbed one about pace “Indy” in reference to the Pacers, for example, and named another off-ball command “Peja” in homage to European basketball great Peja Stojakovic.
He also spoke softly, never one for too many words or flashy demonstrations on the sideline.
“The biggest benefit from Luka’s side is that Igor has a great feel to understand, to read, to feel what players need, what they like, what they are comfortable in when they play,” said Slovenian national team coach Aleksander Sekulic, who was an assistant on Kokoskov’s 2017 staff. “He knows how to adapt the system.”
Perhaps that’s what made Kokoskov such an intriguing hire when Kidd assembled his staff.
Kidd viewed Kokoskov as “a real genius” and smiled recently when talking about his new offensive coordinator’s tendencies. When Kidd asks for one play, Kokoskov often responds with 10 options instead.
Kidd recognized Kokoskov had “a chip on his shoulder” from when the Suns’ leadership fired him in 2019 after one season as head coach.
Personal background aside, however, it was also impossible to ignore his connection to Doncic, a superstar who’d just lost his go-to assistant, Jamahl Mosley, in the Mavericks’ coaching turnover.
After each practice this preseason, Doncic has stayed on the court to work with Kokoskov.
Luka and Igor Kokoskov again working one-on-one after Mavs’ second training camp practice. pic.twitter.com/Yc8W6ZuF1d
— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) September 29, 2021
Kokoskov rebounds his free throws. Serves as a hustling defender in 3-point situations. Drifts from one group of players over to Doncic as soon as he’s ready to start warming up or cooling down. Acts as the lead coach of Doncic’s sides during scrimmages in practice and the Fan Jam intrasquad.
Kokoskov is quick to remind he’s in Dallas to help Kidd establish his tenure and to work with all players.
But there’s only one coach on the Mavericks’ staff who can empathize with Doncic when he’s feeling the effects of working eight time zones away from his family and friends back home.
Who can talk with Doncic — and best friend Boban Marjanovic — in Serbian, not just in English.
Who can attest to winning a championship with Doncic on his side.
“He can be honest with Luka if he’s not doing something,” Kidd said. “There’s a big respect for one another, and he understands that Igor wants the best for him, and will put him in a position to be successful, so there’s trust and respect at a very, very high level, and that’s key.”
The Mavericks have facilitated similar pairings in the past.
In his Nowitzki-whisperer role, Geschwindner was so central to the Mavericks legend’s growth and preparation, particularly during pregame warmups on American Airlines Center’s basement court, that fans knew him by first-name only.
When Kristaps Porzingis arrived via trade in 2019, the Mavericks added his personal trainer, Manu Valdi, to the team’s staff.
Had Kokoskov made a solo draft decision in Phoenix, however, the latest duo might not be in Dallas.
Kokoskov took the Suns’ head coaching job in May 2018, about seven months after EuroBasket and two months before they held the No. 1 overall draft pick.
The Suns chose Deandre Ayton over Doncic, whom Dallas traded for at No. 3. But despite Phoenix leadership’s pursuit, Kokoskov knew Doncic’s potential all along.
Now he gets to work with the precocious All-Star again.
Or, in Kokoskov’s view, for the first time.
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