Aleksandar Džikić

The basketball world is very small, so when I met Coach for the first time I wasn't expecting him--a guy from Belgrade, Serbia-- to tell me he had coached for the Minnesota Timberwolves and lived in Minneapolis.  In September of 2005 Aleksandar Džikić was the second European to be hired as a full time assistant coach in the NBA. At that time I was starting my sophomore year of college just across the Mississippi river from Coach's place, maybe we even passed each other on the Stone Arch Bridge. Aleksandar has coached in the top leagues around the world and in a variety of countries.  He speaks phenomenal English, has a great sense of humor, might look/sound intimidating but don't let his appearance fool you, he's a friendly guy who'll give of his time if you ask nicely.  We talk about his childhood in Belgrade, the rigorous basketball coaching degree he earned in Serbia, his time spent in MN (ice fishing isn't his thing), how basketball has affected his personal life, and his views on the European basketball system compared to the American.