Here's Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic Comforting Brandon Ingram After His All-Star Snub
Feb 3, 2026
At any given moment, an NBA head coach has many realities to confront. On Sunday, Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic had to maintain (and handle) two truths in his head.
The easy part was congratulating his franchise player, Scottie Barnes, for a second All-Star appearance. During a break in the action of the Raptors-Jazz game on Sunday, Rajakovic went over to Barnes on the bench and gave the 24-year-old his props.
Seconds earlier, Rajakovic had to address the difficult situation faced by the man sitting next to Barnes.
“You deserve it. You deserve to be an All-Star,” the Raptors head coach said as he hugged Brandon Ingram. “Keep that as a chip on your shoulder, brother.”
Clearly, Rajakovic felt for Ingram, the Raptors’ leading scorer, who has a strong case for an All-Star selection this season. While the versatile Barnes has better numbers in areas like rebounding, assists, and field goal percentage, he’s not a 21-a-game scorer like BI, nor is he shooting a solid 35.8% from beyond the arc.
The last time Ingram made the All-Star team was in the 2019–20 season, which was his first year with the New Orleans Pelicans. Though Ingram’s scoring average has never dipped below 20 points up to the present, the 2025–26 campaign has been the first time in a long time that his scoring production has translated into winning ways.
It would be poetic, then, if Ingram makes the All-Star team in his first season with the Raptors, who have been making noise near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. As disappointing as it was to not hear his name during the weekend announcement of All-Star reserves, there’s still a way for Ingram to see action at Intuit Dome on February 15.
In the unfortunate event that an All-Star player representing the USA won’t be able to play (due, perhaps, to an injury or illness), NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will have to name a replacement. In this scenario, Ingram might find himself an opportunity to compete in the All-Star game.
Though the circumstances could have been better, it’s likely that Rajakovic will give Ingram another hug if that happens.
