Rajko Toroman left his heart in the Philippines

I have never met a person so indulged in the sport of basketball like Rajko Toroman, even in this basketball-crazy nation.

A typical day for this man would be to have breakfast in front of a TV showing a basketball game, going to basketball practices and meetings, and then coming back home to relax over another basketball game on TV, until it’s time to call it a day.

Toroman follows most of the major basketball events worldwide, including the NBA, Euro League, PBA, UAAP, NCAA and most of the major leagues in Europe and Asia. Perhaps it’s this obsession with the sport that made him love working in the Philippines.

“This is the most crazy country for basketball that’s why I like working here. I like to stay here because of the high level of basketball and the fans’ passion for the game,” said the Serbian coach who worked five years in the country. He was the head coach of the National Men’s team known as Smart Gilas from 2008 to 2011, and later on consultant of PBA teams Petron and Barako Bull. Under Toroman, the Philippines entered the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship semis for the first time since 1987 and placed fourth despite having a team comprised mostly of amateur players.

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Toroman left the country on Saturday evening after Barako Bull’s management decided to let him go and bought out the rest of his contract, which ends in February next year.

I was one of the lucky few to ever get the chance to work with Toroman. I was in his Gilas coaching staff for three years. It was not easy working with him. It was difficult to please him. Often times, we struggled to understand him.

But I think most of us who worked with him, both coaches and players, became so much better with our craft because of the daily “boot camp” we were in under his watch. To say that he was strict is an understatement. “Light practice” is never in his vocabulary. He was a disciplinarian and workaholic. And he produced excellent results.

Toroman’s father was a military officer in the former Yugoslavia. He grew up in a land not wanting in conflict and war. Discipline was a way of living. It ensured their survival.

The products of the three-year Smart Gilas program under Toroman are making their mark in the PBA. JV Casio, Mark Barroca, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz, Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Dylan Ababou, Aldrech Ramos, Mac Baracael and Chris Tiu are all making waves in the pro league after their stint with Gilas just two years ago. Even veteran Asi Taulava credits his amazing comeback in the PBA to Toroman.

Despite the man’s seemingly unfriendly demeanor, Toroman does have a soft side as well. Off the basketball court, he is a loving husband, father and grandfather. He is particularly fond of his only grandchild – Djordje – whom he believes will be a future basketball star.

Working with him for three years, I have learned to earn his trust and friendship. I was able to see the real Rajko who was, after all, filled with compassion and even a sense of humor.

Although he was all business on the court, Toroman also cared about the personal lives of his players and staff. He was always ready to lend a helping hand when one of them needs one. He saw how the Filipino values one's family. In a way, he has learned to embrace the Filipino culture as well even as he maintains a European approach during basketball training.

If basketball had a scientist, Toroman would be one. Even at the age of 58 and over 20 years of coaching, he continues to be a student of the game. Two years after working with him, I still learn new tricks from Toroman during our regular casual conversations over coffee. He constantly tries to find new ways of executing his offense. Like a scientist, he experiments on different formulas that often produce favorable results.

One Toroman stamp mark is the double high pick and roll offense where both screeners criss-cross before setting the screen. This was a trick he used to prevent the defensive men from pushing the screeners to disrupt the offense. Many local coaches adopted this move. In fact, Toroman’s signature double high offense is often used by many teams up to today.

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Not too many know that two-time NBA champion coach Erik Spoelstra also borrowed a few moves from Toroman. When the Miami Heat mentor visited the country prior to winning their first NBA title in 2012, he observed one of our practices in Gilas and liked what he saw. He even asked for a video copy of all our plays. Soon after, semblances of the plays can be seen in Miami’s offenses during the 2012 NBA season, which the Heat eventually won.

Toroman brought to Philippine basketball a new way of playing the game after many years of using the American model. He is the first European coach to have a strong influence in local basketball. The NBA style has inspired Filipinos to hone their individual skills. But as proven in many unsuccessful stints in international competitions in the past, the Filipinos’ superior individual skills are not sufficient to win games. The European model, as shown in Toroman’s system, offers more team play as a result of a series of screens, quick ball movement and constant quick player movements. It also preaches patience in offense for better execution.

Toroman has coached in many levels of the game. After he led Iran to the 2007 Asian championship and a berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Toroman was invited to be an assistant coach in an NBA team. But when the offer to coach the Philippine national team came, he did not think twice. He knew the Philippines shared his passion and love for the game.

“The Filipinos' passion and knowledge in basketball is amazing. And here, you can choose from among a thousand players to form a competitive team. The talent pool is just so deep,” said Toroman.

Toroman was a part of the powerhouse Yugoslavian National Team that won the 1995 FIBA Euro Basket crown and placed second in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as assistant coach. In that squad was NBA star Vlade Divac. Toroman was also the head coach of the Under-22 national team of Yugoslavia in 1996.

Before being at the helm of the national teams of Iran and the Philippines, Toroman had several coaching stints with professional teams from Greece, Poland, Belgium, Cyprus, China, Korea and Hungary.

But his most memorable stint is in the Philippines.

“I’m very proud of my three years with Smart Gilas, and also my short stay with Barako Bull. It was an amazing experience. The Gilas program was fantastic. It belongs among the highest levels in the world in terms of player development. Being together with these young college players for three years, playing with tough teams all over the world was really great. I’m proud of all my former players. I will follow them until the last day of their careers. I wish the Filipino people all the best, especially in the coming World Championship. I will remember the Philippines all my life.”

Toroman is now back in his home country of Serbia. But his heart remained here.

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.