That Raptors coach sounds like one of us, right?

Good morning from the Hammer — steel town, art town, your town. Don't look away.

### Your Raptors coach is learning Serbian, for real

Okay, so listen, I'm from the Mountain, right? And I watch a lot of basketball. So when I heard Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković gave reporters a little Serbian vocabulary lesson after they beat the Cavaliers 93-89, it caught my ear. He's talking about *zajedno* — it means "together," or "united." It's a small thing, but it’s kind of beautiful, you know? Like he’s bringing a piece of home to the team.

It's not just some random word, either. He was talking about how the team is playing together, right? How they’re finding that unity on the court. And for me, someone who grew up hearing Serbian around the house, it just hits different. It makes you think about how many people in Hamilton, especially in places like Stoney Creek or the North End, have that same connection to their language and their roots. It’s a reminder that even in the big leagues, people carry their culture with them.

* **What this means for Hamilton:**

* It's a nod to the diversity of our city, where so many cultures thrive.

* It reminds us that sports can be a bridge, even with a simple word.

* It’s a nice story that brings a little bit of unexpected warmth to the usual sports talk.

This isn't about the steel mills or the waterfalls, right? It's about how a small moment, like a coach teaching a word from his mother tongue, can resonate with so many people. It’s about feeling connected to something bigger, even if it’s just through a sports team. This is a James Street North kind of story, where different cultures mix and find common ground.

Good morning from the Hammer — steel town, art town, your town. Don't look away.

My cousin Lena and the crew on the morning show are probably still talking about this. Check them out live at mornings.live.