Jaka Lakovič (born 9 July 1978) is a Slovenian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for Gran Canaria of the Liga ACB, as well as an assistant coach of the senior Slovenia national team.

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Jaka Lakovič

Lakovič as an assistant coach of Joventut, in 2018.
Gran Canaria
Position	Head coach
League	Liga ACB
Personal information
Born	(1978-07-09) 9 July 1978 (age 45) Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia
Nationality	Slovenian
Listed height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Listed weight	95 kg (209 lb)
Career information
NBA draft	2000: undrafted
Playing career	1996–2016
Position	Point guard
Number	10, 7, 5
Coaching career	2016–present
Career history
As player:
1996–2001	Geoplin Slovan
2001–2002	Krka
2002–2006	Panathinaikos
2006–2011	Barcelona
2011–2013	Galatasaray
2013–2014	Sidigas Avellino
2014–2015	Royal Halı Gaziantep
2015–2016	Barcelona B
As coach:
2016–2017	Barcelona B (assistant)
2016–2020	Slovenia (assistant)
2017–2018	Bilbao (assistant)
2018	Bilbao
2018–2019	Joventut (assistant)
2019–2022	ratiopharm Ulm
2022–present	Gran Canaria
Career highlights and awards
As player: EuroLeague champion (2010) All-EuroLeague Second Team (2005) 2× Liga ACB champion (2009, 2011) 3× Spanish Cup winner (2007, 2010, 2011) 2× Spanish Super Cup winner (2009, 2010) 4× Greek League champion (2003–2006) 3× Greek Cup winner (2003, 2005, 2006) Greek League MVP (2005) 2× Greek League Finals MVP (2003, 2005) All-Greek League First Team (2005) All-Greek League Second Team (2004) 3× Greek League All-Star (2003, 2005, 2006) Greek Cup MVP (2005) Turkish Super Cup winner (2011) Slovenian League All-Star (2001) As head coach: EuroCup champion (2023)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Slovenia FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship 1998 Italy Under-20 Team

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Standing at 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in), and weighing 95 kg (210 lbs.),^[1] he played at the point guard position. He was an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005, and he helped lead the senior Slovenia national team to the fourth place finish at 2009 EuroBasket.

In his pro club career, Lakovič played with the following clubs: Geoplin Slovan and Krka of the Slovenian Premier A League, Panathinaikos Athens of the Greek Basket League, Barcelona of the Spanish ACB League, Galatasaray Istanbul of the Turkish Super League, and Avellino of the Italian A League.

His brilliant performances during the 2004–05 EuroLeague season, while wearing the Panathinaikos Athens jersey, earned him an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection, as he helped his team reach the 2005 EuroLeague Final Four. In 2005, he was also named the MVP of the Greek Cup, and the MVP of the Greek League. He won the EuroLeague championship in 2010, while a member of Barcelona.

In July 2011, he signed a two-year contract with the Turkish Super League club Galatasaray Istanbul.^[2][3] In January 2013, he signed with the Italian A League club Sidigas Avellino, until the end of the season.^[4] In September 2013, he extended his contract with Avellino, for one more season.^[5]

In December 2014, he signed with the Turkish Super League club Royal Halı Gaziantep, for the 2014–15 season.^[6] In September 2015, he signed with Barcelona Lassa's reserve team.^[7] At that time, he also announced that would be his last year as a professional basketball player, before he would begin to start coaching in the youth teams of Barcelona.^[8] On 27 July 2016, Lakovič announced his retirement from playing professional club basketball.^[9]

Lakovič competed for the senior Slovenian men's national team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the 2010 FIBA World Championship, and also at 7 straight FIBA EuroBaskets; 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Lakovič began his basketball coaching career in 2016, when he became an assistant coach for the senior Slovenian men's national team, working under the team's head coach, at that time, Igor Kokoškov. He started coaching at the EuroBasket 2017 qualification tournament.^[10]

On 7 August 2017, Lakovič signed with the Spanish ACB League club Bilbao, as an assistant coach. On 30 April 2018, following the departure of Veljko Mršić, he took over the club's head coach position.^[11][12]

In June 2019, he was announced as the new head coach of the German Bundesliga club ratiopharm Ulm.^[13] On 17 June 2022, Lakovič signed to be the head coach of Gran Canaria, of Spain's Liga ACB.^[14] With Gran Canaria, he won the European-wide secondary level EuroCup championship, in the 2022–23 season.