Sasa Djordjevic opens up on Yao Ming and how he's going to coach China / News - Basketnews.com
Sasa Djordjevic told Yao Ming was one of the main reasons he took the job as the head coach of the Chinese national team. The specialist plans on playing physical basketball and wants to have more friendly games with top-level teams.
Credit: D.Repečka/BasketNews Credit D.Repečka/BasketNewsAfter spending the last decade coaching teams in Europe, Aleksandar 'Sasa' Djordjevic decided to take a different path in his career and became the head coach of the Chinese national team last month.
Although he hasn't coached an official game yet, Djordjevic already revealed his philosophy of selecting and coaching players in an interview with China Daily.
"I give some players one to three stars based on their on-the-spot performance, it's as simple as that. I've only been here with the team for a little over a month and it's not the time to make any formal assessments, it's just my own way [to remember the players]," Djordjevic told about his methods of scouting local talent.
"The players selected for the national team must first understand the weight their jersey represents, which is the highest honor a player can receive," the coach said. "They must have the professionalism and the right attitude."
Former NBA star Yao Ming is currently the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association. Djordjevic admits that meeting him was one of his first goals as a national team coach.
"We've spent a lot of time together and he's helped me understand the system and the players here," the Serbian specialist said about Yao Ming.
"I want to use his wisdom to work, listen to his views, and help him achieve his goal of achieving good results. I don't think I need to say more about Yao Ming's status in the international basketball world. He was a huge part of the reason for taking the job," Djordjevic explained. "Having him around has been invaluable to me and my work."
As a coach of the Chinese national team, Djordjevic will have the task of leading the squad in the 2023 FIBA World Cup where the roster will try to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
"It's not about showing off or talking big, but as soon as I take over the team, I'm ready to win games, to win medals, that has to be the goal. Before every game, I don't admit that the opponent is better than us," the coach said. "There should be no upper limit on our goals for the next year's World Cup."
"Thirty years ago, maybe talent and technique accounted for 80% of the dominant factors in the game, and physical confrontation accounted for 20%. It is completely reversed now. Physical ability can often have an overwhelming advantage in the game. Physical training will be very important," Djordjevic explained his philosophy.
To prepare his team better, Djordjevic wants to discuss having more friendly games throughout the preparatory period.
"If you want to beat the world's strong teams, you have to face them often and adapt to their strength and game characteristics by playing against them. The Chinese men's basketball team also needs to play against strong teams more. Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you beat them," Djordjevic concluded.
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