Yao boosts new national team coach's confidence

Home>>Sports

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Yao boosts new national team coach's confidence

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, who is playing in the United States with the NBA Houston Rockets, boosted Lithuanian Jonas Kazlauskas's confidence in his new job.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming,who is playing in the United States with the NBA Houston Rockets, boosted Lithuanian Jonas Kazlauskas's confidence in his new job.

"I think that China national team is very good. Now Yao is a great star in the NBA, and maybe one of the best players in the world," Kazlauskas told dozens of local reporters after arriving here to start work with the Chinese men's national team as deputy head coach.

"I think we will make a good team with him (Yao) and some other guys."

Kazlauskas on Wednesday will meet his players, who gathered in Beijing on Monday for the build-up for the Athens Olympic Games scheduled for August.

Yao Ming will join the team after finishing the Rockets' NBA season. Menk Bateer, who had played with the NBA Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors before being waived by the Orlando Magic, was also allowed to join the team later.

Kazlauskas, 50, who directed Lithuania to bronze medal at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, will take care of the Chinese team for over two months before the NBA Dallas Mavericks' Del Harris took over.

The 66-year-old Harris, currently a Mavericks assistant, was appointed the first foreign head coach of Team China, but he would not be available to take the helm until after the Mavericks' season, which could run as late as June.

"I spent three weeks in Dallas and we (Kazlauskas and Harris) talked about defense, offense and made schedule for the China national team for practice," added Kazlauskas. "Now I am ready to work."

The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) decided to hire the experienced pair following China's lackluster performance at the World Championship in 2002 and a stunning defeat to South Korea in the final of the Busan Asian Games the same year.

China, who placed 10th at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and 12th at the 2002 World Championships, eyed a top eight finish at the Athens.

Source: Xinhua

Questions?Comments? Click here

Yao Ming's girl-friend bound for US?

Yao Ming named NBA Player of Week

Photos:Yao Ming Fuels Rockets Past Dallas

Indian navy to have two aircraft carriers by 2011 ( 4 Messages)

What's the meaning of Bush & Blair nominated as candidates for Nobel Peace Prize? ( 31 Messages)

Study: Americans eating themselves to death ( 7 Messages)

Japanese PM's remark on shrine visit leads to long-term cold relations with China: Kyodo ( 10 Messages)

French Presidents' China complex ( 4 Messages)