In an exclusive interview with Sports Weekly, Qiao Shuai denied the rumors of his resignation as the head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, and said that he still has a lot of work to do and a lot of goals to achieve.
"I didn't quit my job, and I don't have any plans to do so," he said. I have two years left on my contract with the Chinese Basketball Association, and I will do my best to complete my mission. I know we didn't do well in the last summer, we didn't live up to our expectations and we didn't give the fans a satisfactory result. However, I believe that we still have a lot of potential, we still have a lot of opportunities, we still have a lot of hope. I will continue to work hard to lead the Chinese men's basketball team to a better future. ”
In the interview, Qiao Shuai also talked about the importance he attaches to the newcomers of the Chinese men's basketball team, and he said that he will introduce more new faces to join the national team's lineup and give them more opportunities to show their abilities.
He said: "I have been following the development of Chinese basketball, I have been looking for young players with potential, and I have been thinking about how to develop them and let them grow. I think there are a lot of outstanding rookies in Chinese basketball, they have different characteristics, they have different styles, they have different advantages. I will give them more trust, more support, more encouragement and let them perform more in the national team. ”
Qiao Shuai specifically mentioned several high-profile rookies, namely Choi Yong-hee, Yang Han-sen and Zhao Weilun, who played in Europe. Here's what he said about them:
Choi Young-hee: He's a very talented player, he's got a lot of physically, he's got a lot of athleticism, he's got a lot of technique, he's got a lot of awareness, he's got a lot of potential.
Hansen Yang: He's a player who can be a threat both inside and outside, he can play center, he can play power forward, he can shoot, he can attack, he can grab rebounds, he can block.
Zhao Weilun: He's a player who can open up situations from the outside, he can play small forward, he can play shooting guard, he can shoot threes, he can break through, he can pass the ball, he can defend.
In the interview, Qiao Shuai also emphasized that while cultivating newcomers, the old players should not be completely abandoned, and a process of inheritance of veterans and rookies is needed.
Qiao Shuai analyzed and evaluated some of the veteran players, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their status and role in the national team. He said:
Wang Zhelin: He's a player with great height and strength, he's a player with great technique and feel, he's a player with great potential and talent.
Hansen Young: He's a player with great height and strength, he's a player with great athleticism and explosiveness, he's a player with great progress and improvement.
In short, in this interview, Qiao Shuai denied the rumors of his resignation as the head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, and said that he would bring in more new faces to join the national team. His emphasis on the newcomers of the Chinese men's basketball team, as well as his attitude towards some players and his vision of building the national team in the future, make people feel his professionalism and deep love for Chinese basketball!