HONG KONG — China head coach Sasha Djordjevic endured a challenging evening on the sidelines as Team Dragon suffered a 105-63 defeat at the hands of Serbia on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The Chinese only led briefly, reaching a maximum of 6-0, thanks to Zhenlin Zhang’s four-point play at the 8:49 mark of the first quarter. Unfortunately, that was the peak of Djordjevic’s team’s performance, as they ended up facing a staggering 42-point deficit with 21 seconds left in the game after Dejan Davidovac converted two free throws.
Understandably, the former Fenerbahce mentor experienced mixed emotions throughout the game. Not only was he facing his homeland, but the occasion also marked his 56th birthday.
“It’s an emotional game for me,” said Djordjevic. “You know where I’m from and what I did with these guys. Most of them were selected by me and coached by me, so I’m very proud of what I left. I’m very proud of how big they’ve become as individuals and as players.
“I believe I had something to do with it because I gave a little bit of myself — my knowledge and my personality. That’s it. I wish them luck. I wish them to go all the way the best they can,” he continued.
“Obviously if they can, it’s gonna be a tough competition for everybody. For me, there were a lot of emotions, but I tried to do my best for my current team. I love these guys I work with every day, and I tell them every day — ‘love me like I love you.’“
Djordjevic was hired by China in November 2022, having previously enjoyed a successful stint with Serbia. He led his home nation to a silver medal in the 2014 edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He then guided his country to more silver medals in the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2017 EuroBasket.
As one of the prominent coaches in the international arena, the former Liga ACB standout understands that results like tonight’s match are part of the process. More growing pains lie ahead before China can truly become a powerhouse on the world stage.
“When I was the coach of Serbia, we played against the USA four times. We lost three times, and the fourth time we won against them. We lost by 30, 35 points. That’s it,” said Djordjevic.
“So you have to learn to play against the best. You have to learn and give your best. There will be a time when China becomes a winning team against those big teams. Right now, there’s a significant difference, but we’re working,” he continued.
“Our players are doing their best. They’re working exceptionally hard, and this is it. The quality is on the other side, but we must keep our heads up and continue working.”
China aims to surpass their previous finish of 24th place four years ago. They will strive to overcome South Sudan this Monday, which nearly upset Puerto Rico earlier today.
Though it will be another tough challenge, Djordjevic and Team Dragon accept the trials that lie ahead.
“For us, our World Cup starts at this moment. The only thing that maybe affected us was in the last four minutes, where we suffered. We had an 18-0 run from Serbia. Perhaps this isn’t the true result, but of course, congratulations to the winning team, and we’ll keep fighting.”
