AUSTRALIA coach Brian Goorjian gave plaudits to Japan’s men’s national basketball team after their clash on Tuesday night in the Fiba Basketball World Cup.
Goorjian made his comments as Japan closed the group stage in the driver’s seat in the race for the lone berth for Asia in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Akatsuki Five are the only Asian team that has a win, as of posting time.
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Goorjian said Japan’s performance in the Fiba Basketball World Cup is a reflection of the rise of the Japan B.League in the Asian region.
“Your domestic competition, which is a parallel to Japanese success, is on another league from what it used to be,” said Goorjian, when asked by a reporter after Australia defeated Japan, 109-89.
Japan secured a win after defeating Lauri Markannen-led Finland, 98-88, but is headed to the classification phase after suffering two defeats including the one against Australia, one of the heavy favorites to win it all.
At the helm for the Boomers is Goorjian, who concurrently holds the head coaching position with the Bay Area Dragons, who are returning as a guest team in the upcoming PBA Season 48 after leading the team to a runner-up finish against Barangay Ginebra in last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.
Goorjian also cited the leadership of head coach Tom Hovasse, who led Japan’s women’s basketball team to a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics before being elevated to head coach of the men’s side in 2021.
“I’ve worked in this region for a long time. I was with the Japanese national team on two different times. I’ve been with Team China. I’ve been with the Philippines and I’ve worked in this region. This guy (Hovasse), when we were in the Olympics, my favorite team to watch, the best coached team, I felt, in the Olympics was the Japanese women. And he is doing the same thing here,” said Goorjian.
“They play with passion. They play to their strengths. He’s got the country behind the team… All systems go. Tremendous respect for the Japanese team and tremendous respect for (Hovasse) as a coach,” he added.
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