Korea basketball team adviser Wilkens to focus on defense

Lenny Wilkens the Basketball Hall of Famer as both player and coach who now will serve as a technical adviser for Korean men's national basketball team for the Guangzhou Asian Games, will focus on defense in an aim for gold in November.

Wilkens voiced in a press conference held in Seoul, Sunday that he agrees with national team head coach Yoo Jae-hak in terms of tactics for the Asian Games, as Yoo asserted that defense is the key to cope with the trend in Asian basketball.

I've seen basketball all over the world and defense can help you in games. I certainly agree with coach Yoo's emphasis on the importance of defense, Wilkens said.

'From the clips I've watched of Yoo training the Mobis, I could see he's the leader putting weight on defense. I think we'll get along pretty good,' the 1996 U.S. Olympic basketball team head coach added.

Yoo, who was named the head coach of the national squad for his leadership in winning the Korean Basketball League (KBL) Championship title three times including 2010 season, was also quoted as saying, The Asian players have improved nowadays in terms of height and defense that the ones towering over 190 centimeters can still outplay relatively shorter Korean players in defense plays and footwork.

I'd like to underline that defense is the way to survive, Yoo added.

The significance of the defensive tactics is useful for a team when campaigning against stronger opponents, according to Wilkens when he was asked about the competiveness between the KBL squads and those in the NBA. As the Koreans have to take on superior teams such as China, the suggestion seems worthy.

I felt we have some kind of chemistry from the first time I met him,' Wilkens said of Yoo, hinting at a good sign of harmony which certainly could lead the team to exert for a remarkable achievement.

The KBL has invited Wilkens in order to regain the title in the Asian Games for the first time since the 2002 event in Busan, and boost the poularity of the domestic league which now falls behind football and baseball.

The newly assigned American technical adviser will cooperate with Yoo to select the
12 players from 27 during the second overseas training in August in the western region of the United States. The first session is scheduled for July 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wilkens, 72, is a legendary basketball player whose career is highlighted with numerous titles.

As a player, he was named NBA All-Star nine times in 1963-65, 67-71, and 73, including the All-Star MVP in 1971, as well as having the honor of his name being put on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players. He was induced to the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Wilken's career as a coach continued to shine as he won the 1979 NBA Championship with the Seattle SuperSonics. He was an assistant coach of the 'Dream Team' in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics which had Michael Jordan.

The recognized sportsman added the Coach of the Year in 1994, and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1998, this time as a coach.

by Yi Whan-woo -Korea Times intern