Gore commanded on the spot
"You look a lot thinner..." Brian Gore, an Australian foreign coach who has been coaching in China for 10 years, sat in the living room of his room and told Sword Bogo, who used the CBA Finals to visit him. I've known him for almost 10 years.
Urumqi in early May was relatively warm. Gore, who had just finished shooting training, took off his shoes when he entered the room, and walked around the room in socks, the temperature was not warm enough to wear short-sleeved shorts, but he was dressed like this. His home in Urumqi, just on the third floor of the training base of the Xinjiang team, this floor is the athletes' dormitory, Gore also lives on the first floor with everyone, his apartment, is a one-bedroom and a living room, the room is very simple, the bed and table, there are all kinds of supplies on the table. The living room has two rows of sofas opposite each other, Gore can comfortably lie on the sofa, and sword Bogo's interview, he still keeps waving his arms, at one point let the author worry that the mobile phone placed on the handle of the sofa will be accidentally touched on the ground by him.
Interviewed at his home in Urumqi
In early December 2018, Xinjiang team official XuanGor no longer served as head coach and became assistant coach, and Adi Jiang took over the team. At that time, xinjiang's record was 10 wins and 5 losses, ranking sixth. However, the outside world's evaluation of the Xinjiang team at that time was that after 15 rounds of running-in, Gore could not find the instruction manual for using the Xinjiang team players. For most of the time, Gore relied on Adams to win on his own. Moreover, after Gore joined, he not only did not revitalize Fan Ziming and Zeng Lingxu and others, but even Kolan Baike and Li Gen, who had originally performed very well, were also lost in Gore's system. The results of the Xinjiang team did not meet expectations, the team failed to successfully knead, lacked cohesion, and such a poor performance and achievements, Gore could not escape the blame. Finally Gore was replaced by Adi Jiang.
In the years when Gore coached Dongguan Marco Polo, the predecessor of Shenzhen Marco Polo, Jian Bogo would always chat with Gore after the shooting training on the morning of the home game, he was talkative, and he could write several drafts at a time. Gore lived in an apartment next to the Dalang Stadium, which was a double-storey suite. Before each training, he would also go to the café opposite downstairs, play a cup of coffee, hold it in his hand, and walk to the 3-minute walk to the Dalang Gymnasium, watch the video before training.
Eloquent
In the face of old acquaintances, Gore talked about the process of signing his contract with Xinjiang, in fact, before he joined Guangdong Hongyuan as an assistant coach in April 2015, he had communicated with the senior management of the Xinjiang team, but he did not get the position of head coach. Leaving Guangdong Hongyuan, Gore joined the Shanghai Sharks in 2016 and spent two years there. In the summer of 2017, he joined the national team to assist Li Nan.
In the summer of 2018, Gore's contract with Shanghai team expired, there are some CBA teams interested in him, Xinjiang executives are very sincere, and Gore, who has been coaching in the CBA for 10 years, also knows the culture of this circle. He said that it is necessary to communicate with Li Nan and listen to Li Nan's views. One morning, Li Nan called Gore, who was eating breakfast, to support him to coach in the Xinjiang team and wish him good luck. After expressing his desire to decide on the personnel arrangements and give enough patience and time, Gore accepted the invitation to become the head coach of the Xinjiang team for the 2018-2019 season. Although he knows that the frequency of coaching changes in xinjiang is relatively high, and the foreign coach only Deng Huade has led the team here, "only coaching six or seven games."
Xinjiang is also a team with high hopes, and in Gore's words, "you can't be satisfied without a championship." Gore again talked to Sword Bogo about the mission of the summer national team, and the players returned to the team relatively late, and the personnel were neatly arranged at the Macau Extraordinary 12 Invitational Tournament in September. He talked about the ups and downs of the first 15 games of the season and the reasons for the loss, finally talking about the details of the end of the class. "The management met with me and they needed to change. I was very disappointed, I was excited about this job opportunity and on the right path and I was sad. They said they wanted me to stay and thought I was an important part of the team. Gore said to Jianbo, "They talk to me and tell me they need me, but they will let Adi Jiang come." Hope I can support. Hopefully there are no negative emotions. ”
Residential environment
Although he was no longer the team's head coach, Gore stayed, and he would help pass the ball in the morning shooting training, sit on the sidelines of the game, and arrange some defensive tactics during the training of the Finals. "I'm fine here, and everything they promised, is also being executed. Adi Jiang is very good to me, and I am also very good at doing my own thing. He got me involved, asked for my opinions, was thoughtful, worked hard, and he was nice. I didn't say Chinese, but he always smiled and supported each other. Gore said, "The players and management are good, and it is also a great achievement for us to reach the finals together." We went through a lot, five foreign players, changed coaches, but still reached the finals. ”
Even before the fourth game of the finals, Gore still insisted that the Xinjiang team would win back, "I am the thinking of Westerners."
He also knows that this is AdiJiang's team, and it also embodies Adijiang's thoughts. "He gave me some power, and of course he was the one who made the final decision." Gore said to the sword Bogo.
Old acquaintances meet
Despite the change in roles, Gore felt that the Attitude of the Xinjiang team towards him had not changed, and he said he had nothing to complain about. "I'm not the head coach and maybe some people think the players, the management, the canteen might be different for you, but they haven't changed. I have nothing to complain about, zero complaints. Gore said.
<h1>The direction of next season</h1>
Gore has a year left on his contract with Xinjiang and will only expire next year, but he said he "keeps an open mind" for next season.
If he doesn't end up staying in Xinjiang, he prefers to find a suitable team. "Hopefully, join the rebuilt team, or the team in the ascendancy period, to help the young players improve. It can also be a team with a decline in performance and inject new energy. Gore said.
He was even willing to consider working as an assistant coach to help the young manager improve. But the last thing he wants to do is a "foreign nanny-type" coach. "For me, money is not important. It's satisfaction. I love basketball, I don't want to be an American foreign teacher who doesn't do anything, there are clubs like this, foreign teachers are responsible for taking care of foreign aid, making sure they don't have an accident, making sure they train, I don't want to be a nanny. ”
I am looking forward to next season
Gore felt he had an advantage as a coach, first of all, he had a distinguished coaching resume. As the most successful coach in the history of Australian basketball, he has coached 3 different teams, won the Australian League championship six times, coached a total win rate of 70%, and is the second coach in Australian history to lead the team to more than 600 victories. With a brilliant coaching record, Gore has won the title of best coach in the Australian League six times. Gore was the head coach of the Australian men's basketball team from 2001 to 2008, leading the team to ninth place at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and seventh place at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. During his tenure, Australia won 77-43 and reached ninth place in the international rankings.
In 2009, Gore became acquainted with China as a technical consultant for the Chinese men's basketball team, and in the same year, he served as a technical consultant for the Dongguan men's basketball team. After a year of mutual familiarity with Dongguan, Gore officially became the head coach of the Dongguan men's basketball team in 2010. From 2011 to 2015, the Dongguan men's basketball team reached the playoffs for five consecutive years.
In 2015, Gore joined the Hongyuan coaching team and assisted Du Feng. He considered himself happy to work with Du Feng, and they discussed using the double small foreign tactic that summer. For this season's Guangdong team and Du Feng's directing, Gore believes that this is the world's trend of play. "Du Feng and Guangdong have changed the game in China, Brooks and Weems can play one or four places, they have NBA body, play multiple positions. Everyone is fast, can control the ball, can defend, and is all positioned interchangeable. This is the future style of play, representing the world trend. ”
Team up with Du Feng
In 2016, Gore teamed up with head coach Liu Peng in Shanghai, and he believes that the first season was very successful. "He's a young coach, he's willing to listen to my advice, he works closely together and he can get more involved in the tactical system. I have a good relationship with Jimmer (Fredette), and everything in Shanghai is quite satisfactory. 30 wins and 8 losses in the regular season, we had a good result. The playoffs were inseparable from Shenzhen, but Jimmer returned home to welcome the birth of the child..."
The second season was a lot of turmoil, but Shanghai still made the playoffs, but Gore felt that "he was a little less in contribution".
During this time in the national team, Gore and Li Nan worked happily and became good friends. "Li Nan is a young coach, and I first learned from him how to survive better in China. I didn't have a small influence on him, he would often ask me, and we talked about everything. He also has a high opinion of me. So after getting the invitation from the Xinjiang team next, he must first consult Li Nan's opinion.
Good relationship with Li Nan
Gore also feels that he has his own advantages as a club coach, "Two national team experiences, this is my fourth club team, Dongguan, Guangdong, Shanghai, Xinjiang. I know the CBA, I know how to play games, I know what to choose for the right foreign aid, I know Chinese players. I can live here, I can communicate, and I have a lot of energy. ”
At the age of 66, he is still in good shape and specifically mentions that he is "energetic". For the possible next stop, the next city, he also does not pick. He felt very comfortable in Urumqi, where there were more cold days. Born in California, but after graduating from college, Gore went to play in the Australian League, and his adaptability is super strong. He usually likes to eat beef, but he also likes Chinese food. "I can live in any city in China." Gore said to Sword Wave.
Still passionate about basketball
He came to China in 2009 and devoted himself to Chinese basketball, and 10 years of Chinese life made him fall in love with China and fall in love with Chinese. "I liked Chinese and they took good care of me. Unlike many foreigners, I was born in the United States and grew up in Australia. I have developed many Chinese friends, Chinese thoughtful, but also good at taking care of people. Gore said.
The first month of going to the national team, it happened to coincide with his birthday, and someone took a cake and suddenly smashed it in his face, which is a feeling that other countries don't have. "I like it here, there is a strong sense of humanity. Athletes here, with no attitude problems, are easy to coach. Gore said.
In 5 months, Gore will enter his 11th season in China, where will he stop next?