Belgrade (AFP)
Denver Nuggets (NBA) coach Mike Malone will join coaching for the Serbian basketball team as a consultant for the June Olympic qualifier, the Serbian Federation (KSS) announced Wednesday .
"Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone has confirmed that he will join the Serbian basketball team for the Olympic qualification tournament to be held in Belgrade," KSS said on its website.
Mike Malone, whose team is in 2nd place in the NBA Western Conference and includes Serbian star Nikola Jokic, will join the team of Serbia coach Igor Kokoskov immediately after the NBA play-offs 2020, added the federation.
The qualification tournament for the Tokyo Olympics will take place in June in the Serbian capital with the participation of Italy, New Zealand, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Senegal.
Igor Kokoskov, currently assistant coach of the Sacramento Kings, was named Serbia's new coach last November.
Kokoskov succeeded the legendary Aleksandar Djordjevic who resigned after the world championship in China (August 31-September 15) where Serbia, which nevertheless aimed for the podium, even the title, finished in a modest fifth place.
During his NBA career, Mike Malone, 48, coached the 2013-2014 Sacramento Kings before being named coach of the Denver Nuggets in 2015.
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