Chapter 231: Death Wrap.
In 2009, the Chinese men's basketball team lost to Iran in the Asia Championship final, marking their first defeat in the tournament since 1975. But now? They didn't just lose a game—they were knocked out in the quarterfinals, failing even to reach the top four.
This wasn't just an embarrassing defeat; it carried devastating consequences, as the team lost its qualification for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Previously, the loss to Iran was shocking; now, this was a full-blown earthquake. Heads were bound to roll, and the blame game began.
The first target? Head coach Giannis Ioannidis.
Criticism poured in: "Doesn't understand local players," "Strategies don't fit the team," "Overhyped reputation."
The man who had once led Greece to the semifinals of the 1998 World Championship and famously stopped Team USA's 'Dream Seven' from reaching the finals in 2006 now found himself buried under accusations.
But this disaster was too monumental for one foreign coach to shoulder alone.
The players? They'd still be relied upon for future international competitions, so they were spared most of the criticism.
Naturally, that left Han Sen as the perfect scapegoat.
Some domestic media began accusing Han, claiming he'd never played a single game for the national team but rode the support of Chinese fans to become an NBA All-Star and achieve his current success.
"If Han Sen had played for the national team these past few years, even if they didn't achieve much, the team wouldn't have fallen this far. Especially this year—if Han had played, there's no way they'd have lost their World Cup spot."