Beijing; China's basketball coach Bob Donewald Jr. has shrugged off stinging criticism after a record 87-40 loss to hosts Turkey at the world championships.
The American insisted he was correct to rest his starters with China already guaranteed a place in the knockout stage despite a lop-sided defeat which triggered a wave of cyber-rage.
"I do not care. These boys can go to Istanbul [for the knockout stage]. That's the most important thing," said Donewald, who has been savaged in Chinese internet chatrooms.
Learning process
"It's a learning process. Scores do not mean anything. It's more important that the young players come out and play more games and fight hard."
China's 13 points in the first half and 40 were both embarrassing record lows for the country in international competition.
One furious fan wrote on leading portal sina.com.cn: "We advance to the next round in the most humiliating way." Another slammed Donewald on sohu.com.
"He does not know China's culture," the poster wrote.
