Interview with head coach of Nha Trang Dolphins basketball team

Nha Trang Dolphins have recently made their first appearance in front of home spectators after three years of establishment. Khanh Hoa Newspaper made an interview with Todd Purves, head coach of Nha Trang Dolphins, about Vietnam’s professional basketball tournament-VBA.

 

 

 

- How do you feel about the first official home match of Nha Trang Dolphins after a long wait?

 

- I and the players have felt very great and excited. Nha Trang Dolphins was recognized as an official member of VBA tournament in 2020. However, since then, VBA tournaments had been played behind closed doors due to Covid-19. Therefore, the team hadn’t had an opportunity to play in front of Nha Trang spectators until the 2022 season. The way of organization, quality of the facilities, support from the local authorities, and cheers from the spectators made our first home match very wonderful. 

 

- Nha Trang Dolphins have played three matches at this year’s VBA. What are your opinions about the quality of the tournament, domestic players and the target of the team?

 

- It’s hard to make a precise assessment now because just some first matches of the tournament have been played. The teams still have a long way to go. However, through the performances of the teams so far, it could be seen that VBA hasn’t been inferior in quality to professional basketball tournaments in other continents.

 

As the head coach of Nha Trang Dolphins, I want to build a united team. Nha Trang Dolphins is the common house for domestic players, who are from different parts of the country, overseas Vietnamese players, and foreign players. The foreign players will help the domestic players to get better and better and vice versa. Nha Trang Dolphins will improve day by day.

 

- What do you think about the basketball movement of Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa?

 

- I haven’t had much time to work with Nha Trang Dolphins. During the training period at home ground, I have done some research about the local basketball movement and found that the locality has good conditions to develop basketball. The organization of VBA in Nha Trang will help to boost the development of the local basketball movement. The professional teams of VBA have established their junior teams. Nha Trang Dolphins is a newly-formed team; therefore, it hasn’t had the conditions to build up its young team. However, in the not-too-distant future, with the appearance of Nha Trang Dolphins in VBA, the basketball movement of Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa will gradually thrive. 

 

- Thank you for your answers!

 

An Nhien

Translated by H.N