BEIJING (AP) Bob Donewald has been appointed head coach of China's national basketball team, and the American promises to make the basketball-crazy country proud of the squad.

Donewald told a news conference Friday that "we are going to come together as a unit and we are going to make this country proud."

The former NBA assistant coach with the New Orleans Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers did acknowledge China needed a healthy Yao Ming, who is sidelined with a foot injury.

Donewald was hired after leading the Shanghai Sharks, owned by Yao, to the final four of the domestic league in his first season. It was the first time Shanghai had reached the semifinals in eight years.