BELGRADE, Serbia -- Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone will join Serbia's national basketball team as an advisor for the Olympic qualifying tournament in June, the Serbian federation (KSS) announced Wednesday.

Malone "has confirmed that he will join the Serbian basketball team for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgrade", the KSS said on its website.

The 48-year-old coach, whose Nuggets are at the top of the field in the NBA's Western Conference and are anchored by their star Serbian centre Nikola Jokic, will join the Balkan team immediately after the 2020 play-offs, the federation added.

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The Tokyo Olympics qualifying tournament will take place in June in Belgrade with teams from New Zealand, Italy, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico among those competing.

The appointment comes after a recent change in leadership following Serbia's under-par performance in last year's FIBA world championship in China.

Serbia's top coach, Igor Kokoskov, who is also assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings, was appointed last November to replace Aleksandar Djordjevic after the team finished in a modest fifth despite entering the competition as one of the favourites.

Malone also coached the Sacramento Kings 2013-2014 before being named coach of the Denver Nuggets in 2015.

© Agence France-Presse

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