Head coach Du Feng and players from the Chinese men's basketball team mourned the legend Ma Lianbao, who died at the age of 68 due to a sudden heart attack on Monday.

On his Weibo social media account, Du said he cherished the memory of his first national team experience with coach Ma who won the 1981 Asian Basketball Championship with team China.

"You were my mentor when I was first selected into the national youth team and you were the one who helped me to fulfill my national team dream. Rest in peace, coach Ma. We will pass down your instruction and thank you for your dedication to Chinese basketball," wrote Du.

"It's you who kept telling to fear nothing when faced with difficulty. Thank you for all the beautiful memories and I will keep your kind smile in mind. Rest in peace and we will miss you," wrote the 27-year-old Chinese international Zhai Xiaochuan on Weibo.

Wang Zhelin recalled coach Ma's guidance when he was selected into the national youth team in 2010 while Ma worked as assistant coach there.

"The year of 2010 was the turning point of my basketball career, and the national youth team experience changed me a lot," said the 26-year-old Wang. "The bad news shocked me, hope him rest in peace."

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