Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 14, 2002
China Announces Team for Men's Basketball Worlds
Three top centers, who are playingat America's National Basketball Association (NBA), were in the squad of China to compete in the World Men's Basketball Championships.
Three top centers, who are playingat America's National Basketball Association (NBA), were in the squad of China to compete in the World Men's Basketball Championships.
Wang Zhizhi of Dallas Mavericks, Menk Bateer of Denver Nuggets and Yao Ming of Houston Rockets will bear the hope of China to overpass their best results of the eighth place at the world championships, which are to be held at Indianapolis from August 29-September 8.
However, Wang, who was selected by the Mavericks in 1999 and joined the team two years later, is one of the main uncertainties of the list.
The 2.15-meter center and power forward, a substitute on the team list, did not join the training camp with the national team, and did not attend any warm-up matches after he finished his season at Dallas in May.
He is expected to join his teammates before the start of the championship when the Chinese team is scheduled to play warm-up matches against Canadian and American teams this week in the United States.
Following is the members of the squad:
Menk Bateer, Yao Ming, Gong Xiaobin, Hu Weidong, Liu Yudong, LiNan, Guo Shiqiang, Liu Wei, Zhu Fangyu, Du Feng, Chen Ke, Zhang Cheng