The Chinese fans have huge expectations of the national team at the Beijing Olympics as it is the first time that NBA players Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and former NBA player Wang Zhizhi join force at the Games.

China's NBA star Yao Ming looks for a pass during the game against Angola at the Stankovic Cup basketball Olympic warmup tournament in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, July 19, 2008

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is one of the most dominant pivots in NBA. He has recovered from a foot surgery, which needed four-month recovery and ended his season earlier, and joined in the national team last month. "I want to have better results than the eighth place at the Beijing Olympic Games. I think the sixth is what I'm looking for," Yao said during a tele-conference to Asian and American journalists in May.

NBA rookie Yi Jianlian proved the most dangerous shotgun during a series of warm-up series, which China won 10-0.

He averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks and was traded to New Jersey Nets on June27.

Former Miami Heat forward Wang Zhizhi is a quality backup pivot. This is his first Olympic after he was kicked out of the team in 2002 when he refused to answer the call for the World Championships.

"I do want better results this time (at the Beijing Olympics). But for now, I think to enter the quarterfinals is realistic," Li Yuanwei said. "World basketball has improved a lot in the past four years. It'll be more difficult to get into top eight than the Athens Olympics in 2004."

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