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Yi, China will face U.S. in Olympic opener
By Charles F. Gardner
Saturday, Apr 26 2008, 11:45 AM

The Olympic basketball draw was held in Beijing this morning, and the U.S. was drawn into a group with host China, defending world champion Spain and Angola. Two other teams will join the group after advancing from an Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece in July.

On the opening day of men's basketball competition (Aug. 10), the U.S. will play China, setting up the chance for Bucks players Yi Jianlian and Michael Redd to face each other. Bucks center Andrew Bogut and his Australian national team landed in Group A, along with defending Olympic champion Argentina, Russia, Lithuania and Iran. The sixth team in that group will come from the Athens tournament.

"It will be an eye-catching opener between the host and the USA," FIBA President Bob Elphinston said.

A Chinese basketball official recently confirmed that Yi will be the first torchbearer on May 4 when the Olympic torch returns to mainland China, in the resort city of Sanya in the province of Hainan.

Yi told reporters covering the Bucks that he had heard news reports about protests that disrupted the torch relay in other countries. The relay has drawn protests over China's human rights record and its policies on Tibet and Darfur.

"Right now, I'm not too worried about it," Yi said. "I still have full confidence that these kinds of protests are not going to influence the Beijing Olympics in any way."

Yi, who is still recovering from a sprained ligament in his right wrist and a knee injury, has continued his rehabilitation in Milwaukee since the season ended in mid-April.

But soon he will return to China and turn his focus to the Olympics, and he believes the experience gained in his rookie NBA season will help his performance this summer.

"I'm very excited," Yi said. "Often, I catch myself thinking and imagining about the Olympics right now. To have the Olympics right at our front door and look and see across the stadium and it's all Chinese fans, this is something I'm really excited about."

Among the 12 teams competing in the Olympic qualifying tournament in July, Dirk Nowitzki and Germany should be a strong contender for one of the remaining berths. Others expected to contend include Puerto Rico, Brazil, Canada and Greece.

MickeyDavis wrote:By then Yi will be with the Clippers.

StikWitEM wrote:-= original quote snipped =-




hopefully in a deal that gets us Brand

cam2win wrote:By then I won't care that the Clippers Yi faces the Mavs Redd

Chuck Diesel wrote:The USA and China definitely landed in the easier of the two brackets.

China and Iran will be the two worst teams at the Olympics.

Mags FTW wrote:It will be an ass-whooping of epic proportions.

Sunday, May 4, 2008
Chinese cheer on as Olympic torch starts mainland leg

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Associated Press

SANYA, China -- Cheering Chinese stood on their chairs and waved flags as the Olympic torch started its mainland leg Sunday on the tropical island of Hainan -- the first stop in what is expected to be a peaceful three-month journey to Beijing.


Protests followed the torch overseas, but organizers in the seaside resort of Sanya promised a trouble-free national tour that will wind through every Chinese province and region before arriving in Beijing before the Olympics start on Aug. 8.

Some Chinese, including the torch bearers, seemed to be relieved the flame was safely home.

"Being Chinese, it's not easy," said Zhang Chaoyang, the CEO of major internet portal Sohu.com, at a news conference after the relay started.

Zhang criticized the Western media's recent coverage of China and of the international leg of the relay, which was marked by protests against China's policies and its treatment of Tibetans.

"Foreigners don't understand China," said torch bearer Fu Shenfeng before the relay started. "They still think we're stuck in the past. They still think we're poor. This is our chance to show them the real China."

The Olympic flame went out briefly at the beginning of the ceremony as it was being passed among local leaders on stage and given to the first runner, former Olympic speedskating gold medalist Yang Yang. A member of the team of paramilitary police that has followed the torch around the world quickly relit the flame. The torch seemed to go out again several minutes later with another runner, but it was quickly exchanged.

Basketball star Yi Jianlian was one of the first torchbearers and actor Jackie Chan was the last of the day. Overall, 208 people were lated to carry the torch Sunday along palm tree-lined roads looking out over the South China Sea.

"I'm very excited. I hope we can spread a message of peace to the world," Chan said.

At the lighting ceremony, echoes of China's recent troubles were almost absent. A few people wore T-shirts with slogans saying Tibet was and will always be a part of China. One couple wore T-shirts that said "Go China" in Chinese on the front.

"We just want the Western media's reporting to be fair," said 16-year-old Ryan Wang.

After three days on Hainan island, the torch moves to Guangdong province in southern China, where millions of migrant workers labor in what has become the world's factory floor, making everything from Honda cars to Nike sneakers.

carmelbrownqueen wrote:This is goinhg to be a tough tough game for China, especially if neither Yi nor Yao are 100%.

jerrod wrote:so how likely is it that australia makes it passed the group stage so they might play the us? i think that'd be a really fun game thread on here

MajorDad wrote:perhaps With those two players injured, Bogut can put the team on his back and carry the team to victory like the true superstar he is.

nah, ain't gonna happen.

Chuck Diesel wrote:Team USA will take on Australia in an exhibition game