RESPECTABLE FINISH

Yi takes a jumper for China in file photo.

Without the “Great Wall” Yao Ming, China is leaning on Washington Wizards power forward Yi JianLian to spearhead their campaign in the coming FIBA World Basketball Championships in Turkey, according to The Washington Post. Yi has been acting as the leader of the team and hopes to carry them to a respectable finish in the quadrennial cage meet. And Yi knows it won’t be easy.

“It's going to be some nights you have bad nights. It's not going to be good every night, no matter who. But you keep fighting, keep playing. That's our focus. This game, you have to fix something up and get ready for the World Championships. That's the time you have to be really good.

“Get guys together, talk, have fun, make sure everybody stays on the same page. I just do as much as I can. I'm the only in the NBA playing for the team this year. We've got some young guys on the team, but we want to win some games in the World Championships.”