MANILA, Philippines - Haharapin ng Smart Gilas Pilipinas ang Chinese squad sa kanilang unang laro sa FIBA-Asia Men’s Chamonships na wala si 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming.
“We knew before that Yao Ming will play,” ani Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman sa pagharap ng Nationals sa China sa naturang torneo na nakatakda sa Setyembre 15-25 sa Wuhan, China. “His (Yao) absence will give other countries a bigger chance to win, including our Smart Gilas team.”
Ang pormal na pahayag ni Yao ang hinihnintay ng China at ng NBA team na Houston Rocket para sa kanyang napipintong pagreretiro.
Sa kabila ng hindi paglalaro ni Yao, sasandalan pa rin ng China sa FIBA-Asia Men’s Championships sina Washington Wizards forward Yi Jianlian at dating Dallas Mavericks Wang Zhi Zhi.
“Also, we still need to hurdle the powerhouse teams like Iran, Lebanon, South Korea. But with the tactical game of coach Rajko, our skill and speed, we can beat them to gel and play competitive games with the PBA reinforcements,” ani team captain Chris Tiu.