Yi Jianlian says China can ‘surprise’ at 2012 London Olympic Games

Yi Jianlian said China’s national basketball team, becoming accustomed to life without the prodigious talents of the retired Yao Ming, could produce a surprise at this year’s London Olympics.

China reached the quarter-finals on home soil with Yao in Beijing four years ago and came through a tricky transition to regain the Asia championship title in Wuhan last September and qualify for London.

“We are going to have a surprise for everybody,” Yi told Reuters before his Dallas Mavericks team lost to the New York Knicks 104-97 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. “You’ll see.”

Yi is struggling to make his mark with the NBA champion Mavericks after signing as a free agent this season. The 24-year-old, who is battling back from an injured right knee, did not play Sunday and has only averaged about eight minutes a game with a 3.3 scoring average in 12 games this season for Dallas.

Yi, however, expects to play a significant role on the…

via Olympics-Yi says China can ‘surprise’ at London Games | Reuters.