Wang Zhizhi out of Chinese squad for world championships

Agence France-Presse, Beijing

Chinese basketball authorities on Tuesday dumped star centre Wang Zhizhi from the national squad for next month's world championships, citing the star's supposed lack of patriotism.

In a lengthy statement on its Internet site, the China Basketball Association (CBA) slammed Wang for not returning to China for national team training following the end of his NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks.

It also cited other offences, such as Wang's refusal to play for China at the upcoming Asian Games.

"Strategy needs to be closely tied to a high level of collective training, to represent the national team needs a high level of patriotism, these must all be at the heart, the will and the happiness of such a person," it said.

"How can we let a person represent this nation if he does not see the needs of the collective training of his country and if he places his own interests above all else?," it added.

"Due to Wang Zhizhi's mistaken choices, in the end he will not represent China at the World Championships."

The decision marks a turnaround by China's basketball authorities, who just last week appeared desperate to welcome the 2.15 metre (7ft 1in) star back to join his fellow "Walking Great Wall" centers Menk Batere and new NBA top draft pick Yao Ming.

Wang refused to return to China following the end of the NBA season, and has reportedly been on the verge of defecting due to the CBA's demands, although he has publicly denied any such intentions.

Following his season with Dallas, Wang became a restricted free agent but despite a good showing in the Southern California pro league in July has yet to receive offers from other NBA teams.

However Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said Dallas intends to sign Wang to a new contract and that it would match any "reasonable" offer from other NBA teams.

Wang's exit from the team is a massive blow to China's hopes of bettering a best-ever eighth place finish at the World Championships.

Although the team also boasts Denver Nugget center Menk and Yao, picked by the Houston Rockets, Wang was seen as badly needed to help China's chances.

Wang was not named to China's starting squad for the August 30-September 8 World Championships to be held in the United States but was listed as an alternate when the team was announced earlier this month.

The CBA statement said the door was still open to Wang if he immediately agreed to return to China to train for the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, in late September -- effectively missing the NBA training camps and pre-season.