Lebron James landed 23 points as the United States crushed China 119-73 in a world championship warm-up match in Guangzhou on Monday night.

China's Wang Shipeng (2L) drives to the hoop under pressure from Chris Bosh (L) and Dwayne Wade (3R) of the United States in Guangzhou, in southern China's Guangdong province, during the China Basketball Challenge, August 7, 2006, as Chris Paul (R) of the United States and Yi Jianlian (2R) of China look on. The United States defeated China 119-73. [AFP]

America's band of NBA stars were just too strong for a China team lacking injured Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and former Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers and Miami Heat player Wang Zhizhi.

The visitors raced to a 60-37 lead at the halfway mark and long before end of the game the enthusiastic support for the home team from the packed crowd was reduced to the odd cheer.

China, whose coach Jonas Kazlauskas had hoped to field Yao for the first time since he broke his foot in April, slumped to their fifth straight defeat in warm-ups.

Wang is nursing a strained ligament and China will be hoping the seven-footer will get some court time in the Stankovic Cup warm-up tournament later this week.

Team USA stay in the southern city of Guangzhou to play Brazil on Tuesday night before moving on to South Korea for two more warm-up matches against their hosts and Lithuania.

The basketball world championship starts in Japan on August 19.