I suggest we work on our public courtesy. For example, Westerners lower their
voices in restaurants so as not to bother other people. Jumping ahead in queues
is a definite no-no. You won't see much crowding over, with press interviews as
exceptions. Motorists should follow traffic rules, respect pedestrians and stop
to let them pass first.
Such courtesies are no small matter; they are the sign of an
internationalized host nation with a great cultural tradition.
Many foreign athletes don't know much about us, and we may not really
understand them, either. I hope people will not prejudge and try to communicate
with visitors as much as possible.
Did you have any unforgettable games when you played for the Chinese national
team in Sydney and Athens? Have there been any changes to the Chinese national
team?
I think the Chinese team in Athens was the strongest ever. On the inside were
Li Xiaoyong, Hu Weidong, Zheng Wu, Sun Jun and Li Nan; on the outside were Dazhi
(nickname of Wang Zhizhi), Mengke Bateer and I.
The loss to France still hurts me. At that time, we didn't know much about
our rival. We had only seen a taped game of France against Yugoslavia. I thought
we could handle France. I was right at the beginning of the game. I scored 10
points in the first half. Other teammates also contributed to the lead through
three-pointers and with a quick offence. Then we had problems with our defence.
At that time, our defence relied on personal manoeuvres and man-to-man
guarding. Our defence would crumble if the opponents attacked from the outside.
Now Chinese men's basketball has introduced advanced concepts from abroad. The
defence is organized and we have no problems restraining outside shooters. But
you cannot turn back time.
At the Athens Games, I had to lead the team to win as well as give a good
personal performance. I thought the national team had great potential and we
showed it when we beat New Zealand, Serbia and Montenegro.
Now the national team is getting more mature and it may perform as well as it
did at the Athens Games. Of course, teams from South America and Europe have
also improved remarkably in recent years. We'll have a lot of work to do.
How will you and the team prepare for the Olympic Games?
The Beijing Olympic Games is a rare opportunity for the development of the
Chinese basketball. I have been training hard every day, and I am looking
forward to giving a good performance at the Beijing Olympic Games. I expect to
work with the team to achieve a historic breakthrough.
I hope the team will have more games with strong foreign rivals. Intensely
competitive games will help the team improve faster. I also hope more of our
team members have a chance to hone their skills in high-standard foreign
basketball leagues.
Are you ready to play other roles in the Beijing Olympic Games?
I'd rather concentrate on preparing for sport. But I'll seize every
opportunity to promote the Beijing Olympic Games and to get more foreigners
interested in it.
The China Basketball Association is calling on people to learn from your
professionalism, such as "bridging cultural gaps while maintaining Eastern
identity." How do you achieve that?
First and foremost, it is about mutual respect and understanding. And I
believe dignity comes from strength.
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