Workman Shane Battier continues to get props from the national media during the World Basketball Championships. Here’s an article from AP.

With all the love Shane is getting among all the stars on Team USA (who would have thunk it?), I’m wondering if all the fans who bashed the Rockets for trading #8 pick Rudy Gay for Battier on Draft Day are starting to accept Shane for what he can bring to the team?

For those of you who weren’t crazy about Shane coming to the Rockets, what do you think about him now? Sound off here in the discussion forum.

Great piece by Fran Blinebury of The Houston Chronicle this morning about how much work the Chinese basketball program still has ahead of it if they are going to be competitive in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Yao had this to say:

“We need to send more younger players to other places. Maybe not just to U.S., but to teams in Europe. Our coach can help with that. He knows a lot of people in Europe.

“When you just send a whole team to play in Europe, as we did this summer, it makes you improve. But when a single player goes and joins that team, it’s a totally different feel. That would change you much quicker than to just play team against team. Just like me. I practice every day against the best. I play 82 games a year. I would not be the player I am if I did not go to the NBA.”

Pictured above is a promotional poster for Tracy McGrady’s new shoe line for Adidas. For the third straight year, T-Mac is on tour promoting his new line and making public appearances in Asia. Pictured below is T-Mac making an appearance in Guangzhou, China. Click here for more photos from T-Mac appearances.

While Team USA and Rocket teammate Yao are in Japan for the World Championships, T-Mac is touring Asia promoting his products for the third straight year. Although he’s worthy, remember that he wasn’t invited to tryout for Team USA because of the rehab on his back, among other things.

They love him over there. Check out his blog entry on NBA.com. Click here for more photos from T-Mac appearances.

Here’s another article about his thoughts on Korean and Asian basketball, in which he says about Yao:

“I have never seen anyone who works as hard as Yao. Hard work is what it comes down to if you want to be the best.”

Yao and the Chinese national team face a tough foe on Sunday night in a Greek team that went 5-0 in the first round of the FIBA World Basketball Championships.

Remember that Yao met Greek guard Vassilis Spanoulis, his future teammate in Houston this coming NBA season, for the first time on August 9th (click here for the photo, as well as here for another photo where Yao congratulates Vasilis for Greece winning the FIBA Stankovic Cup on August 15th).

Game time for their matchup is Sunday at 8:00pm Japan time, or 7:00am Eastern time in the U.S.

Also of note is Team USA’s game against Australia Sunday at 1:00pm in Japan (midnight U.S Eastern time), which will be televised live on ESPN2.

Remember that teams that lose their next game go home. Could the happy times in Japan soon be over for Yao?

Most people thought the Chinese had no chance until they shockingly beat Slovenia the other day. But if they beat Greece, they’ll play Wednesday the winner of the France-Angola game.