Yao tries to support his teammates in a 82-73 loss to Germany on Friday. Yao played 21 minutes and scored 11 points on 50% shooting and grabbed two rebounds. Click here for more photos from the game.

As expected, Yao was rusty in his first game action in four months, but he did hit 3-of-6 from the field and scored 11 points in 21 minutes of action again Germany in an 82-73 loss. Click here to see more photos from the game. Click here to read a write-up of the game.

Click here to see the page of photos of banners posted in Nanjing promoting the tournament where the Chinese national team is playing, as well as photos from the team’s practice before the game.

Yao works out with trainer Anthony Falsone as he continues his rehabilitation before the Chinese play Germany tomorrow. Click here for more photos from the workout and his practice with his teammates.

We’ve got more photos of Yao working out, this time in Nanjing. It was reported that Yao will start against Germany tomorrow, but he won’t get long minutes.

Raymond also translated an interview with new Rockets guard Vassilis Spanoulis, whose Greek team is also in Nanjing for the tournament.

Yao meets Greek guard, and new Houston Rocket, Vassilis Spanoulis in Nanjing for the second annual FIBA Stankovic Continental Champion Cup. Click here for more photos taken upon the Chinese national team’s arrival in Nanjing, as well as their meal and workout.

Hopefully the photo taken above will be a historical one someday. Yao met Vassilis Spanoulis — the new Houston Rockets guard from the Greek national team — for the first time on Tuesday in Nanjing for a FIBA tournament. Click here for a recent article about Vassilis signing with the Rockets.

Click here for more photos taken upon the Chinese national team’s arrival in Nanjing, as well as their meal and workout.

Houston Rockets’ trainer Keith Jones, part of the USA Basketball delegation in China right now, gives an interview and talks about Yao’s progress as a player in the past and this off-season.

Raymond has provided another translation of an interview that appeared in Sina.com with Rockets’ trainer Keith Jones, who is in China with the USA Basketball team as part of the China Basketball Challenge.

Sina Sports: Keith, can you tell us the body condition of the players of this US team that have come to China to compete? Any major injuries or sicknesses?

Keith Jones: Yao Ming is getting stronger and stronger. He has been working hard with Anthony Falsone in the off seasons, and coupled with the help from the strength and conditioning coaches of the Rockets, Yao Ming has vast improvement in his body and physical strength. Now you can see the new Yao Ming on the court; he has completely changed to be extremely formidable and very aggressive. Moreover, he is very young, and he works very hard.

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Because they are recuperating from injuries, Yao Ming and Wang ZhiZhi had to sit out the entire game during China’s 119-73 loss to Team USA on Monday. To see more photos from the game, click here. To see more photos from events leading up to the game, click here to see the first page and keep clicking ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page to see more photos.

No surprise here. The Chinese national team lost to Team USA in an exhibition game in Guangzhou, 119-73. The game will air on ESPN2 later tonight at 9:30pm Eastern time.

To see more photos from the game, click here. To see more photos from events leading up to the game, click here and keep clicking ‘Next’ at the bottom of the page to see more photos where you’ll see the following:

*The hotel where both teams are staying
*Team USA’s arrival in Guangzhou
*Yao’s new Rocket teammate Shane Battier
*The Chinese team’s departure from Beijing and arrival in Guangzhou
*The Team USA practice
*The stadium where they played
*A welcome reception between the USA team in matching suits
*A translated interview with Battier

Thanks for all the work posting these photos, Raymond!

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle has a good piece on Shane Battier and his importance to Team USA. He still may not make the 12-man roster (currently numbers 14) for the World Championships, but the attributes he is showing may be just what the Rockets need.

Also, I found this video diary of Battier taped in Vegas a couple of weeks ago when the USA team first started training. It should give you further insight into his basketball philosophy, etc.

Yao cools off after his first practice with the Chinese national team on August 4th. Click here for more photos taken after Yao’s practice.

Yao practiced with his Chinese national teammates on Friday for the first time, and showed up an hour early before everyone else to practice his shooting. After the two-hour practice he went for a run, then came back for another session with the team. Click here for more photos taken after the practice. Click here for a video from the practice (it may take awhile to launch a new window and steram).

Although Yao acknowledges the Chinese team’s prospects aren’t good in the World Championships because of youth and injury, he obviously is very fired up to represent his country well.

“He is mobile enough to be a force. He runs the floor very well. He has a soft jump shot, good skills. For him, it is just the concept, the job description, that he must learn. That lane, it belongs to him. Everybody has to go through you. You reject everything that comes in there. It is your house.

“Maybe you say it is cultural. I don’t know. But he can change. He can be taught. Let him see how it’s done. I know he has obligations this year (in China) with the world tournament. But next year, maybe he is free. I plan to be here. Hopefully, with a bigger camp. I would like to work with him.”

- Hakeem Olajuwon on what he wants to teach Yao next year during his annual Big Man Camp in Houston, 8/3/06