China to play Australian All-Star men's basketball team

China's men's basketball team will take on Australia's All-Star team from July 4-6 in Wuxi and Ningbo, to warm-up ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Chinese basketball sensation Yao Ming will not be part of the starting line-up as was eagerly anticipated by fans, despite the smooth recovery from a foot injury. With the Olympic Games beginning in less than a month, too much is at stake.

Among the team members will be NBA star Wang Zhizhi and rookie Yi Jianlian, who, along with Bobby Simons, was recently traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to the New Jersey Nets for top scorer Richard Jefferson..

On the Australian side, the All-Star team consists of many top basketball players serving on the national team. Much is anticipated in the coming clash between China and Australia.