China's NBA pioneer swallows his pride and makes apologetic return to Beijing
China's first NBA star, a soldier who was expelled from the national team for refusing to come home from the United States to play for his country, has made an apologetic return to Beijing - a move that should open the way for him to play in the 2008 Olympics.
Wang Zhizhi, who paved the way for Chinese NBA players Yao Ming and Menke Bateer to play in the US, was welcomed home at Beijing's airport by the Chinese Basketball Association, four years after he was accused of being a traitor and 'defecting' for refusing to return home to play in the Asian Games.
The 28-year-old former army official and star of Bayi Rockets military team made a humble apology at the airport. 'In the past I was not mature enough and I made some wrong decisions. Through all the years of painful reflection I have a deep recognition of all the mistakes I have made in the past. I want to apologise to all the Chinese people and I hope I can correct my mistakes through action,' he said.
'I want to say sorry to my fans and to the Bayi team which trained me and gave me the chance to play in the NBA. And I want to thank the Bayi team and the CBA for offering me the chance to return. Now I want to train hard and prove myself on the basketball court.'
The 2.12-metre centre - who has played for the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat - said he was delighted that he was finally able to come back to China.
