Wang Zhizhi bids farewell to national team

Wang Zhizhi plays during their game against Jordan at the Asian Basketball Championships on August 10, 2013. (Photo/CNS)

Wang Zhizhi, who played his last game with the Chinese men's national basketball team on Sunday afternoon, said he didn't foresee the team's fiasco at the Asian Basketball Championships.

China was knocked out from the last eight by Chinese Taipei on Aug 9, and finished in fifth place after beating Qatar 96-85 on Aug 11, their worst record at the tournament since 1975.

"The result is really beyond my expectation. But that is the cruelty of sports. You get kicked if you are weak," said the 36-year-old veteran, who posted a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) in his last game with the team.

Although Wang didn't get too many minutes under head coach Panagiotis Giannakis, he gave support to Giannakis' coaching concept.

"They promote the European basketball theory, which they started learning at a young age. We can't master it in a moment. If we think their concept is correct, then we should stick to it," he said.

Wang Zhizhi became one of the most decorated basketball players in China in his 17-year stint with the national team, which began in 1996. Drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1999, he was the first Chinese player to play in the National Basketball Association.