Yi joins Chinese in preparations for Changsha

BEIJING (2015 FIBA Asia Championship) - If one reflects on the past several FIBA Asia Championships and remembers the protagonists for the leading teams, it's easy to come up with a list of the tournament's most influential players.

Yi Jianlian of China is certainly among them.

A 2.14m power forward who has suited up for the senior side since 2004, when he teamed up with Yao Ming and helped China make a surprising appearance in the Quarter-Finals, Yi has been the focal point of the China attack since the great Yao's retirement.

Yao last wore the China shirt on home soil at the 2008 Olympics.

Even at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, where China were upset by Chinese Taipei in the Quarter-Finals, Yi had a huge tournament and averaged more than 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

He had 23 points and 10 rebounds in China's tournament-opening triumph over Korea.

Yi, after a season in the Chinese Basketball Association and following a trip to the United States, is once again with his national team as it trains under coach Gong Luming.

He knows the pressure will be intense this summer because the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship will be held in Changsha from 23 September-3 October.

The national side has fallen to No. 14 in the FIBA World Ranking Men.

The Chinese have won just one of the last four FIBA Asia Championships and that was in 2011.

"I have come back and the team has been practicing for some time," he said.

A big part of the team is made up of young players - Yi 

"From my point of view, there is a need to strengthen the national team a lot.

"The Asian Championship is still some time away but we also need to get better."

The winner of the FIBA Asia Championship will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the teams that finish second and third will earn berths to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

FIBA