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12 Teams Set For 2016 Olympics; 12 Storylines To Watch For In Rio

By Matthew Medley

Tony Parker playing for France to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics (Photo by Frederic Stevens/Getty Images)
Tony Parker playing for France to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics (Photo by Frederic Stevens/Getty Images) /
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China’s Zhou Qi dribbles past Taiwan’s Wu Tai Hao during their men’s basketball match at the 2014 Asian Games at the Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on September 25, 2014. (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) /

5. China: Can Chinese Bounce Back?

In the 2012 London Olympics, China finished with the worst record of any team in the field, losing all five games in which they played.

China is ranked No. 14 in the world coming into the 2016 Games in Rio and although they have a tough task ahead, just gaining some forward momentum would be a positive compared to what happened four years ago.

2016 marks the ninth consecutive appearance in the Olympics for Chinese Men’s Basketball, but the nation has never placed higher than eighth in its history.

Team China had an impressive 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, going 9-0 in the tournament to secure its spot in Rio.

One of their more recognizable players is Yi Jianlian, who spent five seasons in the NBA from 2007-12, and has been a superstar player in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Jianlian is one of four players on China’s roster taller than 7-feet and it will be interesting to see how much playing time some of those big men receive in Rio.

Although winning a medal appears to be out of the picture, if Team China can pick up where they left off from their great FIBA Asia Championship, they are not a team to overlook.

It won’t be easy, as China is grouped up with France, USA, Venezuela, Serbia, and Australia, but getting at least one win would be a major step up for the country.

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