Yao Ming plays first game after surgery

Yao Ming is back, transforming China's basketball team and providing a big relief for Olympic organizers. The Houston Rockets center marked his return from injury Thursday with 11 points and 4 rebounds in just over 12 minutes of play for the Chinese national team in an Olympics warmup against a Serbian squad.

China's players pose for pictures before the game against 
Serbia at the Stankovic Cup basketball Olympic warmup tournament
in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, July,
17, 2008. China won 96-72. (Xinhua/Xu Yu) 

Entering six minutes into the first quarter to huge applause from the crowd in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Yao appeared a little rusty, but made a solid contribution to China's opening 96-72 victory in the four-team Stankovic Cup tournament.

The game was Yao Ming's first since suffering a stress fracture in his left foot in February. Yao shot 70 percent from the free throw line, where he scored seven of his points. He also grabbed four rebounds, one of them on the offensive end, and seemed to find his groove defensively. And, the giant is looking forward to more challenges in the next warm-up matches.

Yao Ming said "The game is not very intensive. The Serbian and Russian squads are both youth teams. And, Angola is the only one to send the national team to the tournament. So, the next game against Angola is a real test for me. So far, since the game against Serbia is not intensive, I can say nothing about how much form I have regained."

China's Yao Ming (Top) grabs a rebound
during the game against Serbia at the
Stankovic Cup basketball Olympic warmup
tournament in Hangzhou, capital of east
China's Zhejiang Province, July, 17, 
2008.(Xinhua Photo)

China's Yao Ming drives the ball during the 
game against Serbia at the Stankovic Cup basketball
Olympic warmup tournament in Hangzhou, capital of 
east China's Zhejiang Province, July, 17, 2008. 
(Xinhua Photo)