Basketball is the most popular sport in China, the world?s most populated country with 1.3 billion people.

At least 300 million Chinese play the game. The figure is equivalent to the population size of the United States.

The quality of Chinese basketball has improved by leaps and bounds in the past three-and-a-half decades.

China unquestionably has been a major force in Asian men?s basketball for more than three decades now.

Though the Islamic Republic of Iran has topped the FIBA-Asia tournament in its last two stagings (note that China was represented by its Team B during the 2007 Tokushima competitions because it was an automatic qualifier as host of the 2008 Beijing Olympics), the Chinese continue to reign as Asian Games men?s basketball champion and are set to defend their crown in the quadrennial event?s 16th renewal in Guangzhou next month.

Ranked 10th overall in the latest FIBA rankings, China is generally regarded as the first Asian country to send a player to the U.S. National Basketball Association, the globe?s ultimate roundball forum. History was made when Wang Zhizhi was hired to play for the Dallas Mavericks in April 2001.

Subsequent players from the Mainland to strike gold in the NBA are Mengke Bateer, Yao Ming, Sun Yue and Yi Jianlian.

Yao and Yi are still active in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards, respectively.

With the NBA?s 65th season set to start on October 26 (Oct. 27, Manila time), both Yao and Yi are not suiting up for host China in next month?s Asian Games.

Japan (Yuta Tabuse) and South Korea (Ha Seung-Jin) and Iran (Hamed Haddadi) have since sent their first-ever representatives to the NBA.

The 7-2 Haddadi, a two-time FIBA Asia tournament Most Valuable Player, is entering his third NBA campaign with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 7-3, 25-year-old Ha saw action with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2004-06 and is making a comeback with the South Korean national team in the forthcoming Asiad after recovering from a calf injury.

In China, there are 17 teams in the 15-year Chinese Basketball Association professional league.

Divided into two divisions ? North and South ? the 17 CBA city-based franchises nearly cover the entire country.

Every team is permitted to hire two imports in its 12-man lineup. The CBA depends heavily on foreign talents to raise the level of competition.

One restriction, though: Each team?s two overseas athletes cannot play more than a combined 72 minutes (out of a total of 240) per game.

The regular season, which starts in December, consists of 50 games per team. The playoffs follow thereafter.