A-LIST AUDIENCE: During the basketball game between China and the United States, President George W. Bush cheers on the players, along with First Lady Laura Bush (right, second row), Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (left, second row) and Henry Kissinger (left, third row). (CFP)

Thousands of spectators cheered when Yao Ming left the court with 4:41 minutes left in China's 70-101 loss to the United States at the basketball highlight of the Beijing Olympic Games. From the roar of the Wukesong Stadium crowd on August 10, it was as if China had romped home winners.

The home side was brilliant in the first half and were level at 29 all four minutes into the second quarter after a long-range shot from Sun Yue, who is expected to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009-10 season. The United States then put their foot on the gas in a 20-8 spurt for a half-time lead of 49-37. China managed to stay in touch, but the United States closed the third 74-48 before racing away to a memorable 31-point victory.

With U.S. President George W. Bush and his father, former President George Bush, looking on from the stands, the Chinese applauded their team, but were also very enthusiastic about the NBA superstars in what was probably the most-watched sporting event in China's history.

Dream team

Inspired by a game he played as a child called "Duck on a Rock," James Naismith came up with the basketball game on December 14, 1891, in Massachusetts. He didn't know then he had invented what would become one of the most popular sports in the world, and that 117 years later, in Beijing, China, his game would be the focus of world attention.

Basketball has been an official medal event since its first appearance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. During the next 36 years, the U.S. team dominated the sport. The big question surrounding men's Olympic basketball at that time was not who would win the gold medal, but who would be the runner-up. NBA players were first allowed to play at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, after which the U.S team was dubbed the "Dream Team." But others have been catching up in recent years. Argentina, former Yugoslavia and Spain pulled off victories that used to be considered nearly impossible, defeating the United States in the 2002 World Championships. And in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the U.S team lost three games on its way to a bronze medal.

The Chinese made their debut in the 1936 Olympics and reappeared in 1948, being eliminated in the group stage on both occasions. After 1949, basketball became increasingly popular in China. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) was established in June 1956 and basketball careers received government support until 1995, when the CBA introduced its own league, which was greeted with enthusiasm by fans and the media alike. To date, the league has made big improvements in both players' skills and marketing the game to a growing domestic audience.

Chinese basketball, especially the men's team, outdistanced all other Asian teams after China's participation in the Asian Games in 1974. The Chinese men's team finished eighth twice, in Atlanta and Athens, the best performances in their seven appearances in the summer Olympic Games; while the women's team won the silver medal at the Barcelona Games in 1992.