The millionaire stars of the US basketball team swept past hosts China in the showcase match-up of the Olympics, watched by tens of millions on Chinese television and cheered on by US President George W. Bush. Talismanic giant Yao Ming, flag carrier for China at the opening ceremony, could not protect his colleagues from the speed and power of the NBA professionals.
Ming, who plays with the Houston Rockets, scored 13 points in the 101-70 loss to the US in what was billed as the most watched basketball game in history. Bush and his father, former President George H. W. Bush, huddled with the US team ahead of the game to wish them luck.
"What's up, pops?" NBA scoring champion LeBron James quipped to Bush's ageing father. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the NBA's Most Valuable Player, won a huge cheer from the star-dazzled home supporters but the loudest shout from the raucous 16,000 crowd was for Ming, China's favourite athlete along with 110m hurdler Liu Xiang.
The Americans will face a tougher test in their other Preliminary Group B matches against world champions Spain and a tough Greece side that stunned them in the world championship semi-finals in 2006.