Chinese center Menk Bateer has rejoined the Denver Nuggets and could be on the court for Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors, state media said on Wednesday.
The 2.11-meter (6 feet 11 inch), 125-kg (275-pound) Bateer, who spent training camp with the NBA team before returning to fulfill a commitment with China's national side, was to have signed a contract with the Nuggets on Tuesday, the official Beijing Youth Daily said.
The paper gave no contract details.
Bateer was scheduled to leave for United States on February 22, 2002 but his trip was postponed for "procedural problems."
The 27-year-old is the second Chinese player to join the NBA, following the Dallas Mavericks center Wang Zhizhi.
Bateer, who hails from the northern region of Inner Mongolia and whose name in Mongolian means "eternal hero", joins a Nuggets squad floundering in sixth place in Western Conference's Midwest Division.
Coach Dan Issel was forced to resign in December after screaming an ethnic slur at a Hispanic fan, and the team traded away guard Nick van Exel and forward Raef Lafrentz last week in a seven-player deal with the Mavericks.
Bateer was among the trio scouts dubbed the "Walking Great Wall" at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, along with Wang and highly-touted NBA prospect Yao Ming of the Shanghai Sharks, expected to be one of the top picks in the next NBA draft.
Bateer, who has spent his career with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, has chosen to suit up with the Nuggets with the number 27 on his jersey.
"First, it represents my age of 27, and two plus seven equals my old number nine," he told the Beijing Morning Post.
He added that in Chinese the numbers two and seven sound similar to the words for son and wife. Bateer has a son and a daughter.
Bateer has established a fund in his name for Chinese fans to donate money to build a school in his hometown in Inner Mongolia based on his points and rebound totals in NBA games, according to the popular tabloid Southern Sports.
"While I have achieved my dream, I still have one hope," he told Southern Sports of his plans back home. "Many children there still do not attend school and haven't studied."
(China Daily February 27, 2002)
