BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- China's international point guard Zhao Jiwei says his national teammates Liu Wei and Yi Jianlian are his "big brothers and role models."

"They pay lots of attention to their daily training and diet and have a high degree of self-discipline. You can see that from their sporting lifespan and that's the reason I want to learn from them," Zhao told FIBA of his two captains in the national team.

At the age of 18, Zhao made his debut for China at the 2014 FIBA Asia Challenge. "I was pretty young when I was in the youth team," Zhao said. "There was much more pressure after I came into the senior team."

"It was a great honor to play for the national team. I was very nervous and glad," Zhao said of playing at the Asia Cup in 2015, where he made his first real impact in the national team after contributing six rebounds and five assists against South Korea.

The Liaoning native also paid tribute to all the coaches who have mentored him throughout his playing career to date. "I have benefited greatly from their inspiration and instructions," he said. Enditem

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