Del Harris, the soon-to-be coach of China's national basketball team, says the NBA's first Chinese player Wang Zhizhi should make an apology before he returns home to represent the country at the Athens Olympics.

The Dallas Mavericks assistant coach was appointed by the Chinese Basketball Association last week as China's head coach for this summer's Athens Olympics.

In 2001, the Mavericks became the first team in NBA history to suit up a Chinese player, Wang Zhizhi.

Wang Zhizhi, now with the Miami Heat, has since severed ties with the Chinese national team by refusing to return to his home country the past two summers.

In an interview with the US-published Sino-US Evening News, Harris says, " the ball is in his hand" if Wang Zhizhi wants to be selected to the Chinese Olympic team.

The 66-year-old Harris believes Wang Zhizhi could be of great help to China after playing in the NBA for more than two years.

Harris plans to leave for China after the Mavs conclude their playoff run in June.

(CRI February 24, 2004)