Basketball giant dies after heart attack

Former Chinese basketball star Mu Tiezhu died after suffering a heart attack in Beijing yesterday, the No 309 PLA Hospital said. He was 59, and is survived by his wife and their two children.

The 2.28-m-tall Mu was 2 cm taller than NBA star Yao Ming and was a household name in China in the 1970s and 1980s.

The towering center joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1972 and was drafted into the national team in 1977, when he led it to its first Asian championship title.