Three's the magic number for Yi

Hoops star tipped to join China's 3x3 squad in bid to realize Olympic dream

With China needing a miracle to qualify for the regular Olympic basketball tournament, Yi Jianlian is being tipped to take a more realistic shot at the Games - in the 3x3 discipline.

The failure to secure Asia's only direct berth to the Tokyo Olympics at the FIBA World Cup earlier this year looked to have ended the veteran forward's dream of competing at a record fifth Games.