Yi, and Maybe Lopez, Will Be Part of New York Basketball Festival

The national teams of the USA, China, France, Brazil and Puerto Rico will spend four days in New York this August before heading off to the FIBA World Cup in Turkey.  The "World Basketball Festival" will open on August 12 with a scrimmage between members of the USA national team – on an open-air court set up in Times Square – and conclude with an exhibition double-header on August 15 at Madison Square Garden with the USA facing France, followed by China squaring off with Puerto Rico.

In between, there will be national team practices at Rucker Park as well as a youth basketball tournament.  As of now, at least one Net--China's Yi Jianlian--will participate, but there's an increasing likelihood Brook Lopez will be part of Team USA. 

With Dwight Howard already suggesting he won't play and Kendrick Perkins hinting he's less likely to participate, the field is open for Lopez, who's working out with other Team USA invitees in Los Angeles and will head to Las Vegas in late July for tryouts. 

The Festival was announced at a NIKE-sponsored press conference which featured Yi and Kevin Durant.

• New York Basketball Festival sets new standards for FIBA World Championship warm-up events - FIBA.com
• NBA.com: Team USA to prep for Worlds in New York in August - AP
• New York To Host WBF - Matt Lawyue - SLAM
  
• Kevin Durant & Yi Jianlian Talk World Basketball Festival 2010 - Sneaker News
• Nike x USA Basketball – World Basketball Festival - Freshness Magazine
  
• Kevin Durant And Yi Jianlian Join NIKE and USA Basketball To Announce The Inaugural World Basketball Festival - Business Wire