Mengke Bateer

Who is Mengke Bateer?

Mengke Bateer or Menk Batere, commonly referred to simply as Bateer, is a Chinese professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. He currently plays center for Xinjiang Guanghui.

Bateer is an ethnic minority from China's Inner Mongolia region. Like many other ethnic Mongols, he does not have a family name, and his full name is a composition of two words: Mönkh and Baatar. In China, he is only referred to as "Ba Te Er" in the country's tradition. In China, Bateer is sometimes affectionately called "Da Ba".

At 210 cm and 132 kg, Bateer is a strong center who is an accomplished screen-setter and passer, though he is severely hindered by his lack of speed.

As of 2012, Bateer holds two notable distinctions. He is the only Chinese basketballer to have played in the NBA without being selected in any NBA draft. He is also the first Chinese basketballer, and one of only two, to have been on a NBA championship-winning roster, having been a part of the San Antonio Spurs when they won the NBA championship in 2003. The only other Chinese basketballer to have accomplished this is Sun Yue, who was a part of the Los Angeles Lakers roster that won the NBA championship in 2009.