I think we’re really in Asia now, Toto

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MACAO -- A week after the U.S. men’s basketball team arrived in Asia, it’s going to really arrive in Asia when it sets foot on the Chinese mainland after the team’s plane lands in Shanghai.

The Americans will spend five days there, and play exhibitions against Russia and Australia before going on to Beijing.

The progression is expected to have gone something like this:

MACAO —This is Asia?

It’s true, almost everyone here is Asian. Aside from that, with the team at the Macao Venetian, it was just like Las Vegas, although with more decorum (no flashing lights or ringing bells on the slot machines) and more high rollers.

As crowded as the Macao Venetian was, it was an ideal venue with its own in-house 15,000-seat arena. A little hard to find your way outside, perhaps, but most of us solved that problem by not worrying about it.

(The only time the team and staff left the building was to be feted during a banquet at the nearby Wynn Macao.)

Put it this way: it’s the first assignment I’ve ever had in which I could walk from my hotel room to the arena in five minutes. Yes, we’re all going to miss this place.

SHANGHAI -- This is Asia, but the modern version.

The U.S. team is staying at the local Ritz-Carlton. There’s a glittering downtown with great shopping (the specialty is custom clothing at unmatched prices.)

BEIJING -- Well, at least they have actual games here.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but there’s definitely less shopping, and no gambling. There’s also an ongoing pollution problem—which we have been following through emails from friends back home, like the Newark Star-Ledger’s Dave D’Allesandro, who sent NBA PR boss Brian McIntyre and me a picture of what appeared to be the city photographed through a heavy haze.

Of course, I’m from Los Angeles where we’ve seen some bad days ourselves. So when McIntyre pulled up the photo on his BlackBerry and showed it to me, I said, “And the problem is?”

Ask the U.S. basketball program, nobody ever said this would be easy.

-- Mark Heisler