Chinese basketball player Zhou Qi has been selected by The Houston Rockets with the 43rd pick in NBA draft on June 23 (XINHUA)

The Houston Rockets selected China's Zhou Qi with the 43rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

Zhou, 20, led the Chinese Basketball Association in blocked shots for the second straight season, averaging 3.2 in 2015-16 for Xinjiang.

The 7-foot-1 center also averaged 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds while showing an improved offensive game, making nine of his 15 3-point attempts after going just 1 for 10 the previous season.

He also shot 58 percent during last summer's FIBA Asia Championships, helping China qualify for the Olympics.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2016)