FORMER NBA All-Star Steve Francis left the Beijing Ducks on Monday, ending the troubled guard’s brief stint in China’s professional basketball league, Sina.com reported yesterday.

    Francis told the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) club he was willing to leave after walking out at half-time during Beijing’s 104-89 win over the Jiangsu Dragons on Sunday and missed Christmas Day practice.

    “I talked to Francis in the morning about his leaving during the match and his absence from the training session. I told him, on behalf of the club and the team, that we wanted him to leave,” said club assistant manager Yuan Chao.

    “He didn’t give me the decision during the meeting, but he appeared on the court during afternoon training and said he was ready to leave.”

    In about two weeks with the Beijing team, Francis — a three-time NBA All-Star and former teammate of star Chinese center Yao Ming — played in four games, averaging 0.5 points and 0.7 rebounds in about three minutes per match.

    During that time, Beijing won six games and lost one, in one of its best-ever starts to a CBA season.

    Earlier this month, the league slapped him with a “serious warning” for an indecent gesture he made as he sat on the bench during Beijing’s 80-78 win over reigning league champions Guangdong Tigers.

    (SD-Agencies)