"There are no exhibition games scheduled during the Wizards' ten-day trip to China next month -- Caron Butler and Randy Foye are the only two players among the traveling party, after all -- but Butler expects the journey to have an effect on the court.

"Just build momentum," said the All-Star forward when asked what he hopes to get out of the trip. "Take that experience, come back and talk about the old championship days and their legacy and what we're trying to do. We're trying to do something special. I think it should be safe, and people shouldn't be scared of mentioning championship."

Butler hopes to glean as much insight as possible during the trip from Wes Unseld Sr., who led the Wizards to China 30 years ago and will do so again next month."