It's official. Local basketball star Yao Ming and his Houston Rockets will play preseason games in Shanghai and Beijing in October.

Top officials with the National Basketball Association announced in Los Angeles on Saturday that Yao's rockets will play the Sacramento Kings on October 14 at the Shanghai Grand Stage and on October 17 at the Capital Stadium in Beijing.

Both stadiums will be renovated to meet NBA requirements.

"Changes to our lighting and floor are the centerpieces of the NBA's requirements," said Qiu Weichang, vice-president of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, which is helping to organize the local game. "They also demanded we enlarge our change rooms and set up extra practice courts."

The renovations, which will start in April and should be complete by July, are expected to cost several million yuan. The Shanghai stadium has a capacity of 11,500 people.

According to Qiu, the NBA will pay for the teams' trip to China and their appearance fees and the local government will pay for their accommodation and food.

The NBA will hold on to most of the games' commercial rights.

At 2.26 meters tall, Yao will be both the biggest player on the court and the biggest selling point for the games.

The Chinese center was the first draft pick in the NBA last year and has been voted into the all-star game as a starter for the last two years.

Yao said he is thrilled to have the chance to play with his team in China, but might have to reserve "the entire stadium" to accommodate friends and family wishing to see him play.

His teammate, NBA All-Star guard Steve Francis, said the visit would also fulfill one of his childhood ambitions.

"I am looking forward to getting up there and seeing the Great Wall. Maybe me and Yao can run up and down the Great Wall for a while."

The NBA hopes the games will spur interest in basketball in China.

NBA commissioner David Stern told a press conference in Los Angeles: "I have no doubt that as youngsters watch Yao Ming perform in China, in the US and around the world, it will speed the development of basketball and there will be many, many Chinese basketball players seeking to play in the NBA."

Stern hinted that NBA regular season contests may be on the way for China.

"Clearly, if the facilities exist to house a regular season game I think you could see a regular season game there in the next two to three years," he said.

The league has staged preseason games in other overseas countries, including Britain, Japan and Mexico. Last October, it held two regular season games in Japan between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Seattle SuperSonics.

Tickets for the local contest will go on sale in June, but no prices have been announced. The Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News said yesterday the lowest ticket price could be 100 yuan (US$12.2).

"I think 200 yuan will be a reasonable price for average tickets," said Jiang Jun, a local basketball fan who regularly watches live broadcasts of NBA games on TV.

"I'm sure many of my peers would like to experience the thrill of watching NBA games from the stands.

(eastday.com February 16, 2004)