Yao set for triumphant China return
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Yao Ming will make his long-awaited return to Chinese basketball courts when the NBA China Games tip off between the Houston Rockets and New Jersey Nets in October.
After suffering a broken left ankle in May 2009 which ruined the star Chinese center's entire 2009-10 NBA season, Yao is expected to wow local fans who hope to see him come back from a career-threatening injury.
"Keep fit and healthy. Play and win," Yao said during a short teleconference to promote the China Games on Wednesday, when he was asked how he could meet the fans' high expectations.
"I will play the China Games in October," the 29-year-old said.
It will be the NBA All-star center's first appearance here since the 2008 Beijing Olympics and his second China Games.
He also played at the event in 2004 in which he led the Rockets to a victory over the Sacramento Kings, 88-86, in his hometown of Shanghai before Houston lost 91-89 to the Kings in Beijing.
"I don't know if there will be any pressure for me to stand on the court in my homeland again after such a long time, but I am confident enough to deal with it," Yao said.
He said the China Games would provide him with a great opportunity to bond with his Houston teammates again after the lengthy layoff.
"I will join the team's training camp on Sept 25 and play full-court competitive games in the preseason. Hopefully, I can recover my form and build up teamwork with some of the new players, especially Brad Miller who is a smart player and will enhance our squad with his great skill and experience," Yao said.
The Rockets will bring a talented squad to surround Yao at the Games. It includes last year's Most Improved Player, Aaron Brooks, high-scoring guard Kevin Martin and Shane Battier, who was one of a number of NBA stars to visit China this summer, and Luis Scola, the star Argentine forward.
Meanwhile, under new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who is the first majority owner of an NBA team from outside North America, the Nets will make their China debut without star forward Yi Jianlian, who was traded to the Washington Wizards in June.
"Although Yi's absence is obviously a big loss for the game, we have a great fan base in China and we are sure the game will still attract the fans' attention," said Tim Chen, the CEO of NBA China.
The Rockets and Nets will tip off on Oct 13 in Beijing at Wukesong Arena and meet again on Oct 16 in Guangzhou at the brand-new International Sports Arena, which will host the basketball tournament of the Asian Games in November.
This year's NBA China Games will also include a number of activities for fans including NBA Cares community events, basketball development programs, player appearances and a variety of promotions sponsored by the league's marketing, television and digital partners.
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