Houston Rockets star Yao Ming says he wants to work with former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon in the offseason.

The 2.26-meter center discussed working with Olajuwon during the offseason after his team's humiliating 4-3 loss to the Utah Jazz in first round of the NBA Playoffs.

As Yao's boyhood hero, Olajuwon led the Rockets to its first ever NBA championship in 1994 and averaged 27.8 points and 10.8 rebounds through his career. 

"It would be a great chance for me, if I can learn from him, one of the best centers in NBA history and particularly a legend for the Rockets," Yao was quoted as saying on Sohu.com. "I would love to. I'm working on it."

Yao averaged a personal-high 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds in the Playoffs but was unable to ensure his side took advantage of its two-game lead.

"I didn't do my job," Yao said. "I didn't do a very good job of rebounding. I believe I can still make some more improvement on both ends, that's what I am going to do in the summer. I'll take the first month off and then get back to training and work on my skills."

"You have to put your passion into the summer workouts and prepare for next season. The only way to get through is, if you get your next chance, don't let it pass."

Yao will return to Beijing in June for a training camp with the Chinese national team. He is scheduled to play a series of warm-up matches this summer, including the team's European Tour, the Stankovic Cup in Shanghai and the NBA summer league in the United States.

But before that, Yao will have what he called a "small surgery" on a toe to prevent a troublesome toenail from growing back - an injury that sidelined him for five weeks during the 2005-2006 season.

"It hurts me a lot so it's time to end it," said Yao. "It will take me three weeks to recover but it won't hamper my training with the Chinese team.

"This summer is very important for the national side in its preparation for the Beijing Games. I cannot miss it."

Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy, a coach of the year contender after the team's no-holes-barred defensive effort in the regular season, was criticised for his inability to lift the team to victory against Utah.

The New York Post reported that Van Gundy is leaving NBA coaching, but that his decision to leave wasn't based on the Rockets' first-round loss to the Utah Jazz.

However, team officials were quick to deny the exit claims, with one saying: "We have no idea where the story came from."

(China Daily May 10, 2007)