SHANGHAI, China -- Although he stands 7-foot-5, Yao Ming is
not yet ready for the NBA.
That's the assessment of Bai Li, general manager of the Shanghai
Sharks, the center's current team.
"Before joining the NBA draft, he must prepare adequately --
both physically and mentally," Bai said. "The club feels that, at
this time, Yao Ming is not there yet."
Yao was considered a possible first-round pick in the NBA draft
on June 17, but Bai said the 21-year-old player will instead focus
on playing for the Chinese national team before next year's Asian
Games in Pusan, South Korea.
Sports officials feared the loss of China's most valuable player
could damage its fledgling professional league, Bai said. He held
out the possibility that Yao might participate in the 2002 draft.
"The NBA said he's welcome next year," Bai said.
Yao and a handful of other promising Chinese players have made
their country the newest territory tapped by NBA talent scouts.
Wang Zhizhi, a 23-year-old former star with the military-owned
Bayi Rockets, became the first Chinese-born NBA player when he
joined the Dallas Mavericks in April.
Both Yao and Wang were members of China's Olympic squad, which
finished a disappointing 10th in Sydney last year.
Bai said interest in Yao has been intense, with 14 NBA clubs
having contacted him about playing.
While Yao didn't appear at Friday's news conference, his
mother, Fang Fengdi, said he still hopes one day to play in the
world's premier basketball league.
"I think that going to the NBA is every athlete's dream," she
said.
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