Yao Misses Ri and Home in Rainy Busan

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, October 06, 2002

Yao Misses Ri and Home in Rainy Busan

It is raining here on Sunday in Busan, the host city of the 2002 Asian Games, and the 2002 NBA draft top pick Yao Ming misses his home town Shanghai and DPR Korea's star center Ri Myong-hun.

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It is raining here on Sunday in Busan, the host city of the 2002 Asian Games, and the 2002 NBA draft top pick Yao Ming misses his home town Shanghai and DPR Korea's star center Ri Myong-hun.

"I feel a little sorry to miss him in the semifinals," The 23-year-old Yao told Xinhua on Sunday. "I want to play with him on the same court."

"When I was 13, I went to watch him play with my parents," he added.

Ri, 35, who took part in the East Asian Games in Shanghai in 1993, was most likely to miss Yao in the semifinals following DPR Korea's 89-81 defeat to Kazakhstan on Saturday. With one win and three losses recorded at the Asiad, DPR will go to the 5th-8th play-offs if South Korea beat Hong Kong of China later on Sunday.

The 2.26-meter Yao, who had 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks to lead China over Japan 104-59 on Saturday and secured a place in the semifinals for them, missed his home in Shanghai, where it rains often.

"Yes, I am a little bit homesick," said Yao, who arrived here on September 26 for the Asian Games, which is to conclude in nine days' time. "So what?"

Yao's parents, both former basketball players, live in Shanghai while Yao has trained with the national team in Beijing and traveled around for the world championship and the Asian Games for months.

Yao, who was picked by the Houston Rockets in June's NBA draft, is likely to get the green light from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) to play in the NBA after the Asian Games.

Yao appreciated the praise for him from the Philippines' center Taulava, whom he will play on Tuesday, but vowed to be merciless to him on the court.

"He is really good. It will be a big challenge for me to play against him, because he is 7-feet-5 (2.26-meter) and he is the NBAtop pick," said the 2.06-meter Taulava, who played against the 2.35-meter center Ri Myong-hun in the Philippines' 89-63 victory over DPR Korea in the preliminary round, on Friday.

"You know, I have played against Ri Myong-Hun, but Yao is on a higher level."

"I am really appreciative of that," Yao said. "But the best way to show your respect to your opponent is doing your best to beat him."

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