China's Yao Ming Expected in Houston Soon

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 18, 2002

China's Yao Ming Expected in Houston Soon

Yao Ming has fulfilled all the requirements needed to begin his NBA career, and he's not expected to miss any regular-season games with the Houston Rockets.

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Yao Ming has fulfilled all the requirements needed to begin his NBA career, and he's not expected to miss any regular-season games with the Houston Rockets.

"We're trying to get him to Houston Sunday or Monday," his agent, Erik Zhang, said Thursday. "We're ecstatic. This is great. Everything has turned out great."

Yao was the Rockets' first pick in the NBA draft, but he has missed all of training camp �� including five exhibition games �� while playing with the Chinese national team at the Asian Games. Zhang said Yao will be prepared, though.

"He'll have 10 days to get ready, although he missed a lot of time in training camp," he said.

After fulfilling his obligations to the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao had to give assurances that he would return for future international tournaments. Yao also received a visa to travel to the United States.

"Yao has signed an agreement with the CBA basically affirming his responsibilities as a national team player," Zhang said. "Houston has reached agreement with the CBA on various issues. The key was allowing Yao to play for the national team."

Zhang said Yao's mother already is in Houston, and that his father will travel with the 7-foot-5 center.

"The plans are for his mother to stay for the season to help him in his adjustment," Zhang said. "His father will stay for about a month and then return to China."

The last hurdle was thought to be a release from FIBA, the sport's international governing body, but apparently that wasn't needed, Zhang said.

Michael Goldberg, a Rockets attorney, told The Houston Chronicle and KRIV by telephone from Seoul, South Korea, that he has worked out the terms of Yao's release and the signing was expected early Friday morning in China, which is Thursday evening in Houston.

"I'm very proud of our organization and the work we've done to get this finished," Goldberg told the Chronicle. "I have felt positive that we would get to this stage. But with almost every day people asking me if the big man is here yet, it's a tremendous relief to finally be able to say 'Yes.'"

Yao already has agreed to a four-year, $17.8 million contract, including an option year.

"The paperwork will be finished sometime (Thursday)," Goldberg said. "But we're done. We're done."

Source: agencies

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