Yao returns home to Shanghai |
http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/04/28 11:12 Shanghai Daily |
Former Shanghai Sharks center Yao Ming arrived back in his hometown Shanghai on Saturday after his team, the Houston Rockets, failed to make the NBA playoffs. "The holiday will be quite long and I will try out all the local snacks this time," a smiling Yao said. "However, the first thing I want to do now is sleep." The 2.28-meter center was allowed to rest until late next month before joining the Chinese National Basketball team in training to prepare for the Asian Basketball Championship scheduled for September in Harbin, northern Heilongjiang Province. Yao was tested for his body temperature - a comparatively low 36.5 degrees Celsius - as part of the heightened check for SARS at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The first local and the most successful Chinese player in the NBA, Yao enjoyed a high-profile welcome, led by Shanghai Administration of Sports Director Jin Guoxiang and Sharks officials. After a reasonably successful first year in the demanding NBA league,swhereshe averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, Yao was pipped by Phoenix Suns' forward Amare Stoudemire to the coveted Rookie of the Year award last Thursday. Stoudemire, 20, received 458 points to earn the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the league's top rookie. Yao, 22, finished second with 405 points followed by Caron Butler of the Miami Heat who garnered 179 points from the jury. |
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