Yao playing golf today?!

Yao finally comes aboard

HOUSTON (AP) — Yao Ming finally joined the Houston Rockets on Sunday and quickly realized his first dilemma: He's an instant celebrity. ``Everyone wants to take pictures but I'm so busy,'' he said in his only English comment. ``Everyone wants a picture with me but I'm only one guy. I can't be in two places at once. ``I just want to say sorry ... sometimes I have to go because I have business to keep.''

By Brett Coomer, AP

The Rockets made Yao the NBA's No. 1 draft pick in June but they had to wait through months of contract negotiations, releases from the Chinese government and competition in the Asian Games with the Chinese national team before he landed Sunday in time to see the Rockets play the Orlando Magic in an exhibition game.

He was met at the airport by fans clamoring for his autograph and obliged as many as he could before being rushed to Compaq Center for pre-game introductions.

Yao was warmly introduced at midcourt by guards Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. Yao then greeted each of his new teammates and sat on the Rockets bench when the game started. ``This is a new start with new challenges and to see everybody out here for support makes me feel great,'' Yao said through an interpreter.

Yao, who led the Chinese national team to a silver medal in the recent Asian Games, signed an agreement to return home for future international competition. His four-year contract with Houston is worth $17.8 million. The 7-foot-5 center will begin workouts with the Rockets to try and get ready for the Nov. 1 season opener at Denver. The Rockets' next exhibition game is Wednesday in San Antonio.

His first chance to play before the home crowd would be Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers _ if coach Rudy Tomjanovich decides to put his new star on the court. Tomjanovich won't rush his new star, who had played constantly over the past year.

``We've got six preseason practices,'' Tomjanovich said. `Something I learned early as a coach is to expect the unexpected. You're going to have all different kinds of problems. I just try to do the best you can and they have a way of working themselves out.'' Tomjanovich acknowledged that Yao's constant playing could lead to fatigue. ``That's got to be a consideration with him,'' Tomjanovich said.

``I'm just going to see how he feels tomorrow and then the next day. We seem to do pretty well with that. Our trainer Keith Jones checks on how our guys are doing.'' The Rockets' eighth regular season game is Nov. 17 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Yao knows Shaquille O'Neal will offer quite a challenge. ``Every problem has to be faced,'' Yao said. ``That's going to be a very important game for me."

I won't look at it as a normal game.'' Yao, who averaged 32.4 points and 18.9 rebounds with his club team in Shanghai last season, is the first foreign player who didn't play college basketball in the United States to be chosen as the NBA's No. 1 draft pick.

The Rockets have done well drafting foreign players. Houston picked Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria and the University of Houston in 1984. Olajuwon led the Rockets to NBA titles in 1994 and 1995.

Yao's mother, who was already in Houston, plans to remain with her son throughout the season to help him adjust to life in the United States. His father will remain for a while before returning to China. Yao said he was eager to get started with the Rockets.

``The players are young but more mature than I expected,'' he said. ``I'd like to tell them that we work hard together.'' And about getting accustomed to the American way of life?

`I'm playing golf tomorrow,'' he said.