Chron - It's Yao or never for Rockets

Club still awaits letter of clearance as draft day arrives
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

The labor pains continued through the night and all of Tuesday. The Rockets waited and paced and grabbed the phones on the first ring as if they had become a troupe of expectant mothers-in-law.

But the blessed event still had not come. The birth of the Yao Ming era in Houston was still on hold.

The Rockets had long since decided they would draft the 7-5 Chinese center with the first pick of tonight's NBA draft if they received the letter of clearance necessary to allow Yao to play in the NBA next season.

But after weeks of buildup and attention, all focused on the draft's greatest oddity and curiosity and potentially best player, the Rockets have reached draft day unsure if they can actually choose him.

"We like being the center of attention," Rockets chief operating officer George Postolos said of the sweaty palms and nervous stomachs. "You have to want to be in this position if you're in the business. We as an organization want to be in this position.

"Hopefully, we will be like that expectant parent. The best part about it is we're going through it with our fans and with the community on the edge of their seats. They have been right there with us. They watched each step of the way. They weighed in. They expressed their opinions.

"It could be a great day."

But unlike most lottery winners, the team that came out of the May 19 draft lottery with the top pick still does not know what it won. The team does know what it wants.

"We would like this thing to work out," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said after returning from China. "We would like to take Yao Ming."

Said Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson on Monday: "We've evaluated him, and we've decided that he's the guy we want."

The letter of clearance the Rockets have expected can come only from the International Basketball Federation with the blessing of Yao's team, the Shanghai Sharks, and the China Basketball Association. Yao's representatives reached agreement on financial issues with Sharks ownership Saturday. But talks with the CBA have dragged on longer than expected, putting the Rockets' prospects of taking Yao tonight in jeopardy.

The Rockets could draft Yao, 21, without receiving the letter. But they have refused to say what they would do if the letter assuring Yao would be permitted to play next season does not come by the start of the draft at 6:30 p.m. They simply say they are confident there will be agreements in China in time.

Yao's representatives, whose confidence has been steadfast through the process, no longer seemed so sure.

"We're still working on it," Yao's co-representative John Huizinga said Tuesday. "I have a feeling it's going to be a long night. I'm still confident we'll get the release. We know where we are. We'll do what we can. But there is nothing we can point to right now."

Huizinga would not say why the negotiations have gone more slowly than expected. There were indications the CBA insisted Yao's agreements in principle with the Sharks be put in writing.

Yao's co-representative Erick Zhang said the center had offered to commit to continue playing for the Chinese national team, and the Rockets have assured the CBA they would support Yao's plans to play for China in the Olympics, World Championships and Asian Games.

The Rockets have been in constant contact with the participants of the talks in Shanghai and Beijing. But with their part of the negotiations over, there is little else they can do but pay attention.

The negotiations were at such a sensitive stage the Rockets took the unusual step of skipping the customary pre-draft media briefing to avoid any comments that could affect talks in Beijing.

But the Rockets have been clear about their feelings for Yao. There is no doubt they believe in him. They have gone to Shanghai and back to get him.

The Rockets' Web site includes a large photograph of one player, Yao, and daily updates on the progress of the negotiations. There is a link to the NBA.com link to the Chinese translation of the draft coverage.

The Rockets will host a public draft party at Dave & Buster's on Richmond. The message "Remember the last time the Rockets picked No. 1" has become an advertising slogan in reference to the 1984 selection of Hakeem Olajuwon.

They have built every bit of momentum they could for tonight, generating interest they could not during the season. But rushing to the last hours before the draft, the Rockets don't know if there will be triumph or letdown.