More on Yao...

This time from the washington Post.

Drafting Yao Is a Tall Order
NBA Teams Line Up For a Shot at China's 7-foot-5 Superstar

By Steve Wyche
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 1, 2002; Page D01



CHICAGO, April 30

There are concerns about the influence of the Chinese government, potentially sticky contract negotiations with bureaucrats a world away and what could be part-time availability for a full-time job. Even so, representatives from all of the NBA's 29 teams will be at a 45-minute workout Wednesday to see a player who could bridge those international barriers with a hook shot.

Yao Ming, the 7-foot-5 center who could be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft June 26, will go through his only individual workout for NBA representatives as well as the media. With the help offormer NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo, Yao will run through drills at Loyola University here.

Yao, 21, has dominated Chinese, Asian and some international competition and scouting reports praise his foul shooting, low-post moves and defensive presence while fretting over his plodding gait and questionable upper body strength. Some teams consider him a can't-miss star and compare him to former Indiana Pacers center Rik Smits.

But there are concerns about what could be difficult contract negotiations with several factions of the Chinese government, his club team, the Shanghai Sharks, and the Chinese Basketball Association, let alone his legal representatives. Various NBA officials said today that Chinese officials have not set any contract demands for Yao, but they say it's likely he might have to hand over nearly 80 percent of his salary -- half to the government in newly enacted taxes, the other share to local governments, the Shanghai Sharks and the Chinese Basketball Association. Yao would earn more than $12 million over three years if he is drafted first overall.

"There could be several layers of permission. It could be a prolonged situation," said an Eastern Conference general manager who, like all the NBA officials interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity. "This is unprecedented territory."

It also is possible Yao won't be allowed to play a full season or work with his NBA team in the offseason because of commitments to the Chinese national team. Dallas Mavericks forward Wang Zhizhi became the first Chinese player in the NBA two years ago but he was not allowed to join the Mavericks until the season was well underway because of national team commitments. Mengke Bateer, who plays with the Chinese national team, played 27 games for the Denver Nuggets this season.

"You might have to make accommodations for his absences for national team play," said the Eastern Conference general manager. "You might not get your hands on him all summer because of the world championships. There are times when the international schedule is different from the NBA, so he could be playing overseas through December."

Yao probably won't be able to work with the NBA team that drafts him this summer because he will be training with the Chinese national team for the world championships, which will be held in Indianapolis beginning in late August.

"There is a risk if you draft him," another Eastern Conference general manager said. "At some point, though, if you really like the player, you take him, take the risk and do what you have to do to work things out."

Speculation among some NBA team officials is that Chinese officials will determine their contract demands once they know which team drafts Yao, who averaged 32.4 points and 19 rebounds and shot 72 percent, led the Sharks to the Chinese Basketball Association championships.

League sources said Chinese officials would prefer that Yao join a team in a large metropolitan area with a substantial Asian population, like San Francisco (Golden State Warriors), New York, Chicago or Washington, D.C. Those wishes might not mean much to center-starved teams like the Memphis Grizzlies or Milwaukee Bucks, though.

The draft lottery on May 19 in New York will determine the selection order for the top 13 teams. Golden State and Chicago have the best chances to get the top selection. Washington has a 7-in-1,000 chance. If the Wizards fail to land in the top three, they will have the 11th pick. They also have two second-round choices. Wizards General Manager Wes Unseld and Director of Player Personnel Fred Whitfield will be among a handful of team officials at Yao's workout. Assistant General Manager Rod Higgins has been to China to scout Yao.

"There are a number of issues you might have to deal with but nobody knows until they get into position to draft [Yao]," an Eastern Conference general manager said.

Despite concerns about contract negotiations, teams won't shy away like they did from Phoenix center Jake Tsakalidis, who was a projected top 10 pick in the 2000 draft but fell to the Suns at No. 25 because of contract disputes with his team in Greece.

Yao has far more potential, several general managers said.

"By his size alone, he has the potential to be a guy that can affect the game," an NBA team official who has scouted Yao overseas said. "Is he going to be like a Manute Bol or Dikembe Mutombo or in between, like a Mark Eaton? I don't know. It's hard to assess because of the talent level he's been playing against.

"I will say this -- if you popped him over in Lawrence, Kan., or any other college and put some decent talent around him he would have been a very significant college player."