China's Sina.com reports Rockets will take Yao as their No.1 pick

http://sports.sina.com.cn/k/2002-06-21/21280816.shtml

Rockets will take Yao as their No.1 pick and Yao is expected to play all the matches of a full season

Houston Rockets attouney Micheal Goldberg finished talks in Beijing with China Basketball Association officials and returned to Houston. He said rockets will take Chinese player Yao Ming in the 2002 draft session with the first pick and the people from Yao's side expressed that Yao can play full season games including playoffs for rockets.

Presently the negotiation between Rockets and China is finished. Goldberg said Rockets are now waiting for the approval from FIBA. Presently CBA and Shanghai Sharks, the team which Yao Ming is presently representing are processing relevant procedures of Yao's transfer to Rockets. CBA and Sharks hope FIBA will give green light to Yao's playing in the NBA too.

Goldberg said, "The CBA and Sharks all understand we must get FIBA's approval in time before June 26 draft. Shanghai team will lose their No. 1 star they fostered so they need assurance to cover up the lost incurred by Yao's going to NBA."

Now Rockets have gentlemen's agreement with Shanghai Sharks and at the same time Yao Ming and his agent John Huizinga are respectively negotiating with Sharks on compensation. John Huizinga said, "We are doing all we can to help Yao Ming to enter NBA. All parties are concerned with their prospects and we are trying to find the solution that will be beneficial to all."

Rockets team doctor Walter Lowe and Goldberg have been to Beijing together and Walter Lowe conducted thorough medical examination on Yao Ming. The results show Yao Ming has no health problems that will influence him playing basketball. Lowe said he is very satisfied with the results of the examination. He said, "Yao Ming is a player who has a very unique height and he is very healthy and only has common injuries that all basketball players suffer. Before I was worrying about his health when I read reports about him in newspaper. But after I saw him in person I have no worries at all. The medical facilities in China are very advanced. I can conduct thorough medical examination for Yao Ming easily."
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No one doubts the physical body condition and potential of Yao Ming. That is why Rockets are exhausting all resources to negotiate with all relevant parties. Rockets want Yao Ming to attend all matches of a full season and that is a affirmative of Yao's present level of playing. Normally whether Yao Ming will be put on court during matches is not a concern of the team(Shanghai Sharks) but considering from Yao Ming's career and the future of Chinese basketball, the authorities include his playing time in NBA as a condition in negotiation and not just talking about so called compensation. This is a move that gets Chinese fans appreciation and is a responsible attitude for Chinese basketball.
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Telling from Rockets assurance that Yao Ming will play a full season, it is fixed that Yao Ming will become the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. The next season of NBA will witness a new star rising from Houston. (By Wei Lue)

This is a hasty translation from me. But I guess you can get the main point of this report.

 

I guess we can put aside the debate and start preparation to welcome Yao Ming to Houston.

Can't wait to see him dominate and hopefully eventually could offer a way of future basketball.