Chron: Agent Says Deal Is Near

<i>Talks on Yao positive

Representative thinks deal near
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

The negotiations promised to be the most decisive, the hurdle the most important to cross. But Erick Zhang, Yao Ming's cousin and representative, said Friday he expected to leave his next talks with the Shanghai Sharks one major step closer to making Yao available to the Rockets.

Zhang, in a telephone interview from Shanghai before his negotiations with Sharks representatives, said the sides had grown close enough for him to expect an accord on compensation that Yao will send his former club.

A deal is necessary for Yao to be made available to play next season in the NBA.

"I am confident an agreement can be reached today," Zhang said Friday night (this morning, Shanghai time). "I'm not nervous at all. Everybody supports Yao Ming going to the NBA for obvious reasons.

"Yao is a great ambassador for China, for Chinese basketball and for Shanghai, and I think Yao Ming's going to the NBA is beyond basketball. I'm confident that everyone will see it is to everyone's benefit."

Zhang said that through his talks with Sharks officials, it has become clear the organization shares that sentiment.

The compensation the Sharks would receive is the only remaining issue with the Sharks, Zhang said. Yao's representatives are also negotiating with the China Basketball Association; those talks are not expected to be as difficult to bring to agreement.

"CBA will give us a replay to our proposal by Monday (in Beijing) so I hope agreement can be reached with CBA quickly and I'm confident it can be reached before the draft.

"It is strictly financial with the Shanghai Sharks. CBA has other concerns. Let's put it that way: Financial might be part of it with CBA as well. But CBA has other concerns."

Agreements with the Sharks and the CBA are considered the remaining hurdles toward a recommendation to Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) that Yao receive the letter of clearance needed to play next season in the NBA.

There are no negotiations needed with FIBA, and receiving the letter from FIBA would by then be considered a formality.

Zhang would not discuss any details of his proposals with the Sharks or CBA, or describe the "other concerns" of the CBA. Rockets officials have assured CBA officials that they would support Yao's commitment to play for the Chinese national team in the Olympics, World Championships and Asia Games.

The talks with the Sharks are believed to be about whether they would receive a percentage of Yao's income and what the percentage would be, or whether they would receive an agreed upon lump sum.

Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, the player taken with the first pick of the draft on Wednesday is slotted to earn $3,215,200 next season, although teams are permitted to add as much as 20 percent to the scheduled salaries.

"We're touched by Houston's support of Yao Ming in all of this," Zhang said. "I think we're just as excited as everybody else about having Yao Ming play in Houston. We think this is a great opportunity, a great place for him and a great place for China for Yao Ming to play.

"It's something that's definitely new for everybody involved. China has never produced a basketball talent the caliber of Yao Ming ever before. We're very excited. And we've been very, very cautious and very, very careful in every decision we make."

That approach has worked well.

But there was a scare on Friday when the expected official word that Yao would not attend the draft in New York was erroneously interpreted as a threat to Yao's availability to be drafted.

The statement released by the official Zinhua News Agency reported:

"We recently received an invitation from the NBA for Yao Ming to join the NBA Draft.

"As Yao is now in training for the upcoming games against Italy, Australia and Yugoslavia ... and also in training for the World Championship in August and Asian Games in October, this is a critical moment in his training.

"After discussions with the China national team, we have decided that Yao will not go to the U.S. for the NBA Draft. We have already expressed our apology to the NBA and hope that they would understand our situation. Whether Yao is present at the NBA Draft or not, it will not affect his future in the NBA."

Rockets and NBA officials have not expected Yao to attend the draft, and were not surprised by Friday's announcement.

"When I had lunch with commissioner Xin (Lancheng, the executive vice president and secretary general of the CBA), he told me he thought it would be very difficult to have him come to New York for the draft because of the conflicts," Rockets general counsel Michael Goldberg said.

"There is no question however and he made it absolutely clear that this does not affect the draft and Yao Ming should be available for the draft.

"The reports I've gotten from China are the meetings are going great. They expect to have things worked out." </i>