When Yao Ming takes the court against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center this afternoon, he likely will come face to face with the person who knows him better than anyone in the NBA -- Wang Zhizhi, his former teammate on the Chinese national team and opponent in the China Basketball Association. Millions, perhaps even a billion, are expected to follow the game in China, where both players honed their basketball skills. But ask Yao about the significance of the two Chinese players competing against each other in the NBA, and the Rockets center gives only a typically humbling response. "What's the big deal?" Yao said. "Two Chinese basketball players have already played against each other, Wang and (Mengke Bateer). "What's the difference? It's still two Chinese people." Well ... not exactly. Yao and Wang, competing on the same NBA court, represent what should be a joyous occasion for the CBA. China's top basketball league has placed three players in the NBA in the past four years, beginning with Wang, who was drafted in 1999. San Antonio's Bateer joined him last season, and Yao was this year's heralded No. 1 overall pick. The trio formed a potent, not to mention extremely tall, frontcourt for the national team. With Yao (7-5) anchoring the middle and Wang (7-1) and Bateer (6-11) at the forward spots, China had hopes of winning a medal during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Yet any celebrations over the advancement of Chinese basketball were tempered by Wang's actions this summer, when he refused to return to China and join Yao and the national team in preparation for the World Championships in Indianapolis -- as agreed on in the contract between the Dallas Mavericks, Wang's former team, and the CBA. Wang instead left the Mavericks, headed to California and latched on to the Golden State Warriors' summer league squad. He cited a desire to improve his basketball skills, which he said would in turn help the national team, and enhance his free-agent status. "I'm a basketball player," Wang said in July. "I just want to get better. It's that simple." So Wang stayed in the United States, played for the Warriors, and was subsequently kicked off the national team by CBA officials. Wang, once a shining example of all the good things about Chinese basketball, was now a lesson in what not to do. A lesson in what could happen if you defied the CBA. Wang's future with the Chinese league remains murky, as does his status with his new team, the Clippers. Wang, 25, signed with Los Angeles on Oct. 18 with hopes of showcasing his inside and outside game -- his style of play in China. But he has found himself on the bench behind Michael Olowokandi, the No. 1 pick in 1998, and backup Sean Rooks. Wang has played in only five games, averaging 4.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.6 minutes. But Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said the initial struggles are understandable. "There are very few guys that can just step in and play," said Tomjanovich, who coached against Wang at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. "He's going to find his niche, but we all have to go through that. He's only been here a little while, and it takes time. The smart players will find a way to be successful. "He's a talented player -- everybody was interested in him. I was telling guys that (Wang) is an amazing player, almost a Toni Kukoc, but he's gotten even bigger. He was a little thinner back then. I said he can handle the ball, dribble the ball, and he's 7 feet tall. "Then I said, `Guess what. There's another guy, a younger guy, that's even bigger than him.' " Tomjanovich was referring to Yao, the younger of China's twin towers. And while Wang's defiance of the CBA made the Rockets' dealings with the league stickier, Tomjanovich believes that today's game should indeed be a source of pride for Chinese basketball. "You have two great Asian players. I'm sure everybody over there would love to see that," he said. "The inspiration that those guys are going to give young kids, it starts to seed and grow." Just as his 7-5 center's game continues to soar. For all the talk about China and Wang, Yao said he is looking forward to playing against his former teammate. And when reminded of all the knowledge Wang possesses about his game -- his favorite moves and comfort zones -- Yao shudders and smiles. "Don't tell the Clippers that," he said.
