Yao says national team obligation his duty
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-10-17 10:57

Despite his tighter and tighter schedule, NBA star center Yao Ming considered national team obligation his duty.

"For me, to play (or not to play) for the national team is not something to choose," Yao said when asked whether, in the future, he would pull out of some games of the Chinese national basketball team due to fatigue.

The 2.26-meter Yao, who came back to his homeland to play the NBA's first China games with the Houston Rockets, has just got through a busy summer.

Following his first trip to the NBA play-offs, which ended on April 28 as the Houston Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 in the first-round of the Western Conference, Yao joined the national team in late June and led China to an eighth finish at the Athens Games in August.

After the Olympics, he had a brief vacation of just three weeks in his hometown Shanghai before joining the Rockets in the United States to prepare for his third NBA season.

"These China games are not ordinary pre-season games, they are very important for me, for Chinese fans and for our team," Yao said before Saturday's training.

Arriving at Shanghai on Tuesday, Yao invited his Rockets teammates to dinner, went to his primary school for the NBA's " Read to Achieve" event, attended a promotional event of Reebok before leading the Rockets over the Kings 88-86 Thursday evening in the first NBA pre-season game played in China.

The two teams moved to Beijing right after the match for their second showdown scheduled for Beijing on Sunday.

"I did have a very tight schedule in Shanghai, I almost 'worked ' in every minute during those few days," Yao said. "Yesterday I took a very good rest, now I am fresh for the training and social activities," Yao added.

To play in the Chinese capital for the first time since joining the Rockets in 2002 as the No. 1 draft pick, Yao found Beijing out of his expectation.

"I have never come to Beijing at this season, it's a lit colder than I expected," he said. "But the fans are very enthusiastic and that made me feel warmer."