China expects Yao Ming on national team
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-17 14:42

China expects Houston Rockets star Yao Ming to play for the national team in the Asian Championships in September, even though the All-Star planned to spend the summer resting.

Houston Rockets' Yao Ming, center, of China is fouled by Dallas Mavericks' Alan Henderson, right, as Mavericks' Jerry Stackhouse defends during the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series in Dallas, Saturday, May 7, 2005. Yao will head into his first NBA offseason without any obligations, a big change from the previous two summers when he returned home to play with China's national team. [AP]

Yao has divided his time between Houston and the Chinese national team since joining the NBA in 2002, keeping him playing almost year-round.

"As a member of the China national team, Yao Ming must come back to play for China, according to the contract," said Li Jinsheng, a spokesman for the China Basketball Association.

All other team members are in Beijing preparing for the Asian Championships in Qatar on Sept. 8-16, Li said.

"Yao Ming is expected to come to China soon and he will join the team for training in June after a short period of rest," Li said.

Yao said earlier this month that he hoped to take the summer off.

"I just want to relax," he said. "I don't want to do anything. I'm not too used to being relaxed."