HoopsHype.com Rumors

Yao Ming, the former Houston Rockets superstar, believes a Filipino will someday make it to the National Basketball Association. Yao, who arrived Saturday night, said with China and other countries in Asia able to produce NBA players, it's only a matter of time before the Philippines can also make a splash into the NBA scene. "There are Iran players [in the NBA] and I believe there will be a Filipino in the NBA in the future," Yao, who said through interpreter Guo Weisheng during the Philippines-China Friendship Games presser held at the Solaire Resort & Casino in Paranaque City Sunday morning. Yahoo! Sports Philippines

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, Philippines 

More on the birth of Baby Yao Ming, a male Masai giraffe, from the Houston Zoo's official blog: Mom Neema delivered the healthy male calf at approximately 7:10 a.m. on Monday February 25 at the McGovern Giraffe Exhibit following a 14 month pregnancy. “The calf weighs 62 kilos, about 139 pounds and stands 74 inches tall,” said Houston Zoo Hoofed Stock Supervisor John Register. Neema is five and a half years old. The proud father, Mtembei is 6 years old. Yahoo! Sports

Yao Ming 

Are there normal days for you? Yao Ming: Sort of. I can't hide my size, anyway. That's one of those things I can't change (in my) lifetime. So it's always hard for me to walk on streets and not be recognized. But I'm kind of used to it. NBA.com

Yao Ming 

Yao was born in 1980 to parents who both played professional basketball, but he said he was never pressured to play. He began playing basketball at the age of nine because he was drawn to the sport. Of all the things Yao is involved in now, he said it is his family that is most important to him. "I have a daughter. Everything takes a back seat to my family," he said. "My wife runs the house." He said he's glad to have Houston and Shanghai as home bases. "When I am in Houston, I miss Shanghai. When I'm in Shanghai, I miss Houston," he said. China Daily

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, Houston, Shanghai 

Mark Berman: Yao Ming says he'll join Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler & Dikembe Mutombo n judging the Slam Dunk Contest. Yao says he'll bring down avg age Twitter @MarkBermanFox26

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, Clyde Drexler, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, All-Star 

The Houston Rockets could retire Yao Ming's jersey the first home game after the All Star Game. 361 Sport

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, All Star Game 

Yao Ming may be one of the judges in the All Star Slam Dunk contest. 361 Sport

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, All Star Game 

Mo Yan, the 2012 Nobel Laureate in Literature, and Yao Ming, a former NBA star with the Houston Rockets, have been listed among China's national political advisors. The Standing Committee of the 11th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, China's top political advisory body, adopted a member list for the 12th CPPCC National Committee on Friday. philstar.com

Yao Ming, China 

Yao has formed a relationship with Lin — though he said he tries not to bother him during the season — and believes the 23-year-old guard who spawned Linsanity last season with the New York Knicks is in the perfect environment to develop in Houston. “I was there, first 10 games, didn’t play well and they continued to encourage me and they tried to help me to fit into the NBA, instead of trying to judge me a good or bad player. I remember that,” Yao said of his time with the Rockets. “Jeremy, of course, people expect that he repeat what he did in New York last year. Under that circumstance, he still consistently helps the team and I’m very impressed with what he did.” Washington Post

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin 

“Gilbert is a very nice person. You know they have a word for people, they say, ‘workaholic.’ He’s probably like a ‘playholic.’ He loves to play basketball,” Yao said. “Only thing in his mind is basketball. He plays the game and practice all day long. Unfortunately, he has some injury problem. The few games he played, he showed what it means to be an all-star. Even though he is a former all-star, he’s still at a different level.” Washington Post

Yao Ming, Gilbert Arenas 

But if the presence of so many marquee names on CBA courts has given the league an immediate boost, it’s not necessarily a good thing for Chinese basketball as a whole. Or so says China’s biggest homegrown basketball star. “We need to do something to help local basketball grow. You can’t always rely on the foreign basketball players to come and help with your marketing and all that,” retired eight-time NBA All-Star Yao Ming told China Real Time in a recent interview. “You need to have local people come in and have a deep impact, to make that link, that connection between the players and the fans.” China Real Time has more. Wall Street Journal

Yao Ming, China 

Former Rockets center Yao Ming these days will spend more time at the games of his Shanghai Sharks than at Toyota Center, but his uniform number will likely make its way to the arena rafters. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, speaking after Tuesday’s unveiling of the All-Star ballot, said he expects to retire Yao’s No. 11. “Sometime probably, yes,” Alexander said. Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, China, Leslie Alexander, Shanghai Sharks 

Former NBA superstar and budding winemaker Yao Ming, whose eponymous Napa Valley wine label made its debut in China at the beginning of this year, is set to take on the US market. According to the drinks business, the basketballer’s Yao Family Wines plans to distribute a limited supply of its Yao Ming 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Yao Ming 2009 Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon to “select wine shops and restaurants across the US.” Though Yao is better known in the US for rebounds rather than reds, don’t expect his wines to come cheap; his Napa Valley cab is expected to retail at US $170, while his Family Reserve comes with a hefty $625 price tag. Sourced from six Napa Valley vineyards, Yao’s wines are aged in new French oak barrels, for two years in the case of his Family Reserve Cabernet. Labels feature an illustration of the Napa Valley, as well as a traditional red chop depiction of Yao’s surname. Yao’s foray into the US wine market will be handled by distributor Regal Wine Company and a handful of wholesalers outside of California. Jing Daily

Yao Ming, China 

Marc Stein: Strong rumbles from China that this is the week Gilbert Arenas finally makes it official that he's signing w/Yao Ming-owned Shanghai Sharks Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Free Agency, Yao Ming, Gilbert Arenas, China, Shanghai Sharks 

Daryl Morey: Would be awesome 2have @yaoming back but no chance RT @GoU_NU878 Any chance we see Yao make a comeback and play with @JLin7 and @JHarden13 Twitter @dmorey

Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Yao Ming, Daryl Morey 

Marc Stein: Interesting rumble out of China: Gilbert Arenas, yet to finalize his deal w/Guangdong, now auditioning for Yao Ming-owned Shanghai Sharks Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Free Agency, Yao Ming, Gilbert Arenas, China, Shanghai Sharks 

Marc Stein: Arenas came to verbal terms w/Guangdong in mid-October but not yet signed. Gil finally arrived in China last week & now seen in Shanghai gym Twitter @ESPNSteinLine

Free Agency, Yao Ming, Gilbert Arenas, China, Shanghai Sharks 

This is video of former NBA star Yao Ming, enjoying his retirement, playing a little golf. Here, the 7-foot-6 Ming is trying to chip onto the green in the Mission Hills Celebrity Pro-Am in Haikou, China. No, he doesn’t look like he’ll be playing on the Champions Tour anytime soon, but it does make some of us feel good about our golf game. ESPN 1420

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming 

You might think his race has something to do with those perceived limitations after turning pro; Lin certainly does: "If I can be honest, yes. It's not even close to the only reason, but it was definitely part of the reason." And it didn't end with Linsanity. "There's a lot of perceptions and stereotypes of Asian-Americans that are out there today, and the fact that I'm Asian-American makes it harder to believe, even crazier, more unexpected," he says. "I'm going to have to play well for a longer period of time for certain people to believe it, because I'm Asian. And that's just the reality of it." It's not all that dissimilar from what Yao Ming went through. "When Yao came out his rookie year as the first pick of the Draft, you have Charles Barkley saying, 'If he scores seventeen points in a game, I'm going to kiss a donkey's butt,' " Lin says. "If you do it for long enough, I think you would get the respect." GQ.com

Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Yao Ming, Charles Barkley, Jeremy Lin 

Daryl Morey: (Yao is) a great person which people always say but actually true in this case. I think the quality he has as a person that many don't know about is that he is extremely funny. He was by far the funniest person in the locker room. Most jokes I cannot print there is one time I remember I can talk about. During the pre-season required drug testing, all the players were lined up to pee in a cup and Yao Ming looking to all of them and said, "why am I the only one not nervous"? reddit

Houston Rockets, Yao Ming, Daryl Morey