re: Does Yao Ming deserve HOF

quote:

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Mr. Silver said that N.B.A. China, which had $150 million in revenue in 2012, enjoyed growth “greater than 10 percent” last year, and that he expected double-digit growth for the foreseeable future. While revenue in China is a small fraction of the overall business — the league will generate more than $5.5 billion in global revenue this season — Mr. Silver said the N.B.A. would eventually be bigger internationally than domestically, and Asia was the key factor.

...Last month in China, the league began the N.B.A. Yao School, an after-school program named after the former basketball star Yao Ming that aims to teach basketball and life skills to children.

...Another Houston Rockets guard, James Harden, said there was “no doubt” that playing for the Rockets — Mr. Yao’s former team — had helped him and his teammates secure business deals in Asia. The ZTE Corporation, the Chinese smartphone maker, signed the Houston Rockets to a sponsorship deal last October.

“Yao really paved the way and opened the doors for all of us,” Mr. Harden said.

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