Chinese 'giant' leaves NBA scouts dreaming of next Ming dynasty

CHICAGO -- Yao Ming arrived in a black stretch limousine, a crowd of people waiting to catch a glimpse. A collective "ooh" went up when he walked into the gym, ducking his head so he wouldn't bump into the concrete doorway.

Inside, 65 NBA scouts, coaches and team officials were waiting, including Miami coach Pat Riley, New Jersey Nets general manager Rod Thorn and Washington Wizards assistant GM Rod Higgins. Another 200 people were up in the balcony, hanging over the railing to get a better look at the 7-foot-5 center from China.

It was not exactly a typical pre-draft workout Wednesday, but Yao is not a typical draft pick, either.

He is a once-in-a-generation player, a huge man with the skills of a smaller player, a giant with an air of mystery to him, a player who's been raved about since the 2000 Olympics but rarely seen outside of Asia.

"For a guy this size, he can shoot the ball. He has a wonderful feel for the game," said Jerry West, the Memphis Grizzlies new president of basketball operations. "This is not a kid without talent. He has talent."

Yao, who turns 22 in September, is widely viewed as the best player in China. Though the competition there isn't close to what he'll face in the NBA, he's seen as a franchise player who could be the top overall pick in the June 26 draft.

"Somebody with that kind of size and the basketball skills he has, are impressive," said former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo, who ran the workout at Loyola University's Alumni Gym.

"The things that struck me (as weaknesses) are easier things than the things you have to teach."