In news from the "duh" file, Rockets center Yao Ming is very doubtful to play in the Asian Championships this year per his teammate Liu Wei. The Chinese Basketball Association did place him on China's roster for the event, but that in no way guarantees anything.
"He will stay in Shanghai for a while and then go back to the States for an injury check. Nobody knows if he will be able to play until the results come out," Liu told China Daily while appearing at a clinic organized in Beijing by his sponsor, Nike, to instruct a media basketball team.
Who knows how healthy Yao would've been able to stay with a little less time working for China's national team, but that was a risk that the Rockets knew they had to take when they drafted him. It would be shocking if Yao were to play in this event given the relative prestige of it as compared to his last shot to save his NBA career.