BEIJING -- Yao Ming cut his eyebrow during a collision with
a player and is expected to miss several exhibition games against a
team of NBA stars visiting China.
China's basketball association on Friday denied reports by state
newspapers that the 7-foot-6 star of the Houston Rockets broke a
bone during practice with his country's national team.
"It's just a cut,'' said Xu Minfeng, an association spokesman.
"The bone was not broken.''
State newspapers on Wednesday quoted a doctor for the Chinese
team as saying the 22-year-old center sustained "some fractures''
in a bone above his left eye this week. The doctor said Yao would
need a week to recuperate.
News photos showed Yao with a bloodied bandage on his left
eyebrow after the collision Monday.
Yao is a member of the NBA All-Star team but was to play in this
exhibition for the Chinese squad. The first game is scheduled for
Wednesday night in the northeastern city of Qinhuangdao.
The association refused to give out telephone numbers for the
doctor, Du Wenliang, or the national team's captain.
Yao was the No. 1 draft pick last year and runner-up to
Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire for the NBA Rookie of the Year. He
averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds a game.