9781422288009 Players & the Game Around the World

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B asketball ’ s I nternational S uperstars B y 2014, there were nearly a hundred foreign-born players in the NBA. They came from forty different countries. NBA teams also played games in the Philippines, Brazil, England, and Spain, while at the same time, its American games were tele- vised around the world to 750 million households in 212 countries. The NBA today is a global force. And it’s the players that help make it that way. YAO MING Yao Ming was born in Shanghai, China, in 1980. As a teenager, he played for the Shang- hai Sharks. At seven-feet-six inches, he was a born basketball player who soon drew the notice of the NBA. He played for China in the 2000 Olympics, and then, in 2002, the Houston Rockets drafted him as their first overall pick. Yao was truly a superstar. He was selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game eight times, and he was named to the All-NBA Team five times. He reached the NBA Playoffs four times. Thanks to his help, the Rockets won a first-round

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