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From Mao To Yao: A New Game Plan For China In The Era Of Basketball Globalization, Dustin C. Lane

Washington International Law Journal

Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball superstar and the top pick in the 2002 NBA draft, became just the third player from China to play professionally in the United States. His departure, however, was met with reluctance by the Chinese basketball bureaucracy and came at a high price: he had to agree to remit more than half of his salary to Chinese government agencies and return to play for the Chinese National Team in certain competitions. While Yao's release demonstrates willingness by the Chinese government to participate in an increasingly globalized sports world, it also highlights the growing pains of a …