Yao Vs. Yi Duel Reinforces NBA's Global Brand

Yao Ming is enormous both of stature and newsworthiness, especially so upon his home continent, Asia, and in his homeland, China. Throw him up against another Chinese giant, Milwaukee rookie forward Yi Jianlian, and the entertainment value rockets incrementally.

Friday's first NBA regular season meeting of Yao and Yi, in Houston, drew the sort of diplomatic delegations and foreign media coverage usually afforded visiting heads of state. If that were to have been the case, though, the television viewership back home would hardly have matched this one for numbers or hoop-la.

Estimates of such ratings are notoriously hit-and-miss. But the TV types were still saying that the Rockets-Bucks game attracted some 200 million viewers in China, a staggering number when one considers that last Sunday's much-hyped New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL telecast drew an audience of "only" 34 million.

How many of those 200 mil' could find Milwaukee on a map if you spotted them the American Midwest, let alone Wisconsin, is debatable. But the presence of two such stars – the vet outplayed the rook in a 104-88 Houston victory but still said "he may be better than me" – certainly entrenches the NBA on the global map, well ahead of the other North American leagues that appear increasingly committed to extending their brands' reach.

Much, much more is to come from Yao and Yi, especially with the Beijing Olympics looming. Having just returned from a few days in Hong Kong, your correspondent can attest to the buzz growing in that part of the world about the Games and about the NBA.

source : thestar.com