Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, 2.28m Houston Rockets center, plays during the match against Serbia at the Stankovic Cup basketball Olympic warmup tournament in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, July, 17, 2008. Yao's health for the Beijing Olympics has been of great concern to organizers since he suffered a stress fracture to his left foot in February, ending his NBA season.

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming smiles during the match against Serbia at the Stankovic Cup basketball Olympic warmup tournament in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, July, 17, 2008.

China's Yao Ming drives the ball during the game against Serbia at the Stankovic Cup basketball Olympic warmup tournament in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, July, 17, 2008.

NBA star and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming warms up last night before playing his first game in almost five months after a foot surgery. He helped China beat Serbia 96-72 at the Stankovic Continental Cup in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Yao scored 11 points in 12 minutes.

(Xinhua News Agency / China Daily July 18, 2008)