NBA to help out in Sichuan

The NBA will emphasis its focus on stricken areas of earthquake in Sichuan province in the lead up to this fall's China Games. the Former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming and Los Angeles Clippers forward Caron Butler will lead campus activities and clinics on the weekend before the sixth edition of the league's tour of China.

Yao, who transformed his focus to charity after retiring last year, he will join Bulter on Saturday in Leshan to attend the final of the Yao Foundation Hope Primary School basketball season. The season, launched in April, was a charity party by Yao's foundation. It included 47 schools across Sichuan and was supported by NBA Cares. The party focused on youth development and giving back to the community through basketball, with a goal of providing underprivileged children a chance to learn about the game and sportsmanship.

Yao and NBA China plan to work with sports authorities to make a training program high school coaches; a basketball training center in Shanghai for both amateur and professional players of a wide range of ages, and an annual basketball camp that will focus on developing elite young players. "The game of basketball has been so interested to me, and while I have left the court, I will never leave the play," Yao said. "I want to work with the NBA to give more young people the opportunity to play basketball at an elite level and help more people in need." "Yao is in a truly unique position to help grow the game of basketball in China and we welcome him as an advisor to NBA China and this partnership will strengthen our on-going collaboration with the CBA to enhance the development of youth basketball in China," said David Shoemaker, the NBA China CEO.