Isports ATBP.

May 5 was not the usual Sunday for me for I have to attend a 7 a.m. press conference some 30 or so kilometers away from my bed. It was an unusual press conference since most event organizers hold it either at 9 a.m. (the earliest) to 7 p.m. Waking up early was worth it, since S unday's presser was intended for a big, rather huge sports celebrity: China's Gentle Giant Yao Ming. Holding the presser/event/breakfast with the former NBA Star at Solaire Resort was the right decision since Yao's 7-foot-6 frame can move freely in the spacious  Grand Ballroom. Yao, a former member of China's dreaded Walking Great Wall (along with fellow ex-NBA cagers Mengke Bateer and Wang Zhizhi), is in Manila as part of the Philippines-China Basketball Friendship Games. The former Houston Rocket, arguably China's biggest (no pun intended) sports import, brought with him the Shanghai Sharks — the 2001-2002 Chinese Basketball Association champion and perennial title contender in...