Shi spent his lunch hours voting for local hero Yao Ming to be a starter in the NBA All-Star game.

Since NBA allows only one vote from a computer each day, he used every computer in the office to log onto the NBA Website and cast votes for the 2.26-meter rookie center with the Houston Rockets.

"I voted at least 30 times for Yao in the past week, he is a model Shanghai man I shall support," said Shi, a 29-year-old insurance company employee. "He is a good player. Moreover, he has a noble personality."

This is the first time that the balloting is available in Mandarin.

Backed by his loyal fans in Shanghai and all across the world's most populous country, Yao topped all NBA centers with 814,393 online votes as of last Saturday. Sunday was the deadline for the online voting, but the final outcome is still under processing. With a clear lead in the paper balloting, which is available only in the United States, Yao's starting position in next month's exhibition game seems unshakable, despite being up against Shaquille O'Neal. Only four rookie centers have started an NBA All-Star game since 1951, including Wilt Chamberlain and O'Neal.

Yao's supporters have launched a strong campaign to see his start, sending e-mails, making phone calls and putting messages on Internet chat rooms calling for others to "vote for Yao."

"I know Yao might not be the best center in the NBA, but the All-Star game is about voting for your favorite player. Yao is the unquestionable answer," said Jiang Jun, a telecom equipment engineer. ?I also made my wife, who is totally ignorant about basketball, to vote for him."

While Yao looks to have beaten out Shaq in voting, he still has to face him on the court, a much anticipated match-up that takes place on Friday night in Houston.

Shaq added an extra reason to watch the game during a recent interview when he said: "Tell Yao Ming 'ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh.'" A columnist in Houston for Asianweek has called O'Neal out for the racist comments, but Shaq claims it was just a joke.

Not all local fans are voting for Yao.

"Yao is not the best center in the NBA yet. I persuaded many of my friends not to vote for him," said Chen Xiao, 24.

"If he starts in the All-Star game and because of his limited ability he plays poorly, he will be blamed by foreign media, who will say he earned the position only because of home supporters, not for his ability, ?hen added. ?This is not good for him at all."

(eastday.com January 15, 2003)