China Approves Center for Draft

Yao Ming, a 7-foot-5 center from China, has been cleared to enter the NBA draft.

His current club, the Shanghai Sharks, made the announcement after Yao helped it win its first Chinese Basketball Assn. championship Friday.

Yao has been projected as an NBA lottery pick, possibly No. 1 overall.

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There’s a chance David Robinson can play today in Game 2 of San Antonio’s first-round series against the Seattle SuperSonics, but the Spurs are shaping a game plan that doesn’t depend on the 7-foot-1 center.

In Saturday’s series opener, Robinson left after only seven minutes when his sore back tightened up. Malik Rose replaced him in a lopsided victory.

Spur Coach Gregg Popovich said Robinson’s status would be a game-time decision.

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Far removed from the spotlight of the NBA, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made his professional head coaching debut Sunday night Dodge City, Kan.

“No jitters, no jitters at all,” said Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career scoring leader and an 18-time All-Star who received a standing ovation before his Oklahoma Storm lost, 98-97, to the Dodge City Legend in a United States Basketball League game.

With the 2,300-seat Dodge City Civic Center sold out, fans lined up hours for standing-room-only tickets. The announced attendance was 2,659, breaking the previous Civic Center basketball record of 2,514.