As China's Yao Ming appears as the Houston Rocket's center on NBA courts, the huge basketball market is displayed behind him. With the success of the two inaugural NBA China Games, China's basketball business has attracted more and more commercial interest.

The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), China's highest-level senior basketball league, has stepped into its tenth year and significantly raised the level of its competition.

Now, it is the turn of the youth.

Organized by the High School Students Sports Association of the Ministry of Education, the China High School Basketball League (CHBL), which serves as China's basic students' basketball league, won sponsorship from sports giant Nike from its first season in 2003. Nike's promotion has boosted interest among students.

American basketball legend Michael Jordan's appearance at the championship game and the award ceremony of the 2004 season amplified the enthusiasm.

"I was very glad to take the championship from Jordan," said Li Yuzhang, the captain of last season's champions, the Shenyang No 31 Middle School. "I was very excited to get so close to him, and it will stimulate me in the future."

The CHBL has now had three seasons. In the latest, ongoing one, 130 teams from 16 mainland provinces and cities and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will fight it out for the championship.

University basketball is where future stars could come from.

As well as CUBA the (Chinese University Basketball Association), which started in 1998, a brand-new basketball league, the Chinese Collegiate Basketball League (CCBL), set out this year.

This allows young professional players to participate if they are registered students of universities.

The CCBL has attracted a lot of interest from China's top sports company, the Beijing Li-Ning Sports Goods Company, which signed a four-year contract for providing sportswear and facilities with the league.

"We approve of the way players are trained through their university education," said Li-Ning CEO Zhang Zhiyong. "The league will be sure to benefit a lot from China's professional basketball players and will send more and more skillful and educational players to enrich the national team."

Under the contract, Li-Ning has and will provide different sports equipment for all 16 teams, which makes history in sponsoring an amateur league in China.

"One of the main tasks of the CCBL is to send qualified players to the World University Games," said CCBL deputy Secretary General Lu Hao. "The competitive level of CCBL will be at the top of the university basketball league."

(China Daily December 25, 2004)