WASHINGTON - The lessons, basketball and otherwise, are expected to come soon enough for Chinese center Yao Ming, but he may already have figured out what's important in today's NBA.
When asked what he knew about his new Houston Rockets teammates, Yao, the first overall choice in last night's draft, said he was up to date on Steve Francis, because he had spent a lot of time studying the television commercial of the former Maryland star that has been airing in China.
The selection of Yao, a 7-foot-5 post player with the Shanghai Sharks, was widely expected, though not certain until early yesterday morning, when Rockets officials finalized agreements with the Chinese government to allow Yao to play in the United States.
For his part, Yao seemed eager to try his hand in the most challenging basketball league in the world.
"This is where I make my new start in my basketball career," said Yao through an interpreter on TNT.
"There's a new league in front of me for me to play. There will be new challenges for me. I know there will be a lot of difficulties in front of me, but I am confident that I will learn from the NBA and improve myself and improve Chinese basketball in the future."
Said Houston general manager Carroll Dawson: "The whole franchise wanted this so badly. I just felt that it would all be worked out."
Yao's selection marked the continuation of a growing NBA trend toward international players.
Yao, the first foreign-born player to be chosen first, was one of three international players taken in the first seven picks, with 7-foot forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili going at No. 5 to the Denver Nuggets, and Nene Hilario, a 6-foot-11 forward from Brazil, going to the New York Knicks, who drafted seventh.
The choice of Hilario, unknown in most U.S. basketball circles, triggered a chant from "Fire Layden," referring to New York Knicks general manager Scott Layden, from the partisan New York crowd gathered at Madison Square Garden.
However, Hilario won't be around long enough for Knicks fans to boo, as the team packaged him - and veterans Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson - in a trade to the Nuggets for forward Antonio McDyess, the rights to former Illinois point guard Frank Williams, the 25th pick overall and a second-round pick next year. It was the biggest deal of the night.
Two other trades were announced, as the Philadelphia 76ers traded the rights to Czech guard Jiri Welsch, taken 16th overall, to Golden State for future considerations. Also, the Sacramento Kings shipped Gonzaga guard Dan Dickau to the Atlanta Hawks for a future first-round pick.
However, the Los Angeles Clippers' selections of former Maryland sophomore Chris Wilcox at No. 8 overall, and Fresno State forward Melvin Ely at No. 12, would appear to portend another deal, given the Clippers have an abundance of big players on their roster.
The top end of the draft went according to form, as the Chicago Bulls, selecting second, took Duke point guard Jay Williams, while his Blue Devils teammate, forward Mike Dunleavy, went third overall to the Warriors.
The Memphis Grizzlies, who had been rumored to be considering trading the fourth pick, instead kept it and took Kansas forward Drew Gooden.
Connecticut forward Caron Butler, who had been expected to go as high as fourth, instead slid to 10th, where he was taken by the Miami Heat, the first ever lottery selection by coach Pat Riley.
"I don't see why I slipped so far in the draft," said Butler. "But I slipped to a good team, and me and my agent and my mother and the rest of my family always said God would put you somewhere where he wants you to be. It's a good vacation trip for my family."
Only six college seniors were taken in the first round, and the first senior to be chosen, Ely, wasn't taken until the 12th overall pick, by the Clippers.
In addition to Williams, Dunleavy and Maryland's Juan Dixon, who was selected by the Washington Wizards at the 17th pick, four other former ACC players were selected in the draft, all in the second round.
Virginia guard Roger Mason was taken by the Bulls, who also took Maryland's Lonny Baxter. Wake Forest forward Darius Songaila was taken by the Boston Celtics, while Duke forward Carlos Boozer was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Forward Marcus Haislip of Tennessee went 13th to Milwaukee, guard Fred Jones of Oregon was picked by Indiana, the Rockets went the foreign route again with their second pick of the night by taking Slovenian forward Bostjan Nachbar.
After Borchardt and Humphrey, Toronto chose Missouri guard Kareem Rush, and Portland was able to select junior college standout Qyntel Woods, a projected lottery pick who dropped all the way to No. 21.
Casey Jacobsen of Stanford went to Phoenix, and Kentucky forward Tayshaun Prince went to Detroit at No. 23.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.