Former NBA player YAO MING and NBA China announced a partnership to further basketball participation, develop youth basketball, promote cultural exchange and conduct social responsibility programs in China. Yao will collaborate with the league to launch basketball and social development programs for Chinese youth through NBA Cares and the Yao Foundation for communities in need (CHINA DAILY, 7/16). ... The NBA's Miami Heat, led by LEBRON JAMES, will play the L.A. Clippers, led by BLAKE GRIFFIN, in two pre-season games in China in October. The teams will face off Oct. 11 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing and Oct. 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai. It will mark the sixth annual China Games, and the first time the defending NBA champions will participate in the event (NBA). ... Real Madrid's CRISTIANO RONALDO renewed a multimillion-baht contract to represent Toyota Hilux Vigo Champ as its brand ambassador. Over 300 journalists "descended on the Plaza Athinee Hotel with hopes of talking" to the Real Madrid player. He made a brief appearance to sign the contract, "believed to be worth between 3M baht ($950,000) and 5M baht ($1.5M)." He gave a Portugal national team jersey to a Thai junior player and "shared some thoughts on how local youngsters could fulfill their soccer ambitions." Ronaldo was scheduled to shoot a promotional video with Toyota in the afternoon (NATIONMULTIMEDIA.com, 7/17). ... Former National Rugby League player CRAIG FIELD has been charged with murder after a "man he allegedly assaulted" on the NSW north coast died (SMH, 7/16).
