NBA sign up to help Beijing venue legacy

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has signed a multi-year deal to help ensure the use of the basketball venue after the 2008 Olympics. Basketball is likely to be one of the biggest drawcards of next year's Games with China's many millions of...

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has signed a multi-year deal to help ensure the use of the basketball venue after the 2008 Olympics.

Basketball is likely to be one of the biggest drawcards of next year's Games with China's many millions of NBA fans hoping that Houston Rockets centre Yao Ming can inspire the national team to victory at the 18,000-seater Wukesong Indoor Arena.

FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann welcomed the news that the organising committee was already taking steps to ensure the use of the venue after the Games.

"The venue we used at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the Hellenikon, is currently an empty hangar and is not being used any more for basketball," he said.

The NBA also signed an agreement to provide an appropriate atmosphere during the basketball competition at the Games, as they did three years ago in Athens.

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