SI has BIG article on Ming and he made the FrankenShaq list

In current issue of SI, (NBA Pre-view). There is a big article on Ming. Sorry don't have a scanner.

More interestingly, there is a FrankenShaq list where SI is having fun making a monster out of all the body parts of the BEST players in order to stop Shaq. Yao Ming is on the list, guest which body part? HIS BUTT.

I don't see it as a slight but the very fact that he's mentioned is an indication that Ming is already accepted into the inner circle of the great players and he's a rookie.

Also of note from SI article, Ming can play pretty rough and tough.

"During China's exhibiton loss to Canada, he broke the wrist of forward Andew Kwiatkowski during a rebounding skirmish. Then, with a wave of his long fingers, he dared 6'7" guard Prosper Karangwa to attack the basket during a two-on-one break-whereupon Yao hip checked Karangwa a good 10 feet, bruising the Canadian's ribs so badly that he required a flak jacket throughout the worlds. Make no mistake, Yao is not a gentle giant."