SINGAPORE – Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming is set to be in Singapore for a three-day stopover at the end of the month, to oversee his team Shanghai Sharks at the Merlion Cup tournament (Sept 21-25).

The Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) told TODAY that the former Houston Rockets centre has accepted the association’s invitation to attend the tournament. Yao will arrive in Singapore on Sept 20, and will leave a couple of days later.

“We are definitely honoured to have a NBA legend to join us at the OCBC Arena for the tournament,” said BAS honorary-secretary Ong Swee Teck. “Yao Ming confirmed his attendance with us just last week. He will definitely add star power to the tournament.

“While we hope to arrange some coaching clinics and other programmes with him during his stay here, we respect that his priority in Singapore is to observe and lead the Shanghai Sharks in the tournament.”

Yao, 35, is scheduled to visit the Singapore national basketball team and national sports body SportSG during his time here. The NBA Hall of Famer may also join the Shanghai Sharks in visiting a local school for a coaching clinic.

The 2.29m-tall Yao is an eight-time NBA All-Star. In eight seasons with the Rockets, Yao ranks sixth among franchise leaders in total points and total rebounds, and second in total blocks, before his retirement in July 2011 due to a series of foot and ankle injuries.

News of Yao’s visit to Singapore has set the local basketball community abuzz.

“The talk that Yao Ming is coming down is fantastic and excites me and all the players,” said Michael Johnson, co-owner of local outfit Singapore Slingers.

“We played the Shanghai Sharks in 2012. We held our own then, and lost to them by just nine points (49-40).

“It was a great learning experience for the Slingers, and just being in the same environment with them and Yao Ming then really got us excited as well.”

The Singapore Slingers, last season’s runner-ups in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), will play the Sharks at the Merlion Cup on Sept 21.

The other teams in the six-team tournament are two-time Korean Basketball League champions Seoul Samsung Thunders, Philippines outfit Mighty Sports, Taiwan’s Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor and the Malaysia Dragons.

Boosted by the return of American imports and last season’s ABL stars, Xavier Alexander and Justin Howard, the Singapore Slingers are relishing their chances against the world-class teams.

Johnson, who is also the Slingers’ assistant coach, also revealed that they will be giving trials to three new players for next season’s ABL.

This includes two-time PCBL (Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League) most valuable player, Jeff Viernes. Training camp for the Singapore Slingers will begin in two weeks.

“We have gained quite a fair bit of international experience over the last four years,” said Johnson. “We have good quality players on our side, and I think we will be able to execute our play even with the bigger-sized, and taller players at the Merlion Cup.”

Singapore Slingers forward Ng Han Bin added that the prospect of being the tournament’s whipping boys is the last thing on the players’ minds.

“More than anything, playing in the Merlion Cup will be a good learning experience for us, as it is not often we get to face such quality teams on home ground,” he said. “The aim is always to grow basketball in Singapore.”