Arguably the best center in the NBA today … Has increased his scoring average in each of his five NBA seasons, including posting a 25.9 ppg mark before being sidelined after sustaining a knee injury in December… In 2005, became all-time leading vote-getter in All-Star balloting (2,558,278) … Among league leaders in scoring average, field goal percentage and blocks per game … Anchored Chinese National team in the 2004 Olympics … Named to the All NBA Third Team in 2003-04 and 2005-06 … Earned unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team honors after averaging 13.5 points with 8.2 rebounds and 1.74 blocks in 82 games (2002-03) … In 2003, he became the 14th rookie selected to start the All-Star Game and the first since Grant Hill (1995) ... The first-ever No. 1 pick to come from an international basketball league … Drafted by Houston in the first round (first overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft.
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