Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is known as one of the hardest working men in basketball.
Now his hometown of Shanghai wants to make the title official by nominating him for Model Worker honors, the Shanghai Daily reported on Monday.
Also nominated was Liu Xiang, gold medalist in the men's 110m hurdles in the Athens Olympics last summer, the paper said.
PHOTO: AFP
"Both are world class athletes," the report quoted an unidentified official with the Shanghai Trade Union as saying. "What's more, they have good characters," the official added.
The Model Worker title was one of China's most prestigious under the former planned economy, often bringing promotion, better housing and political notoriety.
Its glimmer has dimmed amid the market economy's rise in recent years, but China's communist rulers keep the honor alive as a way to inspire discipline, loyalty and hard work. Shanghai is nominating 135 individuals for the award from fields such as private business, medicine and education.
Yao became one of China's biggest sporting heroes after joining the NBA in 2002 as the No. 1 draft pick.
But he has won accolades back home for returning to play with the national team during the NBA offseason, helping China reach the quarterfinals at Athens.
Kevin Garnett had 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter in leading the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Clippers 89-85 on Sunday.
Garnett struggled for the second straight game, making just 8-of-24 field goals. Sam Cassell scored 16 points off the bench to help Minnesota win its fourth straight game. The Timberwolves moved within 2{ games of idle Denver for eighth place in the Western Conference.
Elton Brand had 25 points to lead Los Angeles, which twice rallied from double-digit deficits.
Spurs 83, Rockets 70
In San Antonio, Brent Barry hit three 3-pointers during a 21-2 run in the fourth quarter to help San Antonio rally for a win over Houston.
The Rockets, who trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, went ahead 60-55 on a 23-foot jumper by Tracy McGrady with 10:31 left in the game. The basket was the last of the game for McGrady, who finished with 26 points.
It was the Rockets' lowest-scoring game of the season.
76ers 96, Lakers 89
In Los Angeles, Allen Iverson scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and tied his career high with 15 assists, and Philadelphia overcame his horrendous shooting performance for its third straight win.
Iverson, who entered shooting 42.1 percent and averaging 30.5 points, shot 2-for-20 in the first three quarters and 5-of-28 overall along with 10-of-14 from the foul line.
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