"Man, forget about that, we are not watching the Olympic Games," Shen said. "I just want to shout and shout and enjoy this great atmosphere. I am proud of sharing my passion with friends out there."

Cultural shift

Amid all the excitement, the game will be - as fans have called it - a clash of Chinese cultures; tradition verses trend; modesty against flamboyance.

Leading the Houston Rockets is Yao, a man born to one of the most traditional sports families in Shanghai. He received strict and systematic basketball training over the years without ever getting to see an NBA game on TV or wear name-brand basketball shoes.

At the other end, Yi: a post-1985 generation from Shenzhen, China's vanguard city in reform and opening-up. The youngster idolizes Michael Jordan and spent most of his childhood playing street basketball until he was noticed by a pro coach in a three-on-three street-ball national tournament.

While the two have their share of similarities on the court, off court they are as different as can be.

The showdown is actually the third Chinese derby in the NBA. In 2002, the Dallas Mavericks, featuring forward Wang Zhizhi, played against the Denver Nuggets and center Menk Bateer. And two years later Yao faced off with Wang's Miami Heat, even though Wang hardly got off the bench in that game.

But Saturday's game is by far the most anticipated since both players play key roles on their respective teams.

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