Houston Community News >> Yao Ming's After Wedding Party

8/11/2007-- Newlywed Yao Ming treated his Chinese hoops teammates to a celebratory dinner at a Beijing hotel Thursday – and had a Texas-size share of booze, according to attendees.

The Houston Rockets star “rarely drinks,” but this time he marked the occasion and “drank quite a bit,” Yao spokesman Erik Zhang told The Associated Press.

“I don't think (Yao) was drunk, but he was pretty close. He went back to his room and fell asleep,” Zhang said. “But he felt this was a celebration.”

Yao, who married women's hoopster Ye Li on Monday, threw a party for about 70 – including their Chinese teammates – at the Grand Hyatt.

Teammate Liu Wei said in his blog that guests emptied six bottles of Mao Tai, a fiery Chinese spirit usually downed in shots from small teacups.

No Rockets players or coaches were invited. Yao plans to host a dinner when he returns to Texas.

(Contributed by Union-Tribune News Service)