Sports broadcaster ESPN asked some top NBA writers to weigh in with their thoughts about the next international megastar most likely to carry Dirk Nowitzki's mantle. Two of the writers chose Yao Ming as their favourites.

Chris Sheridan, who covers the NBA and international basketball for the magazine ESPN Insider, said he sticks with his choice of Yao Ming.

Chris Sheridan: "I've got to stick with the choice of the past half-decade, Yao Ming. He only turned 26 a few days ago, and he can still become the most dominant center we've seen since Hakeem (Olajuwon, NBA legend center who also used to play for the Rockets) if he hits his prime in the next four or five seasons.

"If he and Tracy McGrady could ever be paired completely healthy for 82 games, especially now with Shane Battier in the mix, this could easily be a 55-win team that could advance in the playoffs, and Yao would probably supplant Dirk in this category if he could take Houston to the Finals two years in a row."

John Denton, basketball writer of Florida Today, shared the same views as Chris Sheridan. He thought last season's back injury to McGrady forced Yao to unearth his full power.

John Denton: "As strange as it might sound to Rockets fans, last season's back injury to McGrady might have been the best thing to happen to the Rockets in the long run.

"Without McGrady dominating the ball, the offense ran through the hands of Yao. It forced him to assert himself and seek out shots rather than defer to others. And the results were sometimes jaw-dropping.

"In March and April, he averaged 25.5 points and 10.7 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the floor. He had a 20-game stretch late in the season where he scored at least 20 points 19 times and grabbed double-digit rebounds 17 times. He had back-to-back 36-point efforts against Dallas and New Jersey and hung 25 points and 17 rebounds on Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman.

"No, Yao will never have the physical force of Shaquille O'Neal or play with the fiery emotion of Alonzo Mourning. But what he just might do as his game continues to grow and his confidence continues to rise is revolutionize the way the position is played. His ability to hit the mid-range shot, hit free throws and hit back against those who try to hammer him on the lower block will help make Yao the game's best center long after Shaq retires."

The experts' opinions have elicited positive responses from fans.

"Yao is the only one I would say that is really in any position to rival Dirk in the next few years," a basketball fan from Toronto replied.

Yao has also topped the center's chart at the NBA fantasy games where fans from around the world pick up their favorite players to form their own teams for online games. (click for more information: Yao Preferred Center of NBA Fantasy Games)

Serbia and Montenegro's Darko Milicic, drafted second overall in the 2003 NBA Draft who just turned 21 this summer and Sofoklis Schortsanitis of Greece, who earned his fame at the recent World Championships in Japan, are the other two favorites.