He'll be a dribbler for sure — a 'Little Yao' is on the way

Yao Ming and his wife, Ye Li, are expecting a baby in July.

There will soon be — in the mother of all oxymoronic phrases — a “Little Yao.”

Rockets center Yao Ming and his wife, Ye Li, are expecting their first child this summer.

"My wife and are excited about our family to be," Yao said in a statement. "Thank you for your support."

The baby is expected in July, although no decision has been announced about where Ye will deliver.

The couple is in Shanghai while Yao is attending the start of the China Basketball Association season in his first year as a co-owner of the Shanghai Sharks. He returned to the United States briefly last week to attend the Rose Bowl to promote the World Expo in Shanghai.

Yao, 29, and Ye, 28, married in August 2007. NBA teams might not wait long to begin scouting their child. At 7-6, Yao is the tallest NBA player. Ye, 6-2, also played for the Chinese National team.