The Houston Rockets' Chinese center Yao Ming, seen here in 2003, is the highest-ranked athlete on Sporting News magazine's annual list of the 100 most powerful people in US sports. [AFP]

The Houston Rockets' Chinese center Yao Ming is the highest-ranked athlete on Sporting News magazine's annual list of the 100 most powerful people in US sports, coming in at No. 25.

"With the NBA pushing to expand in China, Yao could become a Jordanesque figure (earning Jordanesque figures) in the world's largest country with its white-hot economy," the magazine wrote of Yao, who was one place higher than golfer Tiger Woods on the list for 2003, published Wednesday.

George Bodenheimer, president of sports television network ESPN, topped the list, followed by National Football League commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Nike chairman Phil Knight and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

NBA commissioner David Stern came in at No. 6, while 2002's No. 1, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, was No. 9 in 2003.

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