Phoenix ? Yao Ming admits he’s feeling intense pressure to succeed for his homeland of China, and knows he hasn’t played well in his first few NBA games.

“There is a lot of pressure on me,” the 7-foot-6 inch rookie said before his Houston Rockets played the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

“This is the most pressure I’ve ever faced in my life, but it’s something I have to deal with.”

Yao, the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick, has averaged 3.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in his first six outings.

He said that the professional game is far different than the international one, where he was far more successful against the U.S. team at the world championships.

“Before I was on the Chinese national team, and I was used to their strategy,” Yao said through his interpreter. “The NBA is a different game, and I have to get used to it.

“I don’t think I have been able to show the best of my abilities yet. I’m not quite used to the speed of the game, especially on offense.”

Because of the international entanglements involving China, Yao was not able to join the Rockets until just before the regular season started.

“I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities,” he said.