The sun hasn’t set on Sun Ming Ming’s dream to play in the NBA. But for now, he’s lowering the bar.

The 7-foot-9 Chinese-bred basketball hopeful signed up Wednesday to play for the rag-tag ABA’s Maryland Nighthawks, and the 23-year-old will make his first start Saturday night.

Two years ago, he declared himself eligible for the NBA draft. Problem was, no one in the NBA wanted him because he could barely dunk, due to a lack of conditioning.

After surgery in 2005 to remove a benign tumor in his very, very, very active pituitary gland, he claims he’s ready to start his pro basketball dream again.

Ming, pictured here with new 6-foot-2 teammate Randy Gill, may never amount to anything more than a poor man’s Gheorghe Muresan, but he’ll always be on Hollywood’s short list for big, oafish actors.

He just filmed a role for the upcoming “Rush Hour 3″, where he plays a member of a Chinese gang who gets into fisticuffs with Chris Tucker. Here’s hoping Ming gets to mash Tucker’s mouth.