By John | Wednesday, February 27, 2008
If you haven’t heard, NBA Houston Rockets’ basketball player Yao Ming injured his left foot, as report in “China Holds Breath for Yao“:
“Amid pollution, traffic and human rights concerns, Beijing is facing a new Olympic threat: Yao Ming’s left foot. Chinese basketball fans, bloggers and multinational corporations Wednesday all expressed their condolences to Mr. Yao, the 27-year-old, 7 ft. 6 in. superstar center, who announced Tuesday in the U.S. that a stress fracture in his foot would prevent him from finishing the season with the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets. While doctors say he requires only about four months of recovery, Mr. Yao’s ability to perform in China’s vaunted Olympics this August is in question. The Chinese national basketball team wasn’t expected to win a medal at the Games, but hopes were high that Mr. Yao, China’s most famous athlete, would be the public face of the nation’s Olympic pageant. The Xinmin Evening News, a Shanghai daily, ran the headline “National Treasure Injured,” using a Chinese phrase usually reserved for pandas, China’s beloved national animal.”
As you may or may not know, Yao Ming is probably China’s most well known Chinese athlete in America, if not the world. Yao has been a boom for the NBA as the NBA has tried to attract literally hundreds of millions of mainland Chinese as fans of the American sport. Yao endorses and is the pitchman for Reebok International, Coca-Cola Co. and Visa International Inc. Let’s hope for Yao’s quick recovery. If you don’t know much about Yao Ming, there is a pretty good documentary that I’ve seen on him following Yao in his first year in the NBA titled, “The Year of the Yao.” On a side note, do any of you know of an Asian American swho plays for the NBA, or for college basketball (as March Madness is coming up soon…)
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Jun wrote:
Yi Jianlian is a rookie who plays for the Bucks in Milwaukee, who without much fanfare is having a pretty solid rookie season, light years better than Yao did his rookie season. Not only that, Yi is significantly better in terms of athleticism also. But then again Yao has made significant progress since his rookie year 5 years ago. Yao looked completely over matched his rookie season and his progression has been extremely impressive. We dont know what kind of player Yi will develop into…
on the other hand, man, can the Houston Rockets catch a break???
Posted on 27-Feb-08 at 2:14 pm | Permalink
:: jozjozjoz :: wrote:
Wow. Is Yao Ming’s left foot so stinky that all of China has to hold its breath?!
Posted on 27-Feb-08 at 4:00 pm | Permalink
Derek wrote:
Yao and Yi don’t qualify as Asian American. There are no recent Asian American NBA players. Hopefully, there will be more Asian American interested in professional sports.
Posted on 27-Feb-08 at 7:04 pm | Permalink
Xxxtine wrote:
Yuk yuk @ Joz … good one!
Posted on 28-Feb-08 at 7:32 am | Permalink
jun wrote:
good point Derek… lol, i feel a little stupid now
Posted on 28-Feb-08 at 10:30 am | Permalink
eddy wrote:
The closest person that comes to mind is Rex Walters, who used to play in the NBA in the 90’s. He’s mixed - 1/2 Caucasian, 1/2 Japanese.
Posted on 28-Feb-08 at 2:41 pm | Permalink
ancient one wrote:
Should it matter whether Asian Americans are interested in professional sports? I don’t think it is important at all. It is more important that Asian Americans (and Americans in general) be interested in participating in sports and being active rather than sitting on their butts. One great quip about football says that it involves “22 people desperately in need of rest watched by 22000 people desperately in need of exercise.” Very few people ever make it to the level of professional sports, and that shouldn’t be the main motivation of young athletes, whether Asian American or not.
I will add that coaching Asian American athletes does have certain challenges, but that is a different topic.
Posted on 01-Mar-08 at 10:38 pm | Permalink