A great ambassador for basketball
- By Liang Tao
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E-mail CRI, April 8, 2016
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Yao Ming, former Houston Rockets center and a leading figure in the game. [File photo] |
As a die-hard fan of basketball and the NBA, I would like to congratulate Yao Ming, former Houston Rockets center, on his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is the highest personal honor in the hoop world.
The "Walking Great Wall" has become the first Chinese player to be introduced into an American basketball history museum and hall of fame.
Those who are not quite familiar with Yao and the game may wonder why a guy without a single champion ring or a shining MVP trophy in his NBA career can be introduced into the star-dubbed palace, which serves as the sport's most extraordinary library. One word can counter-attack all the doubts - impact.
One may wonder how much Yao has influenced the basketball world and beyond. Let's go back to 2002. The 7-foot-6 center and Shanghai native was the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in that year's NBA draft due to his marvelous performance helping the Shanghai Sharks beating 10-time reigning champion the Bayi Rockets and winning the CBA title. That year, Yao was only 21 years old.
Another fact worth mentioning is that the disappointing results from the Chinese men's soccer team at the Japan & S. Korea World Cup depressed millions of Chinese sports fans, who changed their minds and put their hope on Yao "the Little Giant".
Shaquille O'Neal, another legendary center elected to the Hall of Fame together with Yao, still remembers his first meeting with the tall Chinese boy in Yao's rookie year. "The first time we met, he blocked my shots like seven times while I didn't know who he was," said O'Neal. So far, Yao Ming has been the only one who can block "the Big Shark" a record of seven times. That helped Yao win over legions of fans at the other side of the Pacific from the start of his NBA career.
In the following eight years, Yao Ming averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. The reader should also consider he played only a total of five games in his final two seasons due to foot injuries. Known to his flocks of fans as "the Walking Great Wall", Yao Ming competed with passion, integrity and a clear mind every time he stepped onto the court.
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