[Pics] 6/25-Yao and Mutombo playing 1-on-1 in Athens, Greece

No pic here, but my wife just told me that her friend, who is in Athens for the special olympics, bumped into Yao & Deke in the lobby of her hotel and wound up riding the elevator with them on the way to breakfast. Beleive it or don't.

 

yao makes the ball looks like a happy meal toy in the 4th picture

 

Wow, Yao's daughter is really tall already.

I keed, I keed.

 

http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/86262/180

"I think European basketball is a very good game," Yao said. "I watch some and I have had European teammates like Vassilis, from here in Athens. First of all, I think that the European league is not any worse than the NBA, so they don't need to think about getting a player like me who already has an injury and is thinking about retirement. It's the same good league as NBA right here, it's just a different game, under the FIBA rules, as opposed to the NBA rules. It's a very fun game with a lot of attention and a lot of fans . I heard that here in Greece basketball is the most popular game in the country. I am glad to hear that and hopefully one day it can be dominant in all of Europe."

Even if he might not play long enough to try the European game, Yao said it would be a great idea for players from his country.

"I think that it's very important for Chinese players to go out of the country, to go out of China, to play in Europe," Yao said. "In Asian basketball we've improved, but not enough yet to catch up to the basketball level in Europe. And the way to change that is sending our players to play in European leagues, or in American leagues, or wherever, so we can know how good basketball should be played and bring back those ideas and share them with all the young players in China."

Yao said he sees particular opportunity for Chinese and European basketball to work together.

"I think that's a very good idea," he said. "The Chinese Basketball Association is also run under FIBA rules, the same as in Europe. We have a lot of crossing points right there, and we should do more in terms of exchanges, having teams play each other and having more games. Of course, the distance travel is a little bit of a problem, but I think we can get around it."

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Yao gives his word there that, the Euroleague is as good as the NBA, and that he has retirement on his mind.

 

Haahaa
Made me smile....

 

Yao & Deke playing 1 on 1

Boring lockout period, gotta find something fun to read.
lock if posted.

In last weeks Special Olympics, the two Rockets played some friendly one on one. Both are global ambassadors for the game, it's not surprising since both do some of the most charity works among NBA players.