ESPN: Getting to know Yao Ming

http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/aldridge_david/1426822.html

Tuesday, September 3
Updated: September 4, 1:14 PM ET

Getting to know Yao Ming

---------------------------------------------
By David Aldridge
Special to ESPN.com


Editor's note: ESPN's David Aldridge sat down with Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets' No. 1 overall draft pick, during the World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis. Following is the entire transcript from Aldridge's interview with the 7-foot-5 center from China through an interpreter.

When were you first aware that you were unusually tall?
I discovered that I was always taller than my peers. Usually, I grow two to three centimeters taller than the average kid. As soon as I realized that I was taller than everyone else, there was nothing I could do about it.

And how difficult was it to be taller than other children your age?
Well, I guess I had to pay the bus fare earlier than anyone else. And the doors seemed to be getting shorter for me.


Being in the public eye will take some getting used to for Yao Ming, right.
Your parents were both basketball players. When did your parents first make you aware about the game?
Not initially, that my parents wanted me to play very much. They hoped I would grow up, and attending a college, getting a regular job and pursuing basketball as an amateur sport, as an amateur athlete. But later -- I guess it was because of my genes, my parents' genes -- that it becomes sort of obvious that I would do well in basketball. And once I had become a player, I had become a professional player, obviously they gave me some pointers and advice on the game.

Most kids struggle when they first start playing the game. How did you encourage yourself to keep playing even though you may have struggled at first?
When I was little, it was obviously difficult for a 9-year-old to make a basket. My father would give me all kinds of incentives to make a couple of baskets every time I would go on the playground, every time I'd play. And he would promise to buy me this and buy me that. And I am sort of bribed into it initially.

When you first started playing, do you remember how you played and what you thought your future would be in the game?
At the time I started playing basketball, there really were no professional basketball clubs in China. It's only -- you only play basketball as a profession but for your region, for your city and for your country. I started playing organized basketball at 10 years old, as sort of like a Little League basketball, and we won the city championship. Once you get past that, you can advance to the next level, and you can go on and play other tournaments and this is how we advanced.

When were you first aware that you were getting better and improving as a player?
At the stage when I reached the level of the national team. I think the national team provided me a very good environment for me to develop, and for me to see broadly the game of basketball. I am always with the top players in China, practicing with them, living with them. And the experience of playing with them and playing games definitely helped me. And I think I will continue to be in that kind of environment, and it will help me improve my basketball skills.

When you were playing, while you were playing and getting better, how aware were you about the NBA?
Initially, when I knew of the NBA, when I watched the NBA, it seemed to me that professional players in the United States were a little bit different, and the NBA is a little bit different than China. And as I understood the NBA, I sort of got to know the NBA, as a fan of basketball.

Can you describe your emotions when Shanghai won the CBA (China Basketball Association) championship?
At the time, I thought about all the players that had come before me in Shanghai, who had the same goal for us, who had worked very hard for it, and we were only the lucky ones who were able to reap the fruit of their work.

In China, the success of the team is more important than the individual. In the NBA, sometimes that's reversed. How will you deal with that when you come to the NBA?
I think I'll stick to what I'm used to, my principle, and that is team No. 1 and individual No. 2. I remember going to an NBA training facility, and I remember seeing a very large letter on the wall, saying "no one's bigger than the team."

I understand that you are a fan of Arvydas Sabonis. How much are you looking forward to playing Sabonis this season?
I'll be very excited, for sure, and I'll do my best to attack him and to defend him. And I think this is the way, the best way, to show respect to Sabonis.

How do you deal with the enormous pressure that is on you, because so much is expected of you, being one of the first players from your country to come into the league?
Well, I think any pressure you have, you just have to deal with it. I don't get bogged down by those pressures. I think if the result of the game, if you look at this game as a fun sport, then I think it's easier to deal with.

What are you looking forward to seeing and doing when you get to the United States?
I think I will stick to my hobbies: reading, listening to music and playing games. At the same time, I'll have the opportunity to buy a car and I'll go around and I'm sure I'll have fun.

What kind of car do you want to buy?
A big one that can fit me.

What did you know about the city of Houston before they drafted you?
I know they have won two NBA championships. I know Houston is a very large city with a large Asian population. And I also know Houston is a very young team, similar to the team that I'm on currently in China. And that's the type of team with great potential.

How important was it to play in a city with a large Asian population?
I think it will definitely help me adapt to the NBA. At least there will be a lot of Chinese restaurants around to help me adapt to the food easier.

Are you concerned about the adjustments you will have to make in terms of your diet and in terms of the language?
I think it's probably more difficult for me to adjust to the diet than the language.

And how will you do that?
I think I have to say "sorry" to my stomach and let it get used to it and practice a little, let my stomach practice a little with American food.

Much has been made about Shaquille O'Neal and yourself. What do you think playing against him will be like?
I think it will be one-sided in my matchup against Shaquille O'Neal. He is much better than I at this point. I think the NBA is a very good classroom for me. I think I will learn from defeat and from my setbacks and it will set a foundation for me to improve in the future.

Who will you confide in about your hopes, your fears?
I think the people for me to confide in are probably my parents, and also my friends, and that includes my coaches in China.

How difficult will it be on you physically and mentally to constantly go back and forth between the United States and China?
I think physically and mentally, the national team will have a plan for me. They'll know how to help me adjust and help me adapt. To me personally, and I think from an emotional level, I like to play for the national team. I think it is a great honor to play for the Chinese national team.

What does the game of basketball mean to you?
To me, first and foremost, it is a fun sport. It is a hobby, an interest. And second, it is a profession. I feel that I am very fortunate that I can find a professional job that I really, really love.

How aware are you that you are a role model and pioneer for other Chinese boys and girls?
I'm aware of this responsibility. From growing up as a kid, I also looked up to older players on the national team as role models.

What will success in the NBA mean to you?
I don't know how to respond to that yet because I haven't experienced success in the NBA yet. To this point.

How aware are you of the other players who have your position before in the NBA. Players like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
They set a standard that I look up to and encouraged me to try harder and be like them.

Are there things you take out of your education that help you prepare for this?
The most I get out of my education is it allows me to get a right perspective about the game. To help me have the right attitude about the game. To help me enjoy the game and not to be stressed out about the game.

How will you deal with being famous?
This is a real big headache for me. I only want to play basketball, and play it well and be happy about it. But I realize that with being famous comes a lot of demands.

I'm sure you already are famous in China. What lessons have you learned from that?
Well, you have to be yourself. I try to still live my life and be myself and try not to be restricted by this cage thing fame brought with it.

It's interesting that you use the word "cage." Does it feel like you live in a cage?
I'm talking about specific examples. For example when I go shopping, there are a bunch of crowds surrounding me. And that makes me feel like I'm in a cage.

Is that harder to deal with than the fact that you stand out physically?
Even if I do not play basketball, I think my height will attract a lot of attention.

If you didn't play basketball, if you had decided earlier that you didn't want to play basketball, what do you think you would do with your life?
I always wanted to do, to be explorer, an adventurer. I guess this is a fantasy of mine.

Where did that come from?
I know this is, it's a little unrealistic. But I guess even the adventurer and explorer need to have a life, and to live, to have some stability in life. And I guess I'm a little bit influenced by the books that I read when I was young.

When your career is over, what do you want people to remember about Yao?
I don't know how to describe it exactly. But I hope through me, people will be more interested in basketball. This is a great sport to get into, to play and participate in. And this is what I want other people to remember, through me, to understand through me.

Do you think you can teach Americans about your culture and your history?
I think I can do it through the way I play, and the way that I deal with the game, the way I treat the game.

Where do you find that balance that you have in your life?
I understand basketball is not my entire life. It's only a part of my life. And there are a lot of other things that interest me a great deal. And they're all very interesting. There are other things that are interesting other than basketball. Fun things to do, other things, other goals to seek, and this is how I have balance in life.

Do you worry that the other NBA players will be harder on you because you're not from this country, and they want to prove to you that this is their game?
There are so many successful foreign players in the NBA. I don't think they'll mind another one.

Who are you looking forward to playing against? Who do you want to see on the floor?
(Yao speaking English) Shaq. Olajuwon. Sabonis. Tim Duncan. David Robinson. A lot.

How will you feel playing against Michael Jordan?
It will be a great excitement for me to play against a great player like a Jordan. Not every basketball player has the opportunity to be in this position, to play against Jordan. Of course, basketball is a team sport. We will not be playing against Jordan by himself. We will be playing against the Washington Wizards, and we have to deal with that.

David Aldridge is an NBA reporter for ESPN.

 

Does this get me on the front page of CC.net?