FIBA: China's best ever finish in a FIBA World Championship is 8th place. Can you improve on that this year? Yao Ming: Our goal is to be in the Quarter-Finals. And from there we will see. We will try to improve and go further in the tournament, but it will be very difficult. FIBA: You were tremendously successful in the Chinese league. How much more difficult is the competition when you play for the national team? Yao Ming: There is not a big difference. We are very close on the Chinese national team as we know us from the Chinese league. I think we can do everything with this group. FIBA: You have been drawn with the USA, Germany and Algeria in your group. What do you know about these teams? Yao Ming (China) Yao Ming: Everbody knows about the USA and their strength. From Germany I know Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Bradlley. The team I have never seen so I don't know about them. Algeria we will play in a preparation tournament in Turkey, and we will see how strong they are. FIBA: Indianapolis will be the first time that fans in the USA will get to see you play. Are you nervous? Yao Ming: Fans are always fans, no matter whether you are in China or in the USA. No, I am not nervous. FIBA: Can you tell us a little bit your family background and how you got involved in basketball? Yao Ming: My parents played basketball. My father was a basketball player for a Shanghai team. He is not as tall as I am, he has about the size of Menk (Batere), but he is not that strong (laughs). My parents didn't want me to play basketball, they just wanted me to go to College. But sometimes life goes differently, and maybe basketball is my life. FIBA: How important for the development of basketball in China is for you to play in the NBA? Yao Ming: There are several players on the Chinese basketball team who play in the NBA. And with their improvement the Chinese national team improves. FIBA: Have you visited Houston already? How difficult do you think it will be to settle into a new country with completely different culture? Yao Ming: I have never been in Houston so far. I lived all my life in Shanghai. I think that language and food will be the two major issues. Maybe I will miss home. FIBA: Have you talked to Menk Batere and Wang Zhi Zhi about the life in the USA? Yao Ming: Menk told me I have to learn to drive a car (laughs). I don't have a driver's license yet. I only had a bicycle in Shanghai. FIBA: There is a lot of hype surrounding you after you were selected no.1 in the NBA draft. Do you feel under pressure? Yao Ming: Yes, of course. FIBA. How do you handle that?# Yao Ming: That is a miracle. Maybe reading a book or playing video games. To do other things you like. http://www.fiba.com/home/main.asp
damn, Yao doesn't even know how to drive a car. Poor guy. He'll have plenty of cars when he comes here though.
In first impression it may appear so, but actually it's not becuase Yao's poor in China. I recall from reading somewhere he makes 75000 US dollars a year playing for the Shanghai Sharks. Supposedly he also got endorsement deals from Nike. Shanghai people are known for not being eager to buy cars even they can afford it. The expenses to use a car are not economical in their eyes, for some good reasons. Maybe that's why Yao rides a bike. Or maybe he thinks it's a way of training, not surprising to know considering he learns how to block shots by jumping and catching birds in his room. ...hm..what else...ok I'll stop my babbling now..
what else is a 7 foot 5 guy going to play?.. i dont see him playing table tennis or soccer.. but i can see why they wanted him to go to college..
Imagine Yao on MTV Cribs... "This is my 10 speed, it rocks. This is my mountain bike..I take it to work. The Big wheel is just for fun. This is my most prized posession...my scooter...although, as per my contract, I can only ride it on my driveway."
Lmao. THe birth Canal comment was funny too. In China usually they dont need cars, because they aren't lazy like us (I don't think), but maybe that's why his calves are soo big...
Anyone know this guy's inseam? Forget driver's ed -- I'd like to see what car he can buy that won't block his knee at the dashboard. Hell, I'd like to see the bike he's been riding.
After the CBA, Sharks, and PRC take their cut of his salary, that's probably the amount he'll earn here, too. Even though he's from Shanghai, Houston is one hell of a place to learn to drive. I'm going to post a stereotype here, so I don't want anyone taking offense, but Asian drivers in the USA....well, I don't have to complete the sentence, do I? I would probably be just as bad if I were driving a car in China, Japan, or Korea; my nerves probably couldn't take it. I have been in Japan before and I believe the reasons that Asians drive so carefully, wherever they are, is because, over there, rules and regulations of the road are very very strict. First of all, the Japanese have to pay $5000 (the equivalent) just to get a license to drive. Can you imagine? My Japanese friend was pulled over and fined the equivalent of $175 for going, say, 6 or 7 miles per hour (10 or 11 kilometers per hour) over the limit. So the thought of Yao Ming in his new bling-bling Escalade ("Mr. Cuttino helped me pick it out"), driving around in circles past midnight in a Wal-Mart parking lot, with, maybe, Steve as the front-seat passenger ("no, straight! straight! damn, how do you say 'straight ahead' in Chinese, uh, go straight-o! straight-o!") and T-Mo as the back seat passenger ("no, Steve, I think 'straight-o' is Spanish") does make me smile.
Let me take the pleasure to complete the sentence: Asian drivers in the USA suck except me! They either race formula one or crawl like turtles in the street. Still, I prefer driving among swarms of Asian drivers to drivers who's the opposite sex of men. Yep, that's blatant gender stereotype, oh god I feel good spilling out the truth.
This thread is hilarious. Yao Ming is going to make this a very interesting season, on the court and off.
LMfreakinAO!!!! i think if cuttino and steve just give the guy a chance they could all end up being close, close friends. ming seems to be a very witty, very funny guy with a firm grasp on life an how (un)important it really can be. still, he seems to be focused on achieving his goals and puts in the work to do so. i love this team.
I guess non of you guys have been driving in the street of Shanghai, do you? Well, if have have rode taxi in NY, you got the idea. Ming will be fine driving. ...And Asian's driving actually ain't that slow...
