Official Thread on Yao Ming's Summer Activities 2006

Lol, actually I have no idea there was such a brand of biscuits

 

thx pryuen.

I have to say...WHAT IS THAT THING ON YAO"S THIGH!!! Is it an abnormal growth that he's covering up. Does he have a new injury! My summer is ruined! ruined!

And WHY IS HE CARRYING HIS OWN BAGS. Damn, where is Colin Pine. Isn't he supposed to be carrying Yao's bag. We don't want undue strain on his back.

And Ye Li looks oh so casual with her hands in her pockets like she's trying to play hard to get. Or maybe she is bored with Yao and is just going through the motions before she dumps him. She better not BREAK HIS HEART...that's all I'm trying to say.

I like the dude in the last photo....WHOA, THAT"S YAO!! Which reminds me. Where the heck are Yao's bodyguards! Or at least, where are his parents.

 

Just my guess. From the photos, Ye Li standing next to Yao gives me the impression that she is 6'6". Am I right, pryuen?

 

Stop hounding the poor guy when he's just trying to get some action.

bloody paparazzi.

 

Perhaps someone else has reported this, apologize if I repeated. Yao will attend a live chat with fans on Aug 1, 14:40-15:40 Beijing time, which is about 01:40-02:40 of Aug 1 Houston time I guess (correct me if I am wrong). He will answer questions from fans.

Here is the link

Yao will pick some questions from fans sent to him via email. You can email your questions to Yao by clicking the box next to Yao's left shoulder. Or send to the following address:

yaoming@mcdonalds.com.cn

But I doubt you can type in the subject correctly (meaning "Ask Yao Ming") because it is in Simplified Chinese and I cannot paste the Chinese characters here. Well I think it still worths a try if you really have something to ask Yao. I know it is stupid but I'm just thinking if Clutch would send a note to Yao, that would be very nice and chances that Yao picks his question will be very high I guess.

 

that time conversion is correct....and for those non military time people that would be 1:40 AM on early Sunday morning...

 

Great job both of you guys on the translating. Good to see that Yao is working dilligently and it's nice that he gets to spend time with his girl. She's looking nice with her hair long again!

On the whole "Yao doesn't like to play in meaningless games" issue, here's my take. Yao has repeatedly made it clear that playing for the national team, whether it be in the Olympics or much smaller tournaments, is a priority for him. I happen to believe there are a few reasons why he will always return to China for this duty:

1. Yao loves his country and would like nothing better than to bring China some sporting glory on the world stage.
2. Yao feels a duty to repay the education and training that was provided throughout his childhood by the state which eventually allowed him to become China's greatest sports star ever.
3. Yao has many endorsement commitments in China, and these revenue streams are greatly bolstered by playing in front of his home fans.
4. Even if he was not committed to the national team, I believe Yao would still return to China in the offseason. Though he lives in Houston for the majority of the year and has said in the past that in recent years he feels neither fully American nor Chinese, but a mix of both, China is Yao's home and a big part of who he is. I believe it's an important refresher for him between NBA seasons to return home and be amongst Chinese and Ye Li. I feel Yao draws strength from the support he enjoys there.
5. Perhaps least important, I think Yao understands the difficult situation politically that certain officials would be in were he to decline to participate in national team activities. While I'm sure this is a very small concern of his, I think Yao would rather not get anyone into hot water if he can help it.

That's a lifelong Texan's view on the matter, anyway. However, though I believe Yao very much looks forward to his training in China and his comraderie with his national teammates, I believe it's also very important to him to train on his own terms. When Yao came to the NBA, he was introduced to a whole new world of athletic development. The muscle mass he has gained since his arrival is a testament not only to his dedication but to the expertise of American trainers such as Anthony Falsone who have dedicated their lives to the science of physically improving players' bodies in preparation for high-contact competition. Yao recognizes the importance of this sort of training over merely running drills with the national team because he has seen the results. That's why he has brought Falsone back with him to China the last couple of years to give a few pointers to his teammates, as well. NBA conditioning was so far above what he'd experienced in China; as I'm sure we all vividly recall, Yao's first couple of years in the NBA were marked by incredible exhaustion on the court. But after working dilligently with the Rockets' trainers, we've seen that exhaustion is no longer a concern for Yao.

In fact, after he retires, I could easily see Yao taking a position within the Chinese sports bureau overseeing a revolution in Chinese players' physical training. Yao may not ever be able to pass on the talent or mentality that has made him such a special figure in Chinese sports, but he would be in a unique position to pass on the knowledge on training regimens and dedication that has made him such a monster. Knowledge like that could influence a generation of young Chinese athletes, and not just basketball players.

As for the 'bus incident,' I personally don't think it indicates any desire on Yao's part not to travel and participate in the summers with the national team. While bus travel is never ideal for a man of such size, Yao's real frustration was with being used as a traveling photo-op. The combined exhaustion of travel coupled with his rehab training made every moment of downtime important for Yao, and yet he was being trotted out at every whistlestop to meet and greet local dignitaries and businessmen, often while the rest of the team was forced to sit on the cramped bus and wait. This kind of treatment had nothing to do with basketball, which we all know is Yao's sole focus. Finally, he simply refused to get off the bus and be paraded around any longer.

 

DAMN! Maybe you should look into taking some anti-anxiety med's.

Relax.

You came to all those conclusions after looking at a few pics?

 

Well...let me ask my friend before I response to you. You seem like mister big boofuu to me.

what do you mean. you know there is more than a 'few pics"...did my video link fail for you again.

 

It's ok.

Easy.

Back in the cage.

 

i must say a very wise one too.

the 'bus incident' is no biggie. i was just wondering why it took yao so long. further proof that he's a nice guy, a really nice guy. i remember reading incidence like after settling in a hotel on a trip with the cnt the very people who were sent to keep the fans away from him knocking on his door and asking for autograph. i can understand that fans are crazy about him, don't we all. but com'on, give the guy some respect and leave him alone when he should be. i believe he deserves that much from his fans.

 

Thanks for the verification OddsOn but I guess you have a typo here, should be "early Tuesday morning".

- And you must have laser eyes to notice my post since I am Mr. Invisible here. No wonder you wear a pair of cool sunglasses.

 

Interesting thought about Yao after retirement will take a position within the Chinese sports bureau overseeing a revolution in Chinese players' physical training. Yao did say in couple of occassions how he benefits and appreciates the physical training of USA. I think being a person like he is, he'll defenitely try to introduce this into China that could benefit most teams there.

 

The press conference just begin, Yao is answering reporters' questions now.

Here's the link

But it's more like a McDonald's marketing campaign...

 

he looks very uncomfortable.

 

He looks fine to me. Check this live broadcast out...

live chat

So glad Pryuen is on now, perhaps he could do some quality translations here for others who dont know Chinese.