The statement the author in the article is making is that Kobe is the greatest sports icon in China. The results are going to be unfairly skewed when you limit your population to fans in attendance of an international basketball event. The "greatest sports icon" should be someone that transcends their own sport. And I don't think you can come to an accurate conclusion unless you also ask people outside the world of basketball; people in all walks of life.
It don't matter if he's boring...i mean look at the Tim Duncan...is he boring?? Hell yea...he has no flash...all about fundamental and winning...that's why he's consider the BEST!! It's all about winning ....it's not about popularity contest.
exactly. Most people in china know Yao, Kobe? no way. However, most people do not buy jersey. so jersey selling does not depict if one is the greatest icon.
No matter how you spin it, Yao is 10x more popular than Kobe in China. Kobe is the better basketball player. But Yao wins in the popularity contest
I agree, its r****ded. I think Chinese is just being considerate because he is a foreigner. It would be too cliche for the Chinese to tell the author how much they love Yao. Fact is Chinese will ALWAYS like Yao and YI more, sure they have other favorites too. I love TMac (as everyone here knows) but if push comes to shove, I will choose Yao every single time.
Too bad Kobe can't seem to get the measure true greatness as a basketball player, being an MVP and winning a ring at the same time. Flash over substances--how most of the world works these days.
Oh, come on. Are you telling me that if you had a wife as gorgeous as Kobe's and made millions with big-name endorsements, you wouldn't feel the need to risk everything for 30 minutes of meaningless sex with a skanky hotel employee once in a while?
There is no way Kobe is even close in popularity over Yao in China. That's just bad survey with too much bias in it. If you do go to China, you'll see Yao on billboards, TV, everywhere, whereas you can't find anything with Kobe on it. I'd say you see more of Battier and Scola commercials on TV and in sports stores than Kobe's in China.
Yao Ming is a worldwide symbol. He is an ambassador to the game of basketball and China alike. He is respectful, a dedicated husband, and selfless teammate. He takes every setback in stride with a sense of humor to boot. He not only carries the weight of his country on his back, he does it with class and a sense of honor, not obligation. Yeah, Yao Ming is no Kobe Bryant.
Most of these Chinese fans are teens and kids that want to be cool and westernized. Somehow the government's propaganda hasn't reached them quite yet. These people they're interviewing are the equivalent of the kids from Laguna Beach, they do not represent the majority of Chinese people. Most of the upper class in China wants to be 'cool', because the Chinese government is so anti cool, these people have no where to turn but Japan, Europe, US. It's like when kids in the US goto grade school, the 'cool' kids get their clothes from JC Penneys, Neiman Marcus, Macys, etc. and make fun of the kids that get their clothes from Kmart. To these people being interviewed, Kobe is Neiman Marcus and Yao is Kmart.
About half of the games on TV in China are Rockets. and then Lakers, Dallas, Spurs, Suns. Kobe is popular than others besides Yao as far as I know!
Who cares? I don't think Yao is boring. I find him very entertaining to watch and appreciate how lucky we are to have the best center in the NBA on OUR team. He is a center that no team, no 4 or 5 has an answer for and he is ours--he does not complain, does not ask for a trade, cause problems on or off the court and is a great person and competitor. When the rox win a championship with yao, tmac, artest, and company I really don't care if it is or is not popular with any individual, or foreign country.
Anyway, Yao is the most popular in China. Kobe is second. The year T-mac's 13p in 35'' , T-mac is popular than Kobe.
