As Duncan mentioned early Yao "looks bigger in person", and Caron Butler also quoted on Yao Ming's wingspan "8 feet or something". Yao certainly isn't the only 7'5" dude Ducan has faced, and doesn't get a 8 feet wingspan. So what makes Yao looks bigger than the fact? Personally, I think it's his braveness and defensive awareness whick make him different.
Personally, I think its the fact that no one imagined that a 7'5" Chinese guy would save the big man position in basketball.
Duncan, did't say Yao looked bigger than a 7'6" guy should. He said he looks bigger in person than in pictures because Yao is so well proportioned that he doesn't look that big in pictures. If you look at pictures of Bradley or Manute Bol, they look like mutants because they are so skinny and awkward looking. Yao doesn't look that way and he doesn't move that way so he looks smaller in pictures. However, if you stand next him, you realize how much of a giant he really is. I have one of those life size posters of Yao in my office and it freaks everyone out whe see how tall he really is.
I cannot totally agree with you. When Duncan said he looks bigger in person, it was the second time they met each other. It's a pure feeling against his acknowledgment. He already saw him once in person, and he knew he is 7'6", so he shouldn't just compare with a photograph something.
Some people say that camera adds ten pounds, but it does the reverse to Yao. I don't know why, maybe Yao's big lower body makes his upper body look skinny, but in real person, one realises his 48 inches waist and up is gigantic.
Its very simple. When one sees a picture of Yao on the TV he is framed by a 32 inch screen or so and that makes him look just a couple of feet tall to the human eye. But when one see him in person and not framed by a 32 inch tv screen, he says: whoa...who woulda thunk it...this guy isn't 30 inches...he's freaking 7 ft 6....whoa!
There are a lot of good comments here. I think the reason that players are saying that Yao is bigger in person is because a lot of players never really watched much of Yao at the start of the season (they are kinda busy compared to us fans ). There was a lot of talk that Yao was "skinny." Also, pictures his upper body do look thin. But, that thinness has to be put in persective. It's thin for a 7'5" guy, but not for 6'ft guy. And most players don't realize how HUGE Yao's legs are (wide lower body). Even Shaq's legs are smaller.
