Yao interviewed: will lose 15 pounds for new season

http://rockets.basketball.titan24.com/09-05-20/223274.html

Q: What's on your mind now?

Yao: Summer time. Time for us to enjoy.

Q: First time to keep playing until the mid of may.

Yao: Yeah, it feels great. It is just the beginning, hopeful it keeps this way.

Q: Watching your team lost the game 7, how did you feel?

Yao: Honestly, I didn't feel too bad. Of course watching our teaming losing wasn't comfortable, but after that 48 minutes, it did not bother me anymore. Before the 2nd round started, nobody really expected us to push a game 7. Though we lost, I am still proud of my teammates and this team. We never give up, even through the last minute. Did you notice how agressively Scola was playing? The fight does not end until the whistle blows, this is the current Rockets.

Q: Your coach RA said, if before the playoff somebody predicted to him Rockets and Lakers would have a game 7, he wouldn't believe it.

Yao: Yeah, just like that. We weren't afraid of losing. To tell you the truth, after the 1st game in this series, I already felt we got what we deserve. It was the 1st game, and at their home court, wo even thought of the possibility that we could beat them? And after that, we didn't feel much pressure on us. We didn't need to worry about the outcome, it was them who need to worry, we just play as we should play.

Q: After you got injured in the 3rd game, how did you feel watching your teammates playing through the following game? anxisous?

Yao: Of course. I wanted to play, especially after taking a few days of rest, and my foot was felling better. I told Jones that I really want to play; playoff is not like regular season and I can play despite the injury. But no matter how I tried, he firmly did not give me any pemission.

Q: Now that the season is over, what would you say is your team's biggest achievement?

Yao: Patience, endurance, and defense. These are what supported the team, also the biggest reason that got us here. We beat the Lakers, they have the best player in league, their talents are at a level we could only admire, but we still beat them three times. Because we fight, we never relax on the defense end, and we never give up. This season we had been through lots of ups and downs, at one time I even felt like the season was over and we won't make the playoff. But as a team we made it, and we played till now.

Q: Do these make you feel more confident of the coming new season? Do you feel like you guys can go further next time?

Yao: Right now it's hard to say. Just like when this season just started, you once asked me how far we could go, and I really didn't know. I don't want to think of things that are far away. Let's come back to talk about this year's playoff. If we could beat the Mavs on the road in the last game of the regular season, we would have had the home court advantage, and there would be a big chance we could advance to the west conference final. But we wasn't able to do it, and that changed our fate in the whole playoff. So if you ask me about next season, I can't tell. A season is long and lots things can happen. But I believe one thing for sure, that is our team have already developed our tough charater, and that won't change.

Q: what to do next? keep resting?

Yao: Can't keep resting, I started training alreay. Now when I have some free time, I ride the stationary bike for an hour. Doctor told me soon I will be able to practice running in a swimming pool. Basically I must keep doing cardio so I won't grow fat in the summer. Now that the season is just over, I probaly will have 1 week of rest. I would ride the bike anyway, just save the weight lifting. It is vacation time after all.

Q: So right now your biggest concern is not to grow fat?

Yao: Not only not to grow fat, but also to lose weight. My weight now is about 315 pounds, I should work to make it around 300. I have been keep getting injured for a few years, so I should try whatever that can help to reduce the injury risk. Getting lighter would help my knees and ankles bear less pressure. hehe, a funny thing guys like us whose body fat % are below 8 still are telling the world we want to lose weight.

Q: I guess this season gives you a lot of things to remember.

Yao: Definitely. I worked hard, and I harvested. Though I got injured, was not able to keep playing with my teammamtes against the lakers, but still I am happy. This summer I would be sitting comfortable and feeling solid to talk to my friends about this seaon. It was an exciting season, from the 1st day, till the last day, we past the 1st round, we surprised everyone. These are good enough. If there are something to be sorry for, let's save them for the next year. We start again.

 

Yeah, I did the translation for Yao's attitude. Gotta love him as a person and a professional player.

 

It wasn't mentioned in the article.

But you can't lose fat from a certain area, can you? It must be the whole body, from what I heard.

 

I think you are right. Let's wait and see what the new Yao would be like. Maybe his thighs won't look like trees any more.