Great article in ESPN Magazine from 2000. Here is the full article link: http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol3no26ming.html Here are some interesting quotes from Ming: "It was strange at first to see such passion and emotion in the game," he says. "When I went to America, I didn't like to dunk much. It's not the Chinese way." You nod, remembering the Japanese adage: The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." "In America, I'd get the ball near the basket, shoot a layup, and the coach would be saying, 'Dunk the ball!' But I was used to laying it in. Finally, the coach said, 'If you get the ball in close and don't dunk it, all of your teammates are going to have to run laps.' But I couldn't help it. I was very accustomed to laying the ball in the basket. All of my teammates were running laps, begging me to dunk. Finally, after about a week and many laps, I began to dunk it every time." When asked about his favorite NBA player: "Arvydas Sabonis. I like the way he uses his mind, the way he passes. He can play inside and outside. He's got a three-point shot, and I remember him dunking over David Robinson. He's very smart. I like the way his mind allows him to get the best of each situation." When asked whether he would rather have 30 points or blocks in a game: "I'd take the 30 blocks. If you have 30 blocks it will destroy your opponents' morale. It will take away their heart." When asked about american food: "I like big steaks. And I like going to Starbucks. The food in Chinese restaurants there is different than here. It was strange seeing a fortune cookie for the first time. We don't have them here. Must be an American invention." About him fouling out early against the USA in Sydney: "Five minutes of playing well, or 10 minutes, do not mean very much. It's how well you play the entire game. One of American basketball's biggest strengths is understanding that. In the NBA, there are a lot of one-point and two-point games. There is intense competition to the final second. I'm really looking forward to that." When asked if he's ready to hold off Shaq: Yao smiling. "No.....not now." When asked about much time he will need to develop the strength: "Three or four years. I just turned 20. I believe it might be better to go to the NBA at age 22, because physically I'll be much more mature then and have more experience, too." Well it's two years later, hope he's developed and ready because the kid seems to have a god head on his shoulders!!!!
