There is no
Chinese living in the world today who is as famous as the
National Basketball Association rookie sensation�Yao Ming. In
fact, he transformed his countrymen into mighty men who can
match the very best in the world.
The boy was raised in Shanghai. His parents, both basketball
players themselves, lived with their only son in a cramped
apartment with doorways so low they had to stoop to enter their
home. In the evenings, Yao�s mother struggled hard to get extra
food to feed her growing child.
Yao himself didn�t harbour any big dreams as a child. A shy boy,
he was often picked on in schoolyards, never realizing that one
swat of his oversized hands could knock down his tormentors. Not
particularly drawn to athletics, he retreated into books, poring
over military histories and reliving ancient battles in his
head. But when Yao was nine years old, the country�s sports
officials came calling. So began Yao�s basketball career.
Yao dominated Chinese basketball so completely that it was clear
he needed more than the underwhelming competition his
compatriots offered. Yao was finally given a shot at NBA
(America) stardom in 2002. The combination of his feathery touch
and sheer height�he is the second-tallest player in the
league�is so unusual that teams have had to change their
defensive strategies to accommodate him.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about China�s tallest
ambassador is that he is possibly even more popular in U.S. than
he is at home. Across North America, Yao�s clean-cut visage
sells everything from Visa cards to computers. Marketers see Yao
as their password to get entry into the prized Chinese market.
