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Dozens of articles have been written about him, people crowd the lines
to get tickets to his games, his name and picture are strewn all over the
news. Although he's only a rookie, he has become a household name. But
this year's NBA number one draft pick, soft-spoken, humorous Yao Ming is
much more than a magnificent basketball player. He is an explorer and a
pioneer. Reminiscing about his childhood dream, he says "I wanted to be
adventurer and explore the world." He reveled in geography and history.
His stellar basketball moves have allowed him to begin accomplishing his
childhood dreams.
Yao Ming had one of the most exciting rookie years in NBA history. In
the NBA, Yao Ming scored an average of 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.74
blocks per game, earning him unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
Yao reached three blocks 26 times, as Houston held a 22-4 record in these
contests. He started at center for the Western Conference in the 2003 NBA
All-Star Game after ranking fourth overall in All-Star balloting with
1,286,324 votes and was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month
for December and February.
Off the court, Yao appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated, The
Sporting News, ESPN the Magazine, SLAM, Inside Stuff and Basketball Digest
during his rookie season. He also received the 2003 Laureus World Newcomer
of the Year award and was featured in television commericals for Visa,
Apple Computer and Gatorade. During the summer, he traveled back to China
to play for the Chinese National Team and hosted a mutlinational telethon
to raise funds to battle SARS.
Being dubbed as the "biggest story going in the
draft," by C.M. Newton of the World Basketball Championships, you would
never know by talking to him. With a warm smile, Yao loves to come home
from a long day's work to his mom's hearty Chinese meals in their Houston
home. Although he misses hanging out with his friends and going to
Internet Cafes to play video games in China, Houston is a second home to
him now. Everyday, he reads American papers, such as USA Today, and
watches television to continue to master his English. He can't wait to hop
on a bike and ride all over Houston, just like he does in China. |
