Never before had a Chinese athlete, or any athlete of Asian descent for that matter, generated as much buzz on U.S. soil. Reporters from Chinese newspapers followed him from city to city. Television cameras chronicled his nearly every move to satisfy an adoring fan base back home that hardly could get enough. Sports Illustrated proclaimed Yao “The Next Big Thing” on the cover of its 2002 NBA preview issue.
Chinese fans in the United States packed arenas for a glimpse of the 7-foot-6 center with the smooth passing touch, and even those with little to no previous interest in the NBA attended his games to support the outsize figure entrusted with the hopes of his country’s 1.3 billion people. …
Yao’s athletic accomplishments include averaging 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over eight seasons (he missed all of 2009-10 recovering from foot surgery), the last of which he played only five games because of a stress fracture in his left foot. Jeff Van Gundy, his former coach with the Rockets and current NBA television analyst, has said Yao deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, as have stars such as Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Durant.
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