Hanging Up His Sneakers

By YIN PUMIN

Hanging Up His Sneakers

By YIN PUMIN

Chinese basketball superstar retires but his legacy will live on

It was a sad day for basketball fans. On July 20, China’s basketball icon Yao Ming held a news conference in his hometown Shanghai, announcing his retirement from the sport as result of career-ending injuries.

“I am going to end my career as a basketball player and of fi cially retire,” Yao said.

Yao played with the Houston Rockets in NBA for nine seasons. The latter half of his career saw Yao plagued by foot and ankle injuries. Over his past six seasons in the NBA he missed 250 regular-season games, and he played in only fi ve games over the past two seasons before sustaining a stress fracture in his left ankle.

“Yao helped globalize the NBA and his retirement is a loss to the game as a whole,”said Yang Yi, a sports commentator in China.

Zhang Weiping, who has decades of experience reporting and broadcasting NBA events in China, also expressed his regret at Yao’s retirement.

“He is a landmark fi gure in Chinese basketball history, with a huge impact both on and off the court. It’s a pity that he couldn’t continue,”Zhang said during a TV interview.

Glory

Yao began his career in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), China’s top league. He joined the junior team of the CBA’s Shanghai Sharks at the age of 13.After playing with the junior team for four years, Yao joined the senior team of the Sharks in 1997.

Yao played 122 games with the Sharks and averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds. He led his team to the finals of the CBA three times and fi nally helped the Sharks win their fi rst CBA championship in 2002.

After fi ve stellar seasons with the Sharks,Yao made his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets on June 27, 2002. He was the No.1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

Although Yao did not see much playing time early in his career, he still fi nished his rookie season on a high note. He averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.74 blocks per game in 82 games in his fi rst season.

Although he did not win the Rookie of the Year award in 2002, the 2.26-meter center was selected to play in the All-Rookie,All-Star team. He was the only rookie to lead his team in both rebounds and blocks, and the only rookie to rank in the top 20 in three statistical categories.

Yao played consistently throughout his first three years only missing two games,but eventually the stress of the game and his enormous frame took its toll and he was plagued by injuries. He injured his left toe in 2005. After a successful surgery, he came back strongly in the second half of the season and averaged 25.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in 25 games, while shooting 53.7 percent from the fi eld and 87.8 percent from the foul line.

Yao’s career peaked in the 2006-07 season, when he averaged 25 points per game.

But calamity struck on December 23,2006, when Yao’s right knee was broken while attempting to block a shot. This marked the beginning of a series of injuries that forced Yao away from the court and onto the sidelines. He missed the whole 2009-10 season after surgery to repair his broken left foot.

Last season the Rockets limited Yao’s appearances to 24 minutes per game, and made sure he didn’t play in back-to-back games. Even so, Yao was hurt in his fifth game of the season against the Washington Wizards on November 10 last year. First diagnosed as a mild ankle sprain, the injury was later said to be an ankle bone bruise.

With his five-year contract with the Rockets, valued at $76 million, set to expire on June 30, and with the threat of a lockout also looming, the Chinese superstar came to a fi nal decision: ending his professional basketball career at the age of 30.

Yao played for almost eight seasons with the Rockets and took them to great heights. He led the Rockets into the playoffs fi ve times during his career. In 2009, he led the team to the Western Conference semifinals, the team’s best performance in the past 10 years.

Yao fi nished his NBA career as an eight time All-Star and in fi ve seasons he was voted onto the league’s second or third All-NBA team. His career is seen as an example by many international players. Although he was not the first Chinese player to enter the NBA, he is certainly the most successful.

Legacy

Yao’s influence extends far beyond the statistics he achieved on court.

Called the “Great Wall of China,” he boosted the NBA’s popularity in China and Asia by thriving at the highest level of the biggest basketball league in the world.

“He’s been one of the greatest ambassadors to ever set foot on an NBA floor,” said former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. “This guy touched so many people, and really opened doors in China, not only for himself, but for so many others.”

“It is Yao who makes the kids in China like basketball and it’s also Yao who makes the kids know how a real professional basketball player should be,” said Xu Jicheng, a senior Chinese basketball commentator.

China is currently the largest market for the NBA outside the United States, and its games draw an average of 30 million viewers every week.Sports Business Journalhas estimated that between $150 million and$170 million of the NBA’s annual revenues are generated in China.

It is estimated that before 2002, the number of Chinese following the league was less than 5 percent of the overall population, but that fi gure has now surged to at least 20 percent.

Several of Yao’s teammates, or ex-teammates, at the Rockets have signed endorsement contracts with Chinese basketball clubs.Some of them, including All-Star guard Steve Francis, spent seasons playing in the Chinese domestic league.

Yao was always the centerpiece of the NBA’s allurement in China. The Agence France-Presse valued his personal brand at more than $1 billion. Supported by endorsement deals and regular media appearances Yao’s in fl uence extends beyond basketball.He is an ambassador for the sport, a cultural fi gure, and a campaigner for several charities and causes.

Most of all, with his confidence, humor, intelligence and determination, he is a symbol of China’s new generation, and his charm has opened the minds of many more Westerners to Chinese culture.

RIVALS AND FRIENDS: Yao Ming competes against Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004

“Yao is a polite, well-educated young person, who is the pride of China. He is China’s best gift to the NBA,” David Stern,commissioner of the NBA, once said.

“Foreigners learn about China by following Yao. Their focus on Yao reflects their acknowledgement of Chinese values. For Chinese people, they learn more about the Western world through Yao’s adventures in the NBA,” Xu wrote for Xinhua.

Meanwhile, amidst his busy schedule of matches, he has always been actively engaged in social activities and made a huge contribution to a number of charities.

He established the Yao Fund in June 2008.The foundation helped build seven schools in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China. Six more schools will be open by 2012.

Yao has also taken part in campaigns to promote animal rights and environmental protection. In 2006, he was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for wild life protection.

Future

Although having announced retirement,Yao guaranteed he would not leave basketball and would continue his business as a social image.

“The door of basketball is closed, but another door has just opened which will lead me to a new life waiting for me to experience,”he said.”I am off the basketball court but I will never be away from the sport. I will continue my basketball life with the Shanghai Sharks.”

In 2009, Yao took over the Shanghai Sharks when it was at its lowest point. He is now the sole owner of the CBA club where he grew into a national idol.

“My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it. It is like no one would see their alma mater running down without doing anything,” Yao once said.

The role-changing may not be easy for Yao after he carved out a successful career at the NBA. But Yao believes the new management he brought to the Sharks is positive.

“I am learning to manage the club in new ways. I will bring joy to my hometown,” he said.

Besides, Yao said he would continue to participate in social welfare in the future.

“In the coming future, I will take my personal Yao Fund as the basis and call on more people to get involved in charity and help more people,” he said.