Yao Ming: Why the World Should Thank the "Great Wall of China"

Growing up, my friends called me Yao Ming.
 
To them, I was a splendid freak of nature—a 6'4" Chinese kid who somehow got misplaced in the country-music paradise called Alabama. None of my comrades had seen the likes of me, so they wisely took one look at my rhythmically-appealing name, and without hesitation, decided to call me "Yao"—or as they explained it, my cousin's name.

At first, I suppose I was flattered by the association. After all, Yao had been drafted No. 1 by the Houston Rockets; so how could I not be honored? I rightly took it as a compliment.

However, I hadn’t even seen Yao in action, so I wasn’t completely certain.

My own NBA aspirations had ended when I’d realized professional basketball rims weren’t actually placed at a dunk-friendly height of seven feet, leaving me desperately looking for a player I could watch and live through vicariously.

Enter Yao Ming.

Yet, after watching Yao play that first year, I wasn't so sure I’d found the right NBA player to be named after.

It certainly doesn't say volumes about me if my favorite player, a 7'6" beast, has trouble finishing around the rim, gets out-rebounded and blocked by shorter players, and runs like a three-legged giraffe. 

Even after watching Yao for eight years, I still can't deny he possesses a knack for embarrassing moments. Being posterized by Andre Iguodala is semi-acceptable, but having the 5'9" Nate Robinson block your dunk attempt for the third time in his career is nothing short of pitiful.

Moments like those are what give critics the ammunition needed to label Yao Overrated.

They acknowledge his career 19.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, .524 FG percentage, and .832 FT percentage, but argue that for a man of his physical gifts, Yao should be much more of a dominating force—especially when trying to dunk on a guy nearly two feet shorter.

Even as a Houston Rockets fan, I agreed—that is, until I stopped obsessing over numbers and remembered to appreciate the intricacies of one of the best team sports ever.  

For beyond all the numbers and hoopla that surrounds the nasty dunks and shameful blocks, Yao is as much an under-appreciated center as he is an ambassador of humility, selflessness, and heart; not only for the sport of basketball, but the world.

In a league where flashy dunks and boisterous mouths are lionized, Yao continues to be a model student of the game. He's never been a player who puts himself above the team. He’s never agonized over his personal statistics. Instead, he does whatever he can to help the team win. He's more than willing to make that extra pass and to set an unnoticed pick for a slashing teammate.

You'll never find Yao trash-talking after a glamorous dunk. Nor will you find him complaining over a lack of playing time. Instead, you'll see Yao be the first to jump off the bench to applaud a seldom-used teammate—even when the game is all but over. He's one of the most respectful guys in the game—leading to even Shaq calling him a "classy guy."

Off the court, it's much the same. Despite undeniable fame, he's never allowed it to go to his head. He's not that guy who'll pull a "drunken Sir Charles," fraternize with drugs or exotic women, or define his athletic success by his income.

No, he's the type to lift and plant sod during a rainy All-Star weekend in New Orleans, to be recognized by the United Nations for his contributions to the fight against AIDS, and to not only donate $2 million after the tragic 2008 Sichuan earthquake, but to also approach the NBA about doing a public service announcement during NBA games.

I realize that Yao's kindness and selflessness are often used as ammunition against him. Indeed, critics love to point to Yao's lack of toughness and fire as key reasons why he'll never be as great or as dominating as Shaq.

They're absolutely right. Yao will never be as extraordinary as Shaq’s been during his career. But then again, nobody in the near future will be.

Yet, we must understand that comparing Yao to Shaq is, for a lack of a better analogy, like comparing apples and oranges.

Whereas Shaq is, in the purest sense, an entertainer and dominator of the game, Yao is the game's ambassador—a hard-working, thoughtful, and courageous pioneer who has taken greater responsibilities than any one man should ever be required to take.

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