NBA Star Yao an Ambassador for China On, Off Basketball Court

2008/07/28 20:42:43 @NBA.com: News

From THE OTTAWA CITIZEN, "in the affluent lakefront capital of Zhejiang province last week, Yao Ming, China's 7-foot-6 centre, walked onto the basketball court at Yellow Dragon Stadium to thunderous applause. It was a small, but significant step for the upcoming Beijing Olympics: Yao would play. A six-year veteran of the NBA, Yao is a towering global commodity. In the Olympics, though, his value is even greater: He is a reflection of the China that many people here hope the world will see during the Games: a humble, hard-working superstar unchanged by his vast new wealth. In that way, he personifies for many Chinese the spirit of the nation, which has embraced capitalism even as it has clung to the mantle of Communism. ‘For ordinary Chinese, who have a very strong concept about their nation, Yao represents China in the U.S.,' said Wang Songtao, 27, a Beijing-based lawyer. ‘He handles national interests and his individual interests well. He always remembers that he is from China.'"
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