Word: yao
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...American dream unfolds as a familiar tale: a poor kid works hard and grows up to be a rich, successful businessman. The Chinese dream isn't so different, except in the case of basketball star Yao Ming, it goes something like this: a poor kid is pushed into a sport he has little interest in, he brings a lackluster team in Shanghai to victory in the national championships, and he gets drafted by the Houston Rockets, where his offensive prowess earns him seven NBA All-Star awards. Fast-forward to the present and the 7-ft. 6-in. center faces...
...Home-team affection notwithstanding, it's not clear whether the Sharks will be a good investment for China's richest sports star. After Yao departed for the U.S. in 2002, the Sharks went from national champions to perennial league basement dwellers. At the same time, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has languished, in part because young Chinese players would prefer to watch the high-octane antics of the NBA rather than the second-rate efforts of their national league, where poor coaching and antiquated playbooks have stunted the game. It doesn't help, either, that China's best players, like...
...Granted, Yao's star has faded slightly in China, his jersey being outsold in recent years by other NBA stars like Kobe Bryant. But he is still closely followed. "I'm so bummed out about his injury," says Yan Xin, 27, a Yao fan who never misses a Rockets game when they are televised in China. "In hindsight, he should have just focused on the NBA, and not be forced to play for the Chinese national team. I can't imagine how anyone can deal with such overwhelming pressure and intense schedules." (See pictures of China's sports schools...
...Chinese fans have grown accustomed to seeing Yao out with an injury. While he has noticeably toughened up over his seven seasons in the NBA, he has often been hurt. In February 2008 he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot that kept him out of the NBA playoffs, but he returned to play for his country in the Beijing Olympics. He carried China's flag into the Olympic stadium and led the Chinese men to the quarterfinals, where they lost to Lithuania. This past NBA season was the first since 2004-05 that he didn't miss...
...After seeing their hero return from injury so many times before, few in China seem ready to declare him finished. Eric Zhang, Yao's agent, told the China Daily that it was premature to call an end to the center's career, and many fans agree. "I think whether he can make a comeback depends on his own attitude," says Ma, during a break from a pickup game in Beijing. "There are plenty of basketball players who managed to do that after major injuries. I don't see why Yao Ming should be an exception...