Yao Ming

Yao Ming

Yao Ming was one of the first Chinese baskeball players to play in the NBA. On his arrival he had quickly overcome his fears, befriended his rivals and in a short time, proved to be a very valuable player to the NBA. He was a 4-time NBA All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. He was part the third team of the all-NBA team twice, in 2004, 2006. He won the TSN NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003, and was part of first team of the NBA All-Rookie team in 2003. Yao Ming was the first pick of the 2002 NBA Draft.

Yao Ming is a hero because of his great attitude, his perseverence, and his generosity. His attitude and outlook on life is positive all the time. When other players tried to scare him, he just shrugged them off. When Shaquille O'Neal made a comment about him, Yao Ming befriended him. He did not play very well right away, and by the 2003 season he was not doing very well each game, averaging under 20 points. Today, he is doing quite well, averaging 26.4 points a game due to his persistance, his practice, and his passion for basketball. Yao Ming not only strives for self-improvement, but also for better lives of other people. In his 2003 off-season Yao Ming managed to raise $300,000 and awarness help stop SARS.

Yao Ming started his career in basketball when he entered the junior sports school in his district of Shanghai when he was only nine. Yao never intended to play basketball. When he was 10 he was already 5'5." Yao joined the Sharks's junior team when he was thirteen. The Sharks were a basketball team based in Shanghai. A few years after he joined, he made it to the Shark's first team, and a year after that Yao had made it to the National team. The National team was his last step before the NBA.

It is this persistence and hard work that make Yao Ming my hero.