Yao Ming

(http://www.basketwallpapers.com/China)

A hero can be somebody who is honest, talented, or just very nice. A guy named Yao Ming is all of those, and a very tall person. Yao Ming was born in Shanghai, China and is 7 foot 5 inches tall. He is also the first Chinese player to enter the NBA. A hero like Yao Ming is very thoughtful, peaceful, modest, and humble to everybody. Yao Ming is also a good team player and co-operates with everybody. Even though his height can be surprising, his actions are the same as ours. He's a role model to me because his attitude and thoughts are very simplistic, and he still gets all the publicity and honor.

Yao Ming was born in September 12, 1980, and of course, in Shanghai, China. His first name, Yao, is his family's name, and Ming was given to him by his parents. Since there were so many people at the time, his family had to ration coupons for food. His parents tried very hard to satisfy their son's appetite. I got this from somebodie's biography and after reading, I felt sorry for Yao because he's been through some very tough times in his life and now, hes just like another celebrity. He was in the lower class as a child and now hes very popular worldwide.

By the time Yao was even in the 3rd grade, he was already 5 foot 7 inches tall. His teachers and sports teams took note of his immense height. When Yao was schooled, he wasn't really interested in sports; he was more into the military and history type. At 6th grade, Yao was already as tall as his mother, and in the 9th, he was just as tall as his father and he even asked to play with the Shanghai Sharks. When he did, he was so good that he was the star player of the team. This is what I admire about Yao; he can give something a try and end up being the star of it. Before he even played basketball, he just focused on his studies. Now he's a professional basketball player and is very popular.

As Yao continued his journey, his skills were monitored by citizens outside of Asia. Sports marketers and scouters had seen his great skill and Yao was discovered very quickly. Nike had even asked Yao to go to the United States and go to one of their basketball camps in 1998. In one of the articles of the New Yorker, Peter Hessler even talked to Yao, and he says, "Before then, I was always playing with people who were two or three years older than me," he explained. "They were always more developed, and I didn't think that I was any good. But in America I finally played against people my own age, and I realized that I was actually very good. That gave me a lot of confidence." This is also a good thing for me, other basketball players, or anybody who is inspired to do something at a decent skill level. When you try to do something at the same level as yourself, try doing everything like its the toughest fight. The more you try, the more you get better at things."

In the Summer Olympics of 2004, Yao carried out the Chinese flag as they all marched into the stadium. In all of the Olympics, he was still the tallest competitor there. When Yao was still with the Sharks, he made a small profit, but his skill was still relatively good; in one of his games he made 21 shots and all sank into the net. When he got released out of the CBA into the NBA, the Chinese asked to give a percentage of his salary when he played with the NBA. As he came to the Houston Rockets draft pick, he was the first choice as center. His salary was gigantic compared to when he played on the CBA; $18 million to $20 thousand. Though 5% went back to the CBA for his respects. He was surprised at the media attention that his NBA career has brought; he says he always hoped to achieve greatness in his profession. "When I was small, I always wanted to be famous," he confessed to Hessler. "I thought I'd be a scientist or maybe a political figure. It didn't matter, as long as I was famous." Overall, his journey seemed very great and his goal seemed to be reached right when he was notified of his basketball skills. It's also nice to see the first Chinese basketball player to ever join a US team. This gives a good boost of morality for the Chinese. This also helps me because I play basketball regularly with friends and I try to keep it going with Yao's journey and what he has been throughout his entire life. His skills and great passion really affect me by letting me know that you can always try, as trying will make you do better throughout your future.