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.Since February, when Yao suffered a stress fracture in his left foot, ending his season with the Houston Rockets, the Chinese had held their breath over the specter of their most famous athlete riding the bench for the national team.A six-year veteran of the NBA, Yao is a towering global commodity. But in the Olympics, 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 US,” said Wang Songtao, 27, a Beijing-based lawyer. “He always remembers that he is from China.”Since China was awarded the Games, Communist Party leaders have been preoccupied with how best to showcase Chinese culture and athletic prowess this summer. But the government has been pushed back on its heel — forced to defend itself from criticism of its crackdown on political dissidents, its role in Tibet and Darfur, and its effectiveness in handling the Sichuan earthquake.Yao, with a size 18 shoe planted both in this country and in the United States, is the type of export China is more interested in promoting.The 27-year-old player was born to two basketball stars whose marriage was arranged by the government, which then measured him regularly even as an infant, predicted his growth and trained him for years. He is not the first Chinese basketball player to make it in the NBA — that would be his team mate, Wang Zhizhi, who played for the Dallas Mavericks beginning in 2001. Yao, however, is the most successful. His earnings in 2007 were estimated by Forbes at $56.6 million.Rooted“Once he shows up, his appearance will make a difference,” said Jin Wenhui, 21, a student at Texas A&M University. “People will feel differently as soon as he stands there,” Jin said. “In our hearts, he is the image ambassador of China.”Yao’s loyalty to China has helped win him admirers. In May, after the earthquake that devastated Sichuan province, Yao donated $71,000 for the relief effort. When his contribution prompted rare public complaints that, given his salary, he could afford to send more, he did so, upping the amount to $286,000. In June, he announced would give $2 million to a foundation in his name to rebuild schools destroyed in the quake.Yao’s sense of humour and duty are often among the first attributes Chinese praise. Asked by a Chinese journalist four years ago what his favourite American music was, Yao replied: “I like the national anthem. I listen to it at least 82 times a year.” When he quietly signed a five-year extension to his contract with the Rockets three years ago, sportswriters marveled at the lack of arrogance, drama and posturing that usually accompanies star negotiations in the NBA.China now plays down its chances for gold medals at the Games, and even fans say they would be happy if China’s basketball team finished in fifth or sixth place. But the country’s hopes clearly rest with Yao’s ability to strengthen the confidence of the Chinese people.
