Houston Rockets center Yao Ming seems likely to walk down the aisle this August with fiancée Ye Li, a player on the Chinese women’s basketball team.
Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey was quoted as saying that the couple will hold their wedding after Yao has finished practices in July. The “small giant” will later join the national team for some exercises and warm-up matches in September before returning to Houston to prepare for the new season.
Glad to hear that the big guy could squeeze in a wedding between his commitments to the Rockets and the China National team. Mazeltov to the happy couple from DaDump!
[Cri]
Check out the next big thing to come out of China… literally. Considered to be the next Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian is a 7 foot prospect who many believe will be taken in the Top 3 in the upcoming NBA lottery draft. If you’re curious why, click after the jump to read a comprehensive ESPN article on the boy with hops…
NBA All-Star Yao Ming and actor Pu Cunxin will be appearing in 200,000 posters all over China soon in an AIDS awareness campaign entitled “We Are Friends,” launched by the United Nations Development Program. After years of denying that AIDS was a problem, Chinese leaders have shifted gears dramatically in recent years, confronting the disease more openly and promising anonymous testing, free treatment for the poor and a ban on discrimination against people with the virus. [Ecorazzi]
After years of denying that AIDS was a problem, Chinese leaders have shifted gears dramatically in recent years, confronting the disease more openly and promising anonymous testing, free treatment for the poor and a ban on discrimination against people with the virus.
Definitely a big step in the right direction to really start addressing the problem and to actually make an effort to stop stigmatizing people afflicted with the disease. Let’s hope it helps.
Take the shirt off his back: Kobe has #1 best selling jersey in China
Even after switching from traditional lucky No. 8 to No. 24 this season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar, Kobe Bryant, has the top selling jersey in China, while sales of Yao Ming’s jersey in his home country continue to fall, according to results released by the NBA.
Bryant moved up three spots to replace Tracy McGrady, Yao’s teammate with the Houston Rockets, atop the list. McGrady slipped to third, while Yao dropped three spots to sixth.
Bryant also had the top-selling jersey in the United States. He increased his popularity in Asia after touring the region last summer. [SI]
If you thought 7′6″ Yao Ming was an NBA fluke then get ready for lightning to strike twice.
The next big thing from China is Yi Jianlian, the 7-footer from Shenzhen, China, who is trying to help his Guangdong Tigers win a fourth straight national championship. With Yi projected as a top 10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, if not the top pick, scouts from around the NBA are lining up to catch a glimpse of this basketball phenom.
“[Yi] is very close to a player like Amare Stoudemire [of the Phoenix Suns],” Yao suggested when asked for a comparison. “He’s taller, almost 7 feet. He has very nice touch. He’s very athletic. I think he has good . . . balance for a great player.”
Yao was the No. 1 overall pick by the Rockets in 2002, the first international player to be taken No. 1. “He’s a good player, and from what I see, athletic,” said journalist Wang Mang, of Titan Sports, who has been following Yao, sending reports back to China. “From that aspect, he is quicker [than Yao]. His explosive strength is much better than Yao. Yao has a much better [shooting] touch, but Yi can move quicker. [Philly]
Remember the days when kids were picked on at the playground until Bruce Lee films started hitting the theaters. Well, the same thing is going to happen on basketball courts and all sorts of playing fields around the country as more superstar Asian talents start hitting American shores. Yeah yeah yeah, boyeeee!
China Men in the NBA: Yi Jianlian (soon to be), Yao Ming, Wang ZhiZhi
Forbes released its lists of Chinese celebrity rankings, with NBA star Yao Ming coming first both on the income and social influence rankings.
Famous athlete Liu Xiang, the 110-meter hurdling world record holder, and blockbuster director Zhang Yimou were second and third on the list of social influence, while their incomes were fourth and sixth respectively.
It is noticeable that in the top 10 in social influence, other than those named above, all the others were females from showbiz.
Gong Li, with an income of nearly US$6m, is fifth both in terms of income and social influence. Her rise in social influence is due to her growing spotlight in Hollywood after starring in “Miami Vice” and “Hannibal Rising” in 2007. Zhang Ziyi is fourth in social influence after her performance in “Memoirs of a Geisha,” but her income dropped to 18th because she had no new releases in the past year due to her studies in the United States.
Rounding out the list are actress Zhou Xun at No. 6, Fan Bingbing at No. 7, singer Li Yuchun at No.8, director and actress Xu Jinglei at No. 9 and actress Carina Lau at No. 10.
It is astonishing to find Twelve Girls Band coming in second in income. They earned about US$18m, after performing 50 concerts on their world tour. However, their social influence was only 37th. [Cri]
This has not been a good season for Yao Ming. First Yao who plays for the HoustonRockets is sidelined for six weeks after fracturing the bone under his right knee. Ouch! Next comes an internet report linking him to American film and TV actress, Nia Long. Best known for her portrayal as WillSmith’s girlfriend in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, Yao read the news that he was romantically involved with the 5ft 2in actress while surfing the ‘net with his girlfriend, YeLi, by his side. Ye, 6ft 2in to Yao’s 7ft 6in frame, is a centre for China’s female basketball team. Yao immediately dismissed the story as “ridiculous”.
Nia Long, Yao’s “reported” love interest
As if that weren’t enough, reports have emerged that someone has hijacked his name! A woman from China who calls herself Jin registered “Yao Ming” as a domain address at a China Mobile network.
Domain address registration is potentially hugely profitable, considering the huge market of 455 million Chinese mobile phone users.
Jin said she did not do it for profit but to protect Yao, China Youth Daily quoted her as saying “[she is willing to] give up the registration if Yao gives her a hug and his signature. I want to keep Yao’s name from being misused just like everyone else. That’s why I registered his name ahead of those who want to take advantage of it,”
And to add insult upon injury, it was registered as a brand for sanitary pads. And it’s only January… [ChinaDaily]
From Shanghaiist: “The caption from this authentic un-retouched Chinese promotional postcard for McDonalds says something about how “Beef makes you strong.” For an American (or at least me) looking at this, I see YaoMing in a demonic horned salute (or a Longhorn fan) to Satan having already sold his soul to the dark one for fame and victory. The background shadow of a looming horned figure seems to confirm that the possession of his soul has already taken place.”
This blogger who wrote this, FrankYu, believes the ‘Lost in Translation’ moment is a result of weak due dilligence and research on the part of the local agency that did this ad for McDonalds. Excellent point.
The Dumpling, however, sees something more duplicitous and devious. Clearly it is a subliminal message in support of satanic worship and the Almighty Dollar. Like any group trying to break into the China market, they have enlisted the help a highly visible and respected celebrity which in this case is Yao Ming.
In fact, the Dumpling has uncovered a picture of Yao making a pact with Mr. Mephistopheles himself (aka the Devil, Satan, elDiablo, GeorgeBush, Lucifer),complete with hair of fire and a face that will surely strike fear into the heart of every child on the planet. We hope it is not too late for Yao.
Yao Ming signs a long term contract (eternity) with the Devil
The 9th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention will be held in the city of Kobe in Japan as part of The Year of China in Japan in 2007.
China’s most famous international basketball star, Yao Ming, will act as the spokesman for 2007 The Year of China in Japan. He said it’s his responsibility to help the international community gain a fuller picture of China.
The upcoming convention will focus on promoting Chinese culture, and strengthening exchanges between China and Japan.
Peace is the theme for 2007 The Year of China in Japan, which aims to provide a platform for communication between the two countries. [CriEnglish]
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