Super star Yao Ming supreme at World Championships
28/8/2006 17:14
Thousands of Japanese and overseas fans packed for China's every game in
Sapporo and in Saitama to cheer the Houston Rockets' center, one of the most
successful Asian super stars in sports.
Hiroshima, where the host Japan was
playing, and Sapporo received full-house spectators in the stadiums at the
preliminary round though three of China's five matches were scheduled on 1:30 at
noon.
Yao, who refused any Japanese sponsors because of the wars between
China and Japan in history, spent no blink on his popularity in Japan, but gave
out all he has to produce a determined and confident team from a couple of
promising Chinese.
After a 0-3 start losing to Italy, the United States and
Puerto Rico, China had two brave victories over Senegal and Slovenia to enter
the knockout stage.
Yao led the tournament with 25.3 points per game, and is
ranked fourth on rebounds (9) and second on blocks (2.3) per game.
China
bounced out of the competition after a 95-64 loss to European champion
Greece.
It was not the statistics that highlighted Yao's games in Japan, but
his leadership and fighting spirit that set up him as one of the best super
stars in the tournament.
He played the full 40-minute game, contributing 36
points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, in China's crucial 78-77 win over
Slovenia.
Guard Wang Shipeng beat the buzzer with the game-winning
three-pointer to produce the most dramatic game in Chinese basketball
history.
"We are improving after each game, and played more like a team." Yao
said. "It's not about the ability and power, it's all about bravery and
confidence."
Yao inspired his teammates to the higher level of their games
without saying a word.
"I was the guy who practiced the hardest before the
world championships. If someone who doesn't know me watches my practice, he
might say, 'Is the big guy to be wiped off from the national squad?'"
"I
don't say too much in the locker-room. I want to make good things happen with my
performance, but not with my mouth. I'm glad to witness the ultimate change of
the team's morale," Yao said.
Teammates agreed with Yao.
"I think this is
a better team than that of the warm-ups. We fight every game and are eager to
win. Yao gives us a lot of help on not to give up," said Zhu Fangyu.
"Yao is
the guy who get most of the defense. All the others can do is to pass the ball
to him and shooting the open shots. We're doing better on these things," said
Wang Zhizhi, former Miami Heat' s forward.
China failed to enter the last
eight of the championships, but Yao is spearheading a promising team for the
2008 Beijing Olympics.
xinhua
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