Top 49 Quotes & Sayings by Yao Ming

Explore popular quotes and sayings by a Chinese athlete Yao Ming.

Last updated on December 21, 2024.

Yao Ming is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Yao was selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game eight times, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. During his final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA, at 2.29 m.

Chinese - Athlete | Born: September 12, 1980

Source: Wikipedia

No matter whether you are new or an old team member, you need time to adjust to one another.

Yao Ming

When I was young, we were taught not to dunk. We were taught not to stand out from the rest of the team. It's different now.

Yao Ming

Everybody is improving but I am improving slowly, which seemingly widens our distance.

Yao Ming

If you're going to learn a new language, you can't try to be perfect. You'll stop yourself from talking. You just have to let go.

Yao Ming

Basketball, in America, is like a culture. It is like a foreigner learning a new language. It is difficult to learn foreign languages and it will also be difficult for me to learn the culture for basketball here.

Yao Ming

A good leader must be fair.

Yao Ming

Endangered species are our friends.

Yao Ming

Putting our ecosystem in great peril is certainly not a part of Chinese culture that I know.

Yao Ming

Fortune cookies are a good idea. If the message is positive, it can make your day a little better.

Yao Ming

I'm getting fat... because my size, I put on 20 or 30 pounds, it doesn't show very much... I'm thinking about going back to work out in a very short time.

Yao Ming

I finished my high school. I think an educate is very, very important.

Yao Ming

When the buying stops, the killing can too.

Yao Ming

To miss one year is a long time. I've never been in this situation before, and I'm getting as much information as I can about my foot, to see what's the best for me and best for the Rockets.

Yao Ming

If we buy ivory it makes all of us killers as well.

Yao Ming

Embarrassed journalists ask me embarrassing questions, and they get embarrassing answers, and then hand out embarrassing stories to the embarrassing editors, who put them to the front pages of newspapers. When is this going to end?

Yao Ming

Others are improving very fast, and I'm not improving as fast, and that bothers me.

Yao Ming

Hometown is like my quilts. Sometimes when you are in sweet dreams, you don't feel it's comfortable.

Yao Ming

I can see well enough on the 28-meter basketball court.

Yao Ming

Kobe's heart is as strong as his muscles.

Yao Ming

I think I'll stick to what I'm used to, my principles, and that is team Number 1 and individual Number 2.

Yao Ming

It's always nice to start the season with a win.

Yao Ming

To me, first and foremost, basketball is a fun sport. It is a hobby, an interest. And second, it is a profession. I feel that I am very fortunate that I can find a professional job that I really, really love.

Yao Ming

I feel that the All-Star game is more like a party because its made up of a lot of elements. However the core of All-Star is still the 48 minute-game and all the fans will pay all attention to the showcase of the players excellent skills. The result of the game is not much of a concern.

Yao Ming

Is there a choice in life? It's always been like this. I am jealous that you have a lot of leisure and free time. You are jealous that I have a lot money.

Yao Ming

The Olympic Games is holy. Athletes from around the world, including myself, of course, dream to participate.

Yao Ming

Moving to the US was quite a transition for me, to say the least! There were, and still are so many new things to get used to: the language, food, culture, even the style of basketball is different here!

Yao Ming

I'm just one of the 1.3 billion Chinese.

Yao Ming

I understand basketball is not my entire life. It's only a part of my life. And there are a lot of other things that interest me a great deal ... other goals to seek, and this is how I have balance in life.

Yao Ming

I think I am upsetting the coach.

Yao Ming

First of all, I'm not buff enough. I got pushed away from the basket. And even when I didn't, I couldn't get anyone to throw me a pass.

Yao Ming

Westerners respect privacy, and they are very competitive in terms of work and personalities. My teammates in China and I can talk about everything. But with my Houston Rockets teammates, even though we're friends, we cannot ask each other about everything.

Yao Ming

When I was young, we were taught not to dunk. We were taght not to stand out from the rest of the team. It's different now.

Yao Ming

Friendship first, competition second.

Yao Ming

I only want to play basketball, and play it well and be happy about it. But I realize that with being famous, comes a lot of demands.

Yao Ming

All of the Chinese people, the Asian people say, "Oh Yao Ming, you are all the Chinese, all of Asia's hopes." That's a lot of pressure. I'm just a basketball player.

Yao Ming

One is taller. The other is shorter.

Yao Ming

Please don't let the illegal ivory trade orphan even more baby elephants.

Yao Ming

My American strength coach said he liked me better before I could speak English.

Yao Ming

The NBA is a big family, and I think of all these rookies as my brothers. I still believe I am blue collar among the All-Stars.

Yao Ming

It will take time to adapt, but I think I can handle it.

Yao Ming

I am a basketball player, and I would like to focus my energy on basketball. The other things, I would rather not do. It is not something I am greatly interested in, but I know it is my responsibility.

Yao Ming

Every sound in the gym is so fantastic. The screams of the fans, the whistle of the ref, the teammates calling to each other, the sounds of the ball touching the wooden floor, the sneakers touching the floor, and the sounds of the fight, the muscle and the sweat. Oh, and the last one-when the ball goes through the net. Don't laugh at my sensitivity and romanticism - those sounds really attract me.

Yao Ming

Sport is the best means of communication between people from different religions and countries.

Yao Ming