"You are blind, and you really want to step back and turn back home. Only 22 years old at the time, Yao tells CNN of his ambiguous feelings about his move overseas, beginning with all the cameras flashing him at the Shanghai airport: "I am a little worried about my conditioning stuff," he admits, "but as for my foot injury, there is no problem."ĭoes that mean he will carry the torch in Beijing?Ġ030 (Europe/Asia/South Asia/North America)īut Yao's real leap into the limelight came after he was selected first overall in the 2002 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, and subsequently pursued his career out of the U.S. Yao's injuries earlier this year were followed meticulously, so much that the Chinese Basketball Association had mapped out with military precision two scenarios for the Olympic match - one with Yao, one without.īy now we know that Yao will play, but how much will his performance suffer? While some have speculated about exactly how many inches he will lose on his high jump, Yao himself bounces back with confidence: for a historical showdown between the Games' most ardent rivals. This summer, Yao will lead the national Chinese basketball team against the U.S. Nor do you have to be a sports buff to recognize his giant physique and square countenance, dominating television commercials and billboards everywhere in China, advertising everything from Apple monitors to Visa cards to Coke. (CNN) - You don't have to be a basketball fan to look up to Yao Ming, who at 7-feet-6-inches (2.29 meters) is now the tallest active player in NBA basketball.