ChaKo | 07-25-2011 11:22 PM | Quote:
Originally Posted by SkinnyPupp
(Post 7505306)
Yao Ming didn't do shit to promote NBA worldwide. He is very well known in China, but they don't give a shit about NBA, they like Yao Ming. In fact after his retirement from NBA, he will probably return to China and become an even bigger star doing whatever...
And "worldwide".... come on. Ask anyone in Europe or Australia or Brazil or Asia outside China, who is more familiar - Yao Ming or Michael Jordan... | These are only a few examples, but most of what I've read, and my experience in China, seems to suggest otherwise. I'm not saying Jordan is bigger than Yao in China, but to say that they don't care about the NBA? The NBA was being televised in China before Yao's arrival and people line the streets just to get a glimpse of Kobe Bryant. The NBA Has Become A Leading Export to China
"Yao generated a lot of attention for basketball among his countrymen, but Cheong said American players have always enjoyed a popularity here independent of national pride in Yao's achievements. Recognition surveys back in the 1990s, she noted, showed Michael Jordan outranked even Zhou Enlai, the revolutionary hero and companion of Mao Zedong who figures prominently in Chinese schoolbooks." NBA IN CHINA - China | Facts and Details
"Michael Jordan is still a household name in China. In one popularity poll he ranked higher than Mao. Many Chinese will tell you that his team, the Chicago "Red Oxen," is their favorite NBA team. Allen Iverson is also very popular.
There is a Nike-sponsored LeBron James Museum in Shanghai.
The top-selling NBA jerseys in China in 2007-2008 were: 1) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers; 2) Kevin Gannett, Boston Celtics; 3) Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets; 4) Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics; 5) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets; 6) Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards; 7) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers; 8) Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat; 9) Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic; 10) Yao Ming, Houston Rockets. Many thought that Yao Ming only managed 10th because most fans had purchased his jersey some time ago." |