NBA stars must get tired of being told they’re tall, but not when Yao Ming is in the room.
Dallas Mavericks teammates Luke Doncic and Dirk Nowitski could only look up to the 2.3m man mountain when they met, making another hilarious photo of Ming making tall people look tiny.
And Doncic, coming in at 201cm, and Nowitski, measuring 213cm, are no slouches when it comes to height, but it’s nothing compared to Ming.
Ming was an eight-time NBA All-Star during his near decade-long career with the Houston Rockets but since retirement could go pro making people feel short.
He’s done it to been snapped looking down on tennis stars Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, golf legend Gary Player and 1.95m NFL defensive end JJ Watt.
He’s even done it to several other basketballers, with Shaquille O’Neal — and pint-sized comedian Kevin Hart — and Kevin Love dwarfed by Ming’s massive frame.
Ming enjoyed a famous rivalry with O’Neal and the Hall of Famer is proud to be mentioned in the same breath as the NBA icon, especially after the challenges he faced coming to America from China, but he was careful to make sure his fame in the land of stars and stripes never got to his head.
“I felt pressure as it’s a ground undiscovered for me and you don’t know what waits out there (in the NBA), especially when you don’t speak English back then,” Yao said in a CNBC profile earlier this year.
“It’s an accomplishment for me, for somebody to call me as a rival to him (O’Neal), you know, he has no comparison in basketball history.
“Popularity comes after you finish work. Never let popularity distract you.”
For the Mavericks, the side still has two games left in the pre-season before the NBA season starts on Thursday October 18 against the Phoenix Suns.
To receive articles like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our sports newsletter here
Be the first to comment