Reach heights with own views, says Yao
Print Edition
FORMER NBA star Yao Ming yesterday encouraged Chinese high school students to express their own opinions, which he says is the biggest cultural difference between China and the United States.
Yao was speaking at a summit held by the Harvard College Association for US-China Relations.
The 34-year-old former Houston Rockets center met with about 350 top Chinese high school students and 50 Harvard undergraduates at the summit, which aims to give Chinese students a taste of the prestigious university’s teaching style.
Dressed casually in a gray polo shirt and white pants, Yao shared his experiences, thoughts and suggestions with the students, many of whom plan to go abroad for undergraduate studies.
He said Americans are more daring in giving their own opinions, while Chinese people are taught to be restrained and to listen to others.
“I used to be a restrained type when I started playing in the US,” Yao said. “When the coach asked me what I thought of our team, I would choose to say something that wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Yao said he had been blamed for not contributing enough to the team, and it took him a long time to understand that giving an opinion is not to hurt someone but to make the team better.
“It is very important to have independent thinking and the courage to challenge authority, just like the Harvard school motto ‘Veritas’ — meaning ‘truth’ in Latin,” Yao said.
Since Yao retired in 2011, a main focus of his activities has been shifted to charity programs which send teachers to teach children in rural China to play basketball and enrich their after-school life.
Yao also emphasized the spirit of teamwork and the importance of communication among teammates. “When in a team, you’re not fighting alone. Everyone should do their best, as whatever you do will affect the final result,” he said.
Yao told students not be afraid of failure and face it with courage. “Failure will be the medal for your success.”
Yao said he found his passion for basketball when he was 18 and that passion propelled him to play better and aim for higher levels.
“It is impossible to do a good job if you have no interest in it,” he said.
When asked about his retirement, Yao admitted that the continuous ankle injuries and long-time recovery after every surgery had tried his patience.
“There is no need sacrificing your health and family for a dead-end career,” Yao said.
Harvard student Zheng Chaodan was interested in Yao’s view that Chinese friendships are hard to make, but when you make a friend, it becomes very easy to get to know them. But with Americans, it’s easy to get to know someone, but hard to know them well.
“I agree to a certain extent, but I also think that while friendships may be different, they’re not necessarily completely different,” Zheng said.
Yao said he hoped the students could keep a strong body and mind when they go abroad to a different culture.
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