Home > How They See Us > Archives > 2008 > November > 14
Friday, November 14, 2008
Chinese say Yao Ming should fight back
Hundreds of Chinese criticized Houston Rockets basketball center Yao Ming - China’s best-loved athlete - for backing down in a shoving match between the Rockets and Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
The fracas started when Houston’s Rafer Alston pushed a Phoenix player at midcourt. Tracy McGrady then shoved Steve Nash and was in turn pushed down by Shaquille O’Neal, “who with one arm moved the entire scrum several feet,” the Associate Press reported.
When Yao came to pull McGrady out of the mess, O’Neal shoved him down as well, China’s Sohu Sports website said.
When Sohu Sports asked readers if Yao should have fought back, 82 percent said he should have.
One typical posting to the site blamed Yao for weakness. “You should have hit him,” the anonymous posting states. “You can’t let people think you can be pushed around.”
“If Yao gets in a fight and no one comes to help him, it will be horrible. The whole Chinese nation will lose face,” the comment said.
