Yao Ming has always been a pretty thoughtful cat in his dealings with the press, never scared to wax philosophical on basketball and life. Most of the time, Yao’s witticisms are comedic gems, mostly because the guy is genuinely funny and not simply due to the fact that he doesn’t have full command of the English language yet.
Following the Beijing Games, Yao was in no mood for jokes and witty banter; dude sounded downright depressed following his national hoops team’s disappointing showing on the biggest stage imaginable.
From the Houston Chronicle:
“I look at these Games, now that they are over, and I wonder what is the next thing for myself, for my country, for all of us?” Yao said just a few hours before he took part in the Closing Ceremony.
“We have spent so many years preparing for this event and now it is over. I have just played in the most important competition of my career. Is my life over?”
The good news is that Ming goes on to admit that the part about his life possibly being over is a tad of an exaggeration, which is probably a relief for anyone with a vested interest in the Houston Rockets.
Your life isn’t over, Yao. It’s just about to enter its most fascinating phase yet.
