Basketball star set for flag honor in London
- Xu Lin
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 26, 2012
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Yao Ming (left) and Yi Jianlian (right) [file photos] |
Retired Chinese basketball star Yao Ming has offered words of congratulation to his former international teammate Yi Jianlian, who has been chosen as China's flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games on July 27.
Yi is a Chinese professional basketball player who has most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.
In an interview with Sina.com in London, former NBA star Yao commented that since the 1984 Games, China's Olympic flag bearers have all been basketball players and he expressed his happiness that Yi would be continuing the tradition. Yao himself is a two-time Olympic flag bearer, having performed the role at both Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.
Yao added that the main reason basketball players are chosen as flag bearers is because of their height. "But the other reason is not popularly known," he continued. "Normally, according to the game's program, there is no basketball match the next day [following the opening ceremony] and this is our big advantage."
Regarding the chances of China's basketball team at the London Olympics, Yao cautioned that competition would be fierce, as the Olympics bring together the world's best athletes. He also dismissed the importance of the draw, saying: "It is unnecessary to discuss whether it is a lucky draw or not. What we should do is to try our best to compete with [our] strong and competitive rivals."
Many believe that London will be the Olympic swansong of Chinese basketball players Wang Zhizhi and Liu Wei. Yao, however, would not be drawn. "Never say never," he said. "You don't know what will happen in four years."
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