Q & A

| Yao Ming

Q: Some people claim the doctor who performed surgery on your foot was not good enough and should take the blame for your retirement. What do you think?

A: Whether the doctor is good or bad, he could not change the fact that I'm 2.26 meters tall and over 150 kg. Also I was born with a high arch, which increases the chances of getting injured.

I always had trust in my doctor. We cannot deny his ability because I returned to compete at the 2006 World Championships and became the tournament's top scorer.

Q: People compare you with Shaquille O'Neal. What do you think of the comparisons between you and Shaq?

A: Shaq is one of the greatest players of all-time. To be honest, I was not able to overplay him during his peak. I was actually lucky as when I met him in the NBA, his career was on the downside.

That's why it seemed I got close to his level in some games. I have heard that there are only two players in NBA history who could play at a similar level as him at center - Arvydas Sabonis and Wilt Chamberlain.

Q: Unlike many NBA all-star players, who chose to quit international games, you spent lots of time training and playing for the Chinese national team, including Olympics and World Championships. What made you so devoted to the national team?

A: It's always an honor to play for the national team. It was a dream deeply rooted in my heart when I was a child. One of my coaches told me I should treasure the moments as a national player.

It's a really pure feeling as you never know if you will wear the jersey of the Chinese national team from day to day. The older you get, the stronger that feeling is.

Q: You were the flag bearer of the Chinese delegation at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. How did you feel about that?

Well, you can make mistakes on the basketball court, but you absolutely cannot make any mistakes on that kind of occasion. I was really nervous during the 2004 Games and also in China. Being a flag bearer at the Olympics is a dream for lots of basketball players.

Q: What do you plan to do now?

A: I plan to continue my studies at university, but I will not tell you which university as I do not want to be distracted.

Q: Which is more difficult, being a basketball player or a student?

A: For me, being a student may be harder. You have four or five hours of intense training each day when playing basketball, but you can use the rest of time to do anything you want. Going to school is a different story; you have to keep on thinking even after you come back home after seven or eight hours of study.