Yao Ming quotes:

Basketball, in America, is like a culture. It is like a foreigner learning a new language. It is difficult to learn foreign languages and it will also be difficult for me to learn the culture for basketball here.

No matter whether you are new or an old team member, you need time to adjust to one another.

Fortune cookies are a good idea. If the message is positive, it can make your day a little better.

Putting our ecosystem in great peril is certainly not a part of Chinese culture that I know.

A good leader must be fair.

Endangered species are our friends.

I'm getting fat... because my size, I put on 20 or 30 pounds, it doesn't show very much... I'm thinking about going back to work out in a very short time.

If you're going to learn a new language, you can't try to be perfect. You'll stop yourself from talking. You just have to let go.

The NBA is a big family, and I think of all these rookies as my brothers. I still believe I am blue collar among the All-Stars.

I think I'll stick to what I'm used to, my principles, and that is team Number 1 and individual Number 2.

All of the Chinese people, the Asian people say, "Oh Yao Ming, you are all the Chinese, all of Asia's hopes." That's a lot of pressure. I'm just a basketball player.

I don't really have anything to say. Basketball is not a game that you can play with your mouth. It needs action to prove yourself.

I understand basketball is not my entire life. It's only a part of my life. And there are a lot of other things that interest me a great deal ... other goals to seek, and this is how I have balance in life.

I'm just one of the 1.3 billion Chinese.

When I was young, we were taught not to dunk. We were taught not to stand out from the rest of the team. It's different now.

Embarrassed journalists ask me embarrassing questions, and they get embarrassing answers, and then hand out embarrassing stories to the embarrassing editors, who put them to the front pages of newspapers. When is this going to end?

Friendship first, competition second.

Hometown is like my quilts. Sometimes when you are in sweet dreams, you don't feel it's comfortable.

I only want to play basketball, and play it well and be happy about it. But I realize that with being famous, comes a lot of demands.

Is there a choice in life? It's always been like this. I am jealous that you have a lot of leisure and free time. You are jealous that I have a lot money.

First of all, I'm not buff enough. I got pushed away from the basket. And even when I didn't, I couldn't get anyone to throw me a pass.

I can see well enough on the 28-meter basketball court.

I feel that the All-Star game is more like a party because its made up of a lot of elements. However the core of All-Star is still the 48 minute-game and all the fans will pay all attention to the showcase of the players excellent skills. The result of the game is not much of a concern.

Be a journalist. I can't get away from you guys, then I just mingle with you guys.

Every sound in the gym is so fantastic. The screams of the fans, the whistle of the ref, the teammates calling to each other, the sounds of the ball touching the wooden floor, the sneakers touching the floor, and the sounds of the fight, the muscle and the sweat. Oh, and the last one-when the ball goes through the net. Don't laugh at my sensitivity and romanticism - those sounds really attract me.

Everybody is improving but I am improving slowly, which seemingly widens our distance.

I am a basketball player, and I would like to focus my energy on basketball. The other things, I would rather not do. It is not something I am greatly interested in, but I know it is my responsibility.

I finished my high school. I think an educate is very, very important.

I think I am upsetting the coach.

If we buy ivory it makes all of us killers as well,

It will take time to adapt, but I think I can handle it.

It's always nice to start the season with a win.

Kobe's heart is as strong as his muscles.

Moving to the US was quite a transition for me, to say the least! There were, and still are so many new things to get used to: the language, food, culture, even the style of basketball is different here!

My American strength coach said he liked me better before I could speak English.

One is taller. The other is shorter.

Others are improving very fast, and I'm not improving as fast, and that bothers me.

Please don't let the illegal ivory trade orphan even more baby elephants.

Sometimes it can feel like there are a billion people on my shoulders.

Sport is the best means of communication between people from different religions and countries.

Sports teach you how to be quick. Injuries teach you how to slow down.

The journalists are poking me all the time. It's impossible for me to stop even I want to.

The Olympic Games is holy. Athletes from around the world, including myself, of course, dream to participate.

There is a phrase in Chinese, 'Resolve is victory.'

To me, first and foremost, basketball is a fun sport. It is a hobby, an interest. And second, it is a profession. I feel that I am very fortunate that I can find a professional job that I really, really love.

To miss one year is a long time. I've never been in this situation before, and I'm getting as much information as I can about my foot, to see what's the best for me and best for the Rockets.

Westerners respect privacy, and they are very competitive in terms of work and personalities. My teammates in China and I can talk about everything. But with my Houston Rockets teammates, even though we're friends, we cannot ask each other about everything.

When I was young, we were taught not to dunk. We were taght not to stand out from the rest of the team. It's different now.

When the buying stops, the killing can too.