PrintYao Ming Pregame Quotes - October 30, 2002
Oct. 30, 2002 (INDIANAPOLIS) - Yao Ming held court with the media prior to his first NBA regular season game against the Indiana Pacers. The following is a transcript of his comments.
Q: What expectation do you have for yourself?
Yao: The only expectation I have of myself is to play well.
Q: Are you excited or nervous, considering the TV audience in China?
Yao: I feel both excited and nervous. When I think about the people watching in China, I mostly feel excited.
Q: How do you feel, now that this moment has arrived?
Yao: I guess I really started thinking about this moment two or three years ago. But I first realized I could be in the NBA, and that his moment would come, about two or three months ago.
Q: Are you comfortable with the system and your teammates?
Yao: I'm not completely comfortable yet but I do have faith in myself and believe, in a short time, the adjustments will be made.
Q: Is it more difficult adjusting to life away from the court?
Yao: I think actually the adjustment to basketball is more difficult. You can use basketball as an analogy for a lot of things in life.
Q: What do you like most and least about your new situation?
Yao: Probably the thing I like most off the court is sleep. The thing I dislike the most is being incredibly busy.
Q: Have you heard from Shaquille O'Neal yet?
Yao: I don't think he's thinking about me yet.
Q: Are you thinking about him?
Yao: Let me just think about this game first.
Q: What expectation do you have for yourself?
Yao: The only expectation I have of myself is to play well.
Q: Are you excited or nervous, considering the TV audience in China?
Yao: I feel both excited and nervous. When I think about the people watching in China, I mostly feel excited.
Q: How do you feel, now that this moment has arrived?
Yao: I guess I really started thinking about this moment two or three years ago. But I first realized I could be in the NBA, and that his moment would come, about two or three months ago.
Q: Are you comfortable with the system and your teammates?
Yao: I'm not completely comfortable yet but I do have faith in myself and believe, in a short time, the adjustments will be made.
Q: Is it more difficult adjusting to life away from the court?
Yao: I think actually the adjustment to basketball is more difficult. You can use basketball as an analogy for a lot of things in life.
Q: What do you like most and least about your new situation?
Yao: Probably the thing I like most off the court is sleep. The thing I dislike the most is being incredibly busy.
Q: Have you heard from Shaquille O'Neal yet?
Yao: I don't think he's thinking about me yet.
Q: Are you thinking about him?
Yao: Let me just think about this game first.
