Yao Ming was the first of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2016 to speak during the enshrinement ceremony on Friday and he got the evening off to a great start with a well played joke.
Shortly after taking the stage and thanking those in attendance, Yao said that Allen Iverson should have been the first one to speak, not him. Yao followed that up by saying, “Because I need more practice than him.”
.@YaoMing up here talking about practice! ? https://t.co/FJEvVaDge4
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 9, 2016
Everyone got a chuckle out of it, including Iverson himself.
Yao had jokes throughout his excellent speech. He talked about nothing being able to break his bond with Dikembe Mutombo, not even the elbows Mutombo gave him during practice. Yao also referenced his 83% career free-throw percentage being “just a little bit better than Shaq’s.”
Unfortunately, persistent foot injuries forced an early end to Yao’s career. However, his global impact and helping the growth of the game in China cannot be underestimated.
Prior to playing in the NBA, Yao was recognized by FIBA as the MVP of the Asia Championship three times. He won a Chinese Basketball Association championship and was named the Finals MVP that same year. In the NBA, he was an All-Star eight times and finished with career averages of 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
