McGrady: Bringing basketball to China was Yao Ming's legacy
On Friday, Yao Ming will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
More than the perennial 20-10 seasons, and more than being the last of a dying breed of dominant centers, Yao's lasting legacy will be his impact off the court.
Yao introduced NBA basketball to a massive Chinese market, and no one is more familiar with Yao's influence than former Houston Rockets teammate Tracy McGrady.
"They didn't see Michael Jordan play, they saw us. They saw Yao," McGrady wrote for ESPN.
"You have to understand, before him, basketball wasn't popular in China. I had made trips there before he came into the league, and there was basketball, but it wasn't a part of the Chinese culture. Now, there's over 300 million people in China playing because of Yao Ming."
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McGrady is slightly off in his assessment. The sport of basketball was widely played in China dating back for decades (Yao's parents were both professional basketball players), but there was minimal interest in the NBA until Yao crossed the Pacific Ocean in 2002. That changed everything.
Nowadays, basketball is on par with soccer in terms of popularity, and NBA stars routinely embark on endorsement tours throughout China during the offseason.
McGrady was one of the first to benefit from that added interest. By virtue of playing with Yao, McGrady is widely revered in China. His name is held in the same regard as the likes of Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
"I saw it. I felt it. That is his legacy. He brought NBA basketball to China and I will forever be thankful that I was able to be a part of it. He introduced the country to Tracy McGrady.
"That's Yao's impact. I was in awe."