(Ecns.cn)--On July 9, the news that Yao Ming, the famous Chinese basketball center who played for the Houston Rockets in the NBA, had announced his retirement, stunned numerous fans and soon became front-page news.
"As a basketball player, I am going to cease my athletic career and formally retire," said Yao in a press conference in Shanghai, July 20. "I used to say that if one day my athletic career as a basketball player ended, I hoped it would be a comma, not a full stop. That day has come, but I will never leave my beloved basketball. I am still Yao Ming, and my life continues."
Time flies. Today is the 100th day since Yao announced his retirement.
Yao looks like nothing has changed, except some obvious weight gain. As always, Yao appears with his smartness and optimism, but it seems he does not notice the changes that have happened in basketball.
Changed role: player to pupil
"I am getting overweight, but it is not that obvious," Yao mocked himself.
Fading away from the playground, Yao is trying to live a brand-new life, which requires his transition from a professional basketball player to a pupil integrated in society. Lately, he has been busier than ever before. During the Asian Basketball Tournament in September, Yao got his "first job" since retirement with a salary of 500 yuan for each match as a commentator for CCTV (China Central Television).
As the most welcomed guest commentator, Yao made a successful "part-time" job out of it. Basketball fans even praised Yao's commentary as perfectly combining his high basketball IQ and rich experiences. After the match between China and Syria, Yao interviewed Wang Zhizhi. Once again Yao showed his wittiness when he asked Wang, "Your six year old son was not born the last time you made a dunk, right?"
Yao made a big decision after his success as a TV commentator. He decided to go back to college.
After the National Day, Yao enrolled in Shanghai Jiaotong University. He chose a curriculum with a combination of Journalism, Finance, and a few other subjects. Yao said he will concentrate now on his studies.
However, challenges have come with Yao's transition from player to pupil, and with his position as the owner of the Shanghai men's basketball team in which he played for years.
It is said that Yao has lost more than 35 million yuan since he took over the team. Although he has hired a professional group to manage the team, it has so far failed to make both ends meet. Compared with other owners in the China Basketball Association (CBA), many of whom are industrialists, Yao is definitely the "poorest" one. All his wealth comes from endorsing products and playing basketball.
The Shanghai men's basketball team has a long way to go to be a successful team. If they do not become champions, it will be almost impossible for them to make a profit. And Yao, at present, is far from being called a successful boss.
Xu Jicheng, a famous basketball commentator, told a CNS reporter, "Yao has a very good plan to transfer his working focus from overseas to domestic. Now he just needs self-improvement. Management, study, and playing basketball share the same principles but in different ways."
