Is Yao the most influential athlete ever?

[Eastside Get The Money]

I saw Yao Ming put an entire country on his back and make a billion+ fall in love with ball out there in the East.

I know Beckham couldn’t do it here, Crosby and Ovechkin couldn’t do it for hockey either. Old heads will have to school me if Gretzky did but I feel like he didn’t, especially since he was in Canada for a good part of his career.

But had there been a more globally influential pro in terms of bringing a sport to new country and new culture?

 

[Me12k]

Kobe probably more influential than Yao in China

 

[staticshock]

Messi or CR7


Kids from all over the world want to be like them

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

yao ming has very little to do with the populauty of basketball in china. american missionaries brought basketball to china more than a hundred years ago and it became really popular among students.

the chinese communist party also used to play bball during the civil war. basketball in china historically had very little to do with the nba or america other than those first missionaries.

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

Messi or CR7


Kids from all over the world want to be like them

Eh, I know Americans don’t care about Mess; I doubt Asians too but could be wrong.

Do South American brehs mess with euro soccer players? If they do you could be right

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

yao ming has very little to do with the populauty of basketball in china. american missionaries brought basketball to china more than a hundred years ago and it became really popular among students.

the chinese communist party also used to play bball during the civil war. basketball in china historically had very little to do with the nba or america other than those first missionaries.

I meant more in terms of a single player bringing a pro league precense to a country. A la what they tried to do with Beckham here

 

[Maschine_Man]

Messi or CR7


Kids from all over the world want to be like them

nah, not in the way dude is talking about.

Soccer has had big international stars for a long time, (pele, maradona, etc.)

Jordan was huge for international basketball
Gretzky was definitely huge for hockey in the states, without him there would be no southern teams his impact on the game in the states was huge.

 

[Liquid]

David Beckham, while a good soccer player...was not the player to bring over to try and get new fans.

He wasn't particularly flashy, not controversial etc.

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

I meant more in terms of a single player bringing a pro league precense to a country. A la what they tried to do with Beckham here

oh like popularizing the CBA in China? maybe, the CBA was around before him but he was their biggest early star i think.

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

David Beckham, while a good soccer player...was not the player to bring over to try and get new fans.

He wasn't particularly flashy, not controversial etc.

he was by far the most well known soccer player for americans at the time though. probably the only one most americans could name off the dome

 

[MooseMouthMthafuga]

I'm still amazed at how Amare came out of nowhere to steal ROY away from Yao.....


...The whole world wanted Yao to get it

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

I'm still amazed at how Amare came out of nowhere to steal ROY away from Yao.....


...The whole world wanted Yao to get it

I’m watching old all star games that’s what got this thread started. Yao stole the starting spot from Shaq and never looked back

 

[waltthizzney]

act like a 7.5 stiff more influential than lord bean

 

[filial_piety]

nah... i think MJ and Kobe were bigger than Yao in China

Even Starbury may have a bigger name than Yao in CHina

 

[filial_piety]

he was by far the most well known soccer player for americans at the time though. probably the only one most americans could name off the dome

oddly enough I think you're right

I never heard of Beckham until about 2004 when my Jamaican roommate told me about him. He was probably the first soccer player i ever knew by name.