Yao Ming Joins Hands With $7.4 Billion Alibaba Mogul Joe Tsai Only to Get Rid of 27YO Haunting Incident

Yao Ming made one mistake in 1996, and the NBA veteran is still haunted by it. To ensure that no other athlete in China has to experience that, he is on a mission to make sports more accessible. The 8x NBA All-Star has partnered with the co-founder and chairman of the Alibaba Group Joe Tsai to promote school sports in China.

The Houston Rockets veteran is taking inspiration from his poor performance in 1996, to fuel the next generation of athletes in China. Recently the 43-year-old recalled the incident that changed his outlook on the importance of sports.

Yao Ming is on a mission to bring a change

Ming said that those six free throws that he missed back in 1996 cost his team a win. He is taking that as an example to set the bar high for the younger generation so that they strive for greatness. Ming said, “You don’t want it to happen again, so you’re motivated to change it.” Partnering with the multi-billion dollar group will allow the NBA veteran more freedom to execute his plans. The conference was attended by athletes, government officials, and charitable foundations. Tsai and Ming plan to encourage more kids to take up sports while they’re in school.

Sports is often seen as a waste of time in China and parents only encourage their kids to be good at studies. However, Tsai and Ming have a different perspective on the matter. Tsai said, “You always want to win when you play, but learning to face failure is more valuable.” The Alibaba Group chairman also highlighted the experience and lessons he learned from playing sports. He said, “Inspiration, stress management, and leadership skills have come from my experiences in sports competitions.”

A token of appreciation for the contributors

As important as this initiative is, China is a tough nut to crack. As the parents encourage their kids to focus on their studies more than anything else, every school management doing their part in this initiative deserves to be lauded. To show appreciation for such school principles, the Joe Tsai Foundation has been running an awards program in China for the last four years.

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The initiative that Ming is now working toward holds extreme importance in the overall development of an individual. With the principles of sports, kids can be taught physical and mental resilience, as well as how to work within a team and how to be a good leader.

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