If Lee winds up in Tokyo he would most likely be given a title more elaborate than that of the current director, Chuang Ming-yao.

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Asian-Americans lost Yao Ming (to retirement) but this kind of sensation could carry over to any race.

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Retired Yao Ming (7-foot-6) is a fellow Oddball, along with current players Dante Cunningham (6-foot-8), Andre Drummond (6-foot-10), Blake Griffin (6-foot-10), Perry Jones III (6-foot-11) and Channing Frye (6-foot-11), just to name a few.

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In 2006 WildAid also famously recruited Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 NBA star, to swear off shark fin.

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Yao also continues to work with the Yao Ming Foundation building schools in earthquake-affected regions in Sichuan and other provinces in China.

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Perhaps the most promoted and well-known hero today is the basketball player Yao Ming.

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And of course, Yao Ming is just one signal of our shared love of basketball -- I'm only sorry that I won't be able to see a Shanghai Sharks game while I'm visiting.

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China's joy was cut short when their basketball superstar Yao Ming threatened to give up international basketball after his side lost their opener 83-58 to Spain.

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McDonald's (nyse: MCD - news - people ), which has a "worldwide partnership" with NBA star Yao Ming, has been expanding rapidly there.

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