Latino Post; @YaoMing Ambassador for Basketball, Friend to @Jlin7

Yao Ming at his Napa Winery, Yao Family Wine

Former Houston Rocket superstar Yao Ming remains active in basketball two years after his retirement.

He told the Latino Post he owns a professional basketball team in China and will help promote the NBA to the Chinese community at more than 20 NBA games.

“Basketball is still a part of my life,” Yao said, “just in a different way.”

He continues to keep track of Jeremy Lin and sees similarities between Lin’s career and his own. Yao admits not playing well when he first joined the NBA just as Lin didn’t play well. He remembers the Rockets continuing to encourage him.

“I remember that,” Yao said of his time with the Rockets. “Jeremy, of course, people expect that he repeat what he did in New York last year. Under that circumstance, he still consistently helps the team and I’m very impressed with what he did.”

Yao currently lives in Shanghai with his wife and daughter and has been outspoken on animal rights issues and against ivory poaching.