The Year of the Yao (2004)

Directed by: Adam Del Deo, James D. Stern | 88 minutes | documentary, sports | Starring: Yao Ming, Charles Barkley, Frank Deford, Steve Francis, Michael Irvin, Ernie Johnson, Cuttino Mobley, Shaquille O’Neal, Colin Pine, Glen Rice, Kenny Smith

He was a notable appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A tall Chinese basketball player was chosen to carry his country’s flag at this very important event for China. Just as the Games were the opportunity for the Chinese to profile themselves to the outside world, Yao Ming – because that’s the name of the flag bearer – is the personification of China’s urge to show itself to the world. Domestically, he had quickly transcended the basketball league and the most prestigious league in his sport, the NBA, beckoned. In 2002, the 2.29-metre Yao was selected first by the Houston Rockets in the annual draft – the moment when clubs take turns choosing from young talents and foreign players. There is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of such a first pick. Add to that the culture shock and language barrier for Yao and you understand that it was not easy for the young Chinese – then only 22 years old – to get through his first season in the NBA.

Documentary maker James D. Stern, who already made a basketball portrait with ‘Michael Jordan to the Max’ in 2000, together with Adam Del Deo made the film ‘The Year of the Yao’ (2004), in which she became the first Chinese basketball player the NBA played follow during his freshman year in America. Yao is portrayed as a bridge builder, someone who brings two completely different cultures closer together. And in a way he is. We follow him from the moment he is drafted by the Houston Rockets and see him struggle with the language and cultural differences. To help him on his way, his new employer appoints a supporter, the interpreter Chris Pine, a boy from Baltimore who happens to speak good Mandarin but hardly knows anything about basketball. In the world of muscling and blowing jaws, he is just as much of an oddball as Yao himself, a big gentle giant. Both rookies are condemned to each other, but both are happy to take on the challenge. The documentary focuses on their mutual bond and the friendship that men develop with each other. For example, Pine moves into Yao and his parents’ house, takes the boy to typical American phenomena like Taco Bell, and teaches the Chinese how to adapt to the local culture.

The pressure on Yao’s shoulders is immense. Not only does he want to succeed at his club, the millions of basketball fans in China also assume that he is doing well and that he is a calling card for their country. It doesn’t all happen by itself. Not only does he have to master English, but also the code language and basketball terms used by the Rockets. The way of playing is also much more physical and aggressive than he is used to. His first matches are not going well. Critics such as former basketball player Charles Barkley are skeptical about the talents of the Chinese. But Yao continues to believe in his own abilities and it all comes out in the game against the illustrious LA Lakers. He steals the hearts of the public from then on and is even invited to the prestigious All-Star Team game, where he plays with that other imposing center, Shaquille O’Neal, who previously bragged that he didn’t take Yao seriously. Stern and Del Deo also give us a glimpse into the commercial circus in which the amiable Chinese ended up. He flies from a photo shoot to the shooting of a commercial, after which the next advertising assignment is ready for him. This boy is greatly lived for seven months. No wonder that after the season he is relieved that he can go back to Shanghai for a while.

‘The Year of the Yao’ was produced by the NBA. This is reflected in the somewhat superficial approach to the subject, because the bosses of the National Basketball; Association like to keep everything under control. We only get to know Yao a little bit, but we don’t get to know what his true thoughts are. Also, more could have been done with the question of how he experiences the bizarre American culture. And that could have made the film more interesting. Now it all remains on the surface. Stern and Del Deo did their best to let some interesting people speak. For example, we hear what Bill Clinton and Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang think of Yao. Fun and nice, but it all remains very predictable. More worthwhile is the remarkable friendship between the tall Chinese basketball player and his somewhat dorky-looking interpreter, who is at times heart-warming. The editing – especially at the beginning of the film – by Jun Diaz also deserves praise.

‘The Year of the Yao’ is not only interesting for fans of (NBA) basketball, but also for those who want to see two completely different cultures come closer together. The makers don’t really go deep into who the sympathetic Yao actually is. But his crazy first year in the world’s biggest basketball league is certainly very entertaining.