The NBA is extremely popular in China, due mostly to Yao Ming's success in the league with the Houston Rockets. With that said, you can see why every Chinese person roots for Rockets, Houston is China's team. And perhaps more importantly for people here, Yao Ming is not only from China, but he is from Shanghai!
When the season started this year, a group of classmates asked me who my favorite team was. The answer, the Jazz. I wasn't expecting the reaction that I got. They were all pretty upset because the Jazz knocked the Rockets (Yao Ming's team) out of the playoffs last year. So I became a marked person (if being the only non-Chinese person in my program hadn't already marked me!).
As fate would have it, the Jazz and the Rockets are playing in the first round of the playoffs again this year. My classmates remember, and they told me yesterday even though Yao Ming is injured, they're still pulling for the Rockets to beat the Jazz. It's revenge for last year.
So I didn't realize that my choice in NBA teams would put me at odds with 1.3 billion people here in China (or at least with my 130 classmates), but it did. And I wouldn't want it any other way...
GO JAZZ!!
When the season started this year, a group of classmates asked me who my favorite team was. The answer, the Jazz. I wasn't expecting the reaction that I got. They were all pretty upset because the Jazz knocked the Rockets (Yao Ming's team) out of the playoffs last year. So I became a marked person (if being the only non-Chinese person in my program hadn't already marked me!).
As fate would have it, the Jazz and the Rockets are playing in the first round of the playoffs again this year. My classmates remember, and they told me yesterday even though Yao Ming is injured, they're still pulling for the Rockets to beat the Jazz. It's revenge for last year.
So I didn't realize that my choice in NBA teams would put me at odds with 1.3 billion people here in China (or at least with my 130 classmates), but it did. And I wouldn't want it any other way...
GO JAZZ!!
Shanghai's Yao Ming would think that I'm "bu hao" for rooting on the Jazz...
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