Q&A; YAO MING

In a new memoir with sportswriter Ric Bucher, Yao: A Life in Two Worlds, Houston Rockets center Yao Ming reflects on straddling two cultures--at 7 ft. 5 in.

Are you relieved that Shaq is in another conference now? Yes. My sympathies go out to all the Eastern Conference centers.

Who's the biggest trash talker in the NBA? The coaches.

Has playing in the U.S. changed your personality? It has fertilized my growth as a person. The competitiveness of the NBA brings out more emotion in me, and I'm more willing to display that emotion now.

Why did the U.S. basketball team...

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