Yao donates $2 million to earthquake victims
Yes, a positive story, the opposite of some of the “other stuff” going on. After the devastating earthquake in China last month, Yao is stepping up and has set up a foundation, with assistance from The Giving Back Fund, encouraging people to donate money. He is kicking in $2 million of his own.
“As everyone knows about the recent tragedy in China, the earthquake tragedy was the worst in history,” Yao said. “For this reason, I am working to give back funds.”
The charity stories of professional athletes are usually overlooked and dismissed, but still, for all the shady dirtiness of the latest round of conspiracy talk, it’s nice to have these types of stories to balance it out. And to think, they were looking to call excessive fouls on his high screens! (Allegedly)
38 Responses to “Yao donates $2 million to earthquake victims”
Jun.11 at 2:07 pm
starbury&stevey says:
good move!1st.
Jun.11 at 2:08 pm
starbury&stevey says:
he learned a lot from Dikembe,not only how to defend in the NBA.
Jun.11 at 2:22 pm
John E. Sanford says:
Good for Yao.
Jun.11 at 2:31 pm
Mo Charlo says:
The Chinese government made him do it.
Jun.11 at 2:32 pm
Vik C says:
Great to see this from Yao, and athletes in general helping out and giving back to the community. Tons of athletes actually help out people, but unfortunately it never gets much pub in the media nowadays. Hopefully that can change as well.
Jun.11 at 2:34 pm
tealish says:
Way to be an ass about this, Mo.
Jun.11 at 2:51 pm
Blue says:
That’s excellent!
Jun.11 at 2:55 pm
ciolkstar says:
Terriffic. I have a huge amount of respect for Yao as a person. I wonder if Deke threw in?
Jun.11 at 2:59 pm
starbury&stevey says:
i thought about it and i do believe Yao made/makes more than 2 million$ thanks to his Chinese fans.he should give more than 10 million$ back to his country.
Jun.11 at 3:09 pm
john says:
WELL DAMN YAO DATS LIKE YOUR WHOLE CONCRACT..BUT THATS GOOD SOME PEOPLE WOULD NOT GIVE UP THAT MUCH MONEY
Jun.11 at 3:49 pm
Rico says:
Finally he put his wallet where his mouth is….he comes crying to the US Govn’t for not helping the victims when he wasn’t doing a dizam thang. I don’t look up to him for this, but I can respect him. I wonder if he had that childish whiny face he makes when getting called for a foul when he handed over the check, it would be tough no matter how great the cause.
Jun.11 at 4:52 pm
B. Long says:
@Rico: Please stop. Your hurting America.
Jun.11 at 4:57 pm
jbas says:
Do you lack a soul, people are still laying under rubble in china, and Rico has the audacity to crack mindless jokes? B. Long is right dude, your making your country look bad.
Jun.11 at 5:26 pm
NZ Baller says:
Big ups Yao, that’s heartwarming stuff
Jun.11 at 5:38 pm
Rico says:
@B.Long & jbas…for respectin’ the man? Being glad that he isn’t just asking others to help, but helping himself? Man, I’m messed up. I originally just had issues with Yao complaing that America hadn’t done enough and they should donate more (Bono does this same crap) without donating any money himself. If he was doing his part then called out others I would have no beef (and I don’t anymore).
Jun.11 at 5:44 pm
B. Long says:
@Rico: Your also hurting Puerto Ricans everywhere.
Jun.11 at 5:51 pm
RV says:
rico, i didn’t realize you followed every single minute of Yao’s life/career, for you to say he FINALLY put his wallet where his mouth is you must be his shadow…..Grow up man, there’s more stories out there than what you happen to run into, research first before you say something so ignorant, you can hate the player without hating the man.
Jun.11 at 5:54 pm
albie1kenobi says:
Rico you are not from China so i can kind of understand how you feel about Yao not donating his money. but unlike here in the land of the free, Yao is really one of the pawns of the chinese governments and his money is not really all his money, so to speak. he would probably be executed if he decided to delay his surgery this season and missed the Olympic, unlike KG and Ducan who can just say “No i’m gonna take a vacation instead” to Team USA.
Jun.11 at 5:59 pm
RV says:
rico, read the article, he set up his own foundation and started it with 2 mill, as much money as he’s giving it wouldn’t be wise for him to hand it out just anywhere. The best thing is for him to manage where its going and make sure its actually helping people. He can’t just whip out the checkbook as soon as it happens, he ’s making sure it goes to the best cause possible.
Jun.11 at 6:00 pm
Rico says:
@RV….you’re right…we better spend the rest of the afternoon gathering evidence from additional sources to determine if Yao really did donate $2M. I can’t beleive everything I read. Don’t be a jacka$$ hypocrite. Some things are worth the time to research because all you’ll find is the same lame shiz. But I’m sure you validate everything you read.
Jun.11 at 6:06 pm
albie1kenobi says:
also while i’m at it, i just want to say it fcuking piss me off when some people keep ripping him on a personal level for not being “the sh!t” in the nba. i’d like to see how many of them can carry the weight of an entire country and not crack. what Yao is and does for his country is bigger than anything you can imagine. (hence the importance of his presence in this year’s olympic)
Jun.11 at 6:07 pm
jbas says:
Go Lakers!!!
Jun.11 at 6:08 pm
albie1kenobi says:
that wasn’t directed at you though, Rico, coz i haven’t seen you rip him for that.
Jun.11 at 6:20 pm
tenorca says:
Good for the big man. I’ve never seen anything close to $2 mil, let alone given it away. Dikembe is smiling…and talking like the Frog Prince of Awesomeness.
Jun.11 at 7:12 pm
The Promise says:
ummm, dont wait until like a million people are dead. wait he did. where were you when this first happened?
Jun.11 at 8:52 pm
Erik B says:
i think this is really dope of yao, especially considering the fact that the chinese government gets 1/2 of all his earnings, and for him to give up a whole 2 million all at once is huge. Jus curious does anyone know of any other NBA player to put down as much or nearly as much as 2 million all at once? peace
Jun.11 at 9:40 pm
gii says:
Wouldn’t the L want Yao in the FINALS? Why would they try and keep him out?
Jun.11 at 10:20 pm
RV says:
The promise: he’s not going to fly his ass over there the first day it happens and rebuild the city with the snap of a finger, he’s been in china since it happened, he’s helped out, this made big news cause its a HUGE sum of money, and Rico, your comment makes no sense, and yes i actually do validate my comments before i post them if i’m presenting them as facts, unless i’m positive they’re correct already, and i’m sure you cant say that about your comment.
Jun.11 at 10:36 pm
chintao says:
albie1kenobi - You’re right, Yao carries much weight. On the other hand, the Chinese government has much bigger issues than meddling with his life on a daily basis. Yao can, more or less, do what he wants. What makes you think that only Amerikkkans can be true patriots motivated by love of their nation and their fellow countrymen?
Jun.11 at 10:39 pm
RV says:
Chintao are you Asian? Just asking because it sounds like you have inside knowledge
Jun.11 at 10:45 pm
RV says:
Apparently he had donated $70,000 to another fund earlier, he was heavily criticized by people in china because they felt he should give a lot more to his country, but they didn’t know he was planning on starting his own fund. He is under crazy pressure, by the comments of some of the people, its like they want him to give 25 million
Jun.11 at 10:47 pm
RV says:
he also donated $290,000 to the red cross for the relief efforts
Jun.11 at 11:52 pm
tealish says:
Chintao, why the triple k’s in “Americans”? Don’t reciprocate ignorance.
Jun.12 at 1:19 am
albie1kenobi says:
Chintao, i’m not even sure what your point is. i KNOW Yao’s patriotic to his country, that shouldn’t even come to question. of course the chinese gov’t has better things to do than to dictate Yao’s everyday life, but i’m sure his decisions that affect his country and the image of his country are heavily influenced by the gov’t.
Jun.12 at 2:12 am
D.A. says:
Rico is a d*ck. You have polluted every thread with your dick like ways. Enough Super Dick.
Jun.12 at 2:44 am
chintao says:
albie1kenobi - I’m just riffing on you calling Yao a “pawn”, who “would probably be executed if he decided to delay his surgery”. That makes it sound like he’s generally being forced to act against his will. The likely reality is that Yao has been working his whole life to play in this Olympics. To HIM, his thing is MUCH bigger than the NBA. Also, I take issue with your comment that KG and Duncan are patently much more free than Yao. Perhaps Garnett and Duncan would have preferred to play for Team USA, but they felt pressured not to sit-out their respective NBA commitments (and probably be BLACKBALLED, a la Craig Hodges). One could view that situation as the flip-side of the same coin that faces Yao. RV - I’m half Chinese, born in the US. I now live in Beijing. Tealish - Amerikkka is in the heart. If it ain’t you, I’m not addressing you.
Jun.12 at 7:27 am
Sean says:
Laughing at the claims of Yao being executed by the Chinese government….hahaha
Jun.12 at 1:40 pm
Slim says:
Dude donated $2 mil and people are hating on him. That’s pretty sad. Despite his overall worth, I think it’s a pretty noble gesture. It’s easy to say you’d do the same until you’re in that situation, then maybe it’s not so easy to part with your cash.