David Beckham vs. Yao Ming
versus
tue 4/14/2009
| name | David Robert Joseph Beckham. | Yao Ming. |
| born in | London, England. | Shanghai, China. |
| age | 33. | 28. |
| nicknames | Becks, Goldenballs. | The Great Wall, The Ming Dynasty. |
| height | 5' 11". | 7' 6". |
| weight | 158 lbs. | 310 lbs. |
| sport | Soccer. | Basketball. |
| current team | AC Milan (on loan from L.A. Galaxy). | Houston Rockets. |
| previous team/s | Spain's Real Madrid and England's Manchester United. | China's Shanghai Sharks. |
| position | Midfielder. | Center. |
| American debut | July 27, 2007. | October 31, 2002. |
| better half | Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. | Basketball player Ye Li. |
| sometimes stereotyped as | More celebrity than athlete. | A freakish giant. |
| 2008 earnings | $48.2 million. | $31.2 million. |
| endorsements | Emporio Armani, Gillette, Pepsi, Vodafone, Adidas, Police Sunglasses and Sharpie. | Apple, Visa, Nike, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Reebok. |
| jersey sales | Over 250,000 L.A. Galaxy jerseys were sold before his debut. | Had the sixth highest-selling jersey in China in 2007 behind players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. |
| charity work | Established the Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust to raise money to buy wheelchairs for children in the U.K. | Established The Yao Ming Foundation to help victims of the 2008 earthquake in Southern China. |
| the critics | U.K.'s Telegraph: "Any critique of Beckham must begin with two realities: he is a savvy man mindful of his image and how history will regard him, but also a sportsman who just loves the feeling of a ball, preferably motionless, nestling against his right foot.” | Bleacherreport.com: "You’ll never find Yao trash-talking after a glamorous dunk. Nor will you find him complaining over a lack of playing time. Instead, you’ll see Yao be the first to jump off the bench to applaud a seldom-used teammate—even when the game is all but over." |
| in their own words | "I have always looked for challenges in my life. My family… is the most important thing for me, but the soccer is second." - David Beckham. | "I'm just one of the 1.3 billion Chinese." - Yao Ming. |
| at the movies | Goal II: Living the Dream and Bend it Like Beckham. | The Year of the Yao. |
| bet you didn't know | Wears a new pair of shoes every game. | Ming is his first name, his family name is Yao. |
| best video moment | Becomes a klepto in a commercial for Sharpie. | Taller than the Statue of Liberty in a commercial for Visa. |
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