David Beckham vs. Yao Ming

versus

tue 4/14/2009

A collage of soccer player David Beckham and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming.

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.