"To me, first and foremost, basketball is a fun sport. It is a hobby, an interest. And second, it is a profession. I feel that I am very fortunate that I can find a professional job that I really, really love."

"I only want to play basketball, and play it well and be happy about it. But I realize that with being famous comes a lot of demands."

“Every sound in the gym is so fantastic. The screams of the fans, the whistle of the ref, the teammates calling to each other, the sounds of the ball touching the wooden floor, the sneakers touching the floor, and the sounds of the fight, the muscle and the sweat. Oh, and the last one—when the ball goes through the net. Don’t laugh at my sensitivity and romanticism, those sounds really attract me."

"It will take time to adapt, but I think I can handle it."

"I am a basketball player, and I would like to focus my energy on basketball. The other things, I would rather not do. It is not something I am greatly interested in, but I know it is my responsibility."

"Others are improving very fast, and I'm not improving as fast, and that bothers me."

“The Olympic Games is holy. Athletes from around the world, including myself, of course, dream to participate."

"Sport is the best means of communication between people from different religions and countries."

"Westerners respect privacy, and they are very competitive in terms of work and personalities. My teammates in China and I can talk about everything. But with my Houston Rockets teammates, even though we're friends, we cannot ask each other about everything."