Long before Yao Ming ever dribbled a basketball, China was in love with a volleyball star.
Lang Ping, the "Iron Hammer", is one of China's most cherished sports stars. But beyond the indelible mark she left on China sports, Lang endures as a symbol of Chinese pride and joy. She is like what Yao Ming is to today's China - so much more than an athlete, she is the face of a generation.
"Lang Ping represents the past generation, and Yao Ming is more representative of China's image in the world today," said Wei Jizhong, first vice-president of FIVB, volleyball's global governing body.
Lang was a sort of spiritual leader during the early years of China's reform and opening up. She led the women's volleyball team to several world titles in the early 1980s, including a famous victory over the US to claim Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 1984. She helped China establish itself as a force in world sports and, by extension, a major player in world affairs.
Yao fulfils a similar role for China in the 21st century, though his exploits are more symbolic of China's integration into the global economy - he is a free-market athlete. Unlike Lang, who was the face of collective success leading the national women's volleyball team as a player and later as a coach, Yao's is a story of an individual representing China in the world.
"I can't imagine not being part of a team. But there's only one Yao Ming," Lang said.
"For China, the women's volleyball team is always a family you have to think of teamwork."
"With Yao Ming, it's very different. He's more of an individual."
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