I woke up bright and early Thursday morning to get Rockets center Yao Ming arriving at Hunters Creek Elementary School. First grader Jackson Lloyd’s father had bid on the appearance at the Rockets Tux and Tennies charity auction. Yao spent the first part of the morning in Jackson’s classroom answering questions from the first graders. Yao was awesome with the kids answering all the questions the kids had and seemed to enjoy his time there. Yao said afterward that fatherhood makes it easier to deal with children. Yao’s daughter will celebrate her first birthday this Saturday, he told us.
Yao then met Clutch the Bear in the school auditorium and they delighted the packed room with magic tricks and fun that had the kids roaring in laughter. Clutch does this often and knows how to put on a show. It was cool seeing Yao out of his element, the basketball court, and watching how much fun he had entertaining the kids. A great time was had by all, including myself.
How cute is that picture? Despite Yao’s size, his smile shows an obvious child-like quality amongst the kiddos.