| 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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66 comments
_x_April_x_ (not verified)
yao ming
i jst can't believe it......they r comparing the legendary DAVID BECKHAM wid dat chines dude....
beckham all the way
WTF Soccer vs Basketball?
mmm idk.
ubiera sido Cuachtemoc (idk how to spell it) Blanco vs. Omar Bravo.
Or Osvaldo Sanchez vs. Memo Ochoa.
