From the first moment he was in China, Ping Shang had his parents by his side, his father Guchen and his mother Ma Min. It was a good opportunity for them to get back together, even though only a few weeks had gone by since Shang left China to go play professional basketball in Europe and Panathinaikos.
“Both my parents use to play professional basketball”, stated the 29year old Chinese player. “However, my father was a better player than me”, he adds with a smile.
“We are very pleased that Ping followed the family tradition”, his parents state with their son to function as the translator. “We both played basketball so for Ping to get involved was something exceptional for us… Of course we wanted him to play basketball but we never forced him into doing it. It was only to be expected in a house of basketball tradition that Ping would follow in our steps”.
Ping Shang graduated from school in New Zeeland and then studied economics in the USA. “I have forgotten most of it now, it has been five years” Shang says smiling slightly before allowing his parents to speak once more. “The ideal thing for a father and a mother is for them to be able to raise a good man. We succeeded in doing so… But it is a special thing that Ping combines a good character with sports”.
As far as their sentiments when they found out that Ping would be leaving China to go play professionally in Europe and Panathinaikos? “Pride… Nothing more and nothing less” the20year old Chinese player’s parents answer in unison.
