The NBA for the most part is a very respectful community. Among the players, apart from healthy competition exists a mutual respect for each other’s ability. That same feeling translates to the fandom at large as well. Not always, however. Sometimes the NBA fanbase can be at their hilarious best when it comes to trolling players or using them as subjects for their jokes. That is the unfortunate place that Yao Ming found himself in on opening night.

Not towards him, but his size was the cause for a ton of jokes from the fans at large.

Yao Ming steals the show at Brooklyn Opener

With the Brooklyn Nets ready to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, it was NBA legend and Hall of Famer Yao Ming that became the talk of town before the game even got underway. In attendance for the Brooklyn home opener, a clip of Ming grabbing a first-row seat went viral.

It was an absolute classic that the China native got to witness. Closely contested throughout the night, the game saw some truly spectacular performances. Between Cam Thomas’ mercurial scoring and Mikal Bridges’ consistency, the Nets found an adequate answer for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers team saw a spectacular record-setting performance from offseason acquisition Max Strus. The former Miami Heat player was the key answer to Cleveland’s lack of a true Small Forward. In his first game for his new team, Max made 7 triples, a Cavs record. But, the Brooklyn attack had them in the lead 113-111 with barely 20 seconds on the clock.

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Instead, it was potential MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell who won his team the ball game with a game-winning 3-pointer. Cam Thomas, exceptional throughout the night, could not come through in the clutch and the Cavaliers prevailed behind the former Utah Jazz superstar.

But, before the game became an instant classic, it was Yao Ming’s experience that became a true spectacle, especially on Twitter. The fans were out in full force on Bleacher Report’s coverage, bringing in the jokes.

Fans find hilarious responses to rare Yao spotting

On a night when Victor Wembanyama and his freakish size are the talk of the town, Yao’s similar build brought about some hilarious jokes. Resident “short” jokes mascot Kevin Hart unfortunately found himself in the crossfire of one fan’s thoughts.

Other fans were marveling over the rarity of the appearance, with Ming rarely appearing in public, especially for NBA games.

The comparisons between him and the French sensation were immediate with fans clamoring for a picture of the two super-sized athletes.

But, most fans had a genuine concern. Rather than Yao, their focus was on the people sitting behind him and their unfortunate fate.

Even though a legend, fans couldn’t help but find some amazing jokes for the rare Chinese legend’s appearance. What did you think of Yao? What’s your favorite memory of the Hall of Famer? Do let us know in the comments below.

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