This Houston Chronicle article was published tonight quoting Yao about his thoughts on the earthquake in China that has killed 600 and injured 10,000. The Yao Ming Foundation has collaborated with iTalkBB on a free hotline (1-877-482-5522 or www.iTalkBB.com) to help relatives of the victims. Here are some of Yao’s quotes from the article:

“I just wish (they will) get good (treatment) over there. I believe there are a lot of injuries. I hear there is a rescue team already there. I pray for them, and all the people there and all of their families.”

“It’s very important if you have people from there who are visiting somewhere else, maybe in the United States, I understand that they would like to contact their family. I would like to help.

“It just happened now, last night. We still don’t know (how to best help). There are a lot of questions. We need to do some research. Obviously, (rebuilding) the schools, we have some experience now. We can do better than last time.

Obviously, we’re going to search out as many as we can. I heard it last night (there was) an earthquake again. I know there is about 400 people lost in this disaster. I feel hurt, feel sad for them. I wish the rest of the people there, their family get good (treatment) over there, also their families. I believe in the future, we still need a lot of people’s help. Also, in the future, I’m going to find out what I can do to recover that area.”

As we reported on Sunday, Yao’s Shanghai Sharks team lost their playoff series to the Guangdong Tigers in four games, and he posted a note on his Facebook page about it.

Here’s a translation of an article from the Shanghai Morning Post that reflects on the Sharks’ dramatic improvement this past season, including beating the mighty Guangdong Tigers on their home court in Game 2, a place where the Tigers hadn’t lost a playoff game in at least six years. In the article, Yao said the following about the series and the Sharks’ improvement this season, “They have won a game (and the series), but we have won back a whole city.”

Last Wednesday, Yao and his wife Ye Li attended Shane Battier‘s Clutch City Karaoke Night to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Houston.

Click here for more photos from the karaoke night.

Yao posted the following on his Facebook and Twitter page today after his Shanghai Sharks lost to the Guangdong Tigers today in Shanghai Sunday night.

Congrats to the Guangdong Tigers for their series win over my Sharks today. They showed everyone they are a great team. I am very proud of my players and their efforts. We have great fans, a great city, and I am already looking forward again to next season.

Guangdong won the series 3-1 and now advances to the next round.

Raymond in China reports that before Yao’s return to Houston, Yao participated in a nationwide marketing program launch of Oreos last Thursday.

Click here for photos of Yao around a bunch of Oreos and kids. Here’s a video from China of Yao talking about the program, and here’s one of the commercial itself.

Last Wednesday, Feb. 24th, Yao watched his Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks beat the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons in a roller-coaster OT win, 125-121, which put the Sharks in 4th place in the CBA above the Dragons. The win also clinched a playoff spot for the Sharks.

Click here for more photos of Yao at the game.

On Monday, Feb. 22nd, Yao went to the Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul’s Retreat) ??? in Hangzhou at 6:00 am in the morning with his wife Ye Li to burn incense, a custom during the Chinese New Year that brings good luck. He then sat with the monks for a breakfast that consisted only of vegetables.

One of the monks rushed to Yao with a basketball for him to sign, and told him that the monks in Lingyin Temple will form a basketball team soon. Here a monk is delighted with his prize.

Then at 07:30 am, Yao left the Lingyin Temple for the Lingshun Temple ??? at the Bei Gao Feng Mountain.

This 1,600-year-old temple is known as the God of Wealth Temple to the locals. Thousands of pilgrims make their way up here each year to light some incense and say some prayers to bring them good fortune.

Yao had tea with the head monk there, who gifted Yao and his friends who came with him full sets of Hua Yan Jing ??? (i.e. Avatamsaka Sutra which weighed more than 15 KG for each set). The head monk also gave Yao a bracelet that he had worn for more than 10 years before taking it off and giving it to him.

When asked what Yao did at the Lingshun Temple, the head monk said Yao didn’t ask for his own fortune, but for the fortune and safety of his expected child.

Click here for more photos of Yao’s visit at the Lingshun Temple.

Raymond has been keeping track of Yao’s activities the past week in China for the New Year.

On Wednesday the 17th, Yao hosted a Chinese New Year party for the Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks. Here’s a video taken at the event. You might notice former Houston Rocket John Lucas III, one of the Sharks’ leading scorers, in the video.

On Friday, Yao visited with his his long-time mentor Li Qiuping, the head coach who had nurtured him ever since he was a kid. It was the first time he had seen Li Quiping since replacing him as head coach of the Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks with Bob Donewald Jr. after buying the team.

Later Yao went to Pudong Shenyuan Stadium to watch his team play against the Liaoning Panpan Hunters. The Sharks won 83-76 (click here for more photos).

The next night, the Sharks beat the Jilin Longrun Tea Northeast Tigers 134-111 to push their record to 18-6 and remain in 5th place in the CBA standings.

Finally, the Sharks organized a week-long training camp from Feburary 20-26 for kids born after 1995 from all across the country (the Sharks took care of their meals and lodging). Yao showed up at the opening of the camp held at the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau, and spoke a few words of encouragement to the kids.

Click here for more photos of Yao at the camp.

This past Wednesday, Yao pre-recorded a Shanghai television special for a Chinese New Year program with Bo Wanqing, a Shanghai congresswoman and one of the leaders of the Shanghai 2010 Expo. They talked about all the things that people love about Shanghai. Near the end of the taping, “Auntie Bo” presented a gift to Yao for his newborn baby. It’s obvious through this photo what the gender of the baby will be.

Click here for more photos from the taping.

Later that evening, Yao attended a charity gala to promote a green and low-carbon lifestyle, and to raise funds through auctions and donations for taking poor children from backward provinces and cities to tour the Shanghai 2010 EXPO.

Click here for more photos from the charity gala, including pics of Liu Xiang, Jin Jing, Shanghai Sharks members, and Yang Mi.

A few days ago in China the second part of the Yang Lan interview aired (part 1 is at the bottom of this post).

Here’s the video to part 2, and here’s Raymond’s translation of Yang Lan’s blog post about the interview, which is good stuff.

For the first time, Yao sat on the bench with his players (John Lucas III at far left) and staff as he watched his Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks win their 4th game in a row, and 10th overall, with a Wednesday night victory over the Quingdao Double Stars Hawks.

Click here for more photos of Yao on the bench, and here for details of the game.

The next day, Yao attended the 100 Day Countdown Celebration for the Shanghai 2010 EXPO since he is the Global Ambassador/Image Spokesperson for the Shanghai EXPO.

Click here for lots of colorful photos from the festivities. They know how to throw a shindig in China!

On Saturday, Yao (along with Mr Zhou Qifeng, the new president of Peking University) was a presenter at the 2009 CCTV/Anta Sports Personality Award Show in Beijing where he presented the Best Female Athlete of the Year award.

Yao Ming was also there as a nominee for the Special Contribution Award. He knew beforehand that he had little chance to win the award. He told CCTV reporters before entering the show that he did not know why he was nominated for the award in the first place. He said he was injured and sidelined for most of 2009 and did not think he had made any contribution to his sports and his team at all in 2009.

Click here for more photos of Yao at the awards ceremony.

The Shanghai Morning News also ran an interview of Yao the past couple of days. In this article that Raymond translated, Yao talks about the following:

– The progress of his rehabilitation. Since coming to China in mid-December, his workouts never stopped. He practiced and trained every morning for 3 hours, including biking, strength and conditioning exercises, jogging in the pool, etc. His personal trainer Anthony Falsone returned back to the U.S. last Wednesday. Yao returns in a few days to get a check-up on his foot.

– How he’ll have to change his style of play to fit in with the Rockets’ current style of play

– His aspirations for his Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks

– His rationale for choosing Bob Donewald Jr. as the head coach for the Shanghai team

– His current feeling about becoming a father, including what it was like to see a sonogram of his baby due to be born in July.

Click here to read the entire interview.

Raymond reports the following from China…

Yao cheers on his Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks to beat Wang ZhiZhi’s Bayi Fubong Rockets 119-113 in OT Wednesday night.

It was the first time a team of Yao’s had beaten a team with Wang ZhiZhi on it in almost 10 years. For more photos of Yao and details of the game, click here.

On Friday, Yao’s Sharks beat Fujian SBS Xunxin 116-102…

Click here for more details and photos from the game.

Between both games on Thursday night, Yao attended with his wife the show of Shanghainese comedian Zhou Libo…

Click here for more details and photos of their night at the show, and meeting with Zhou Libo afterwards.