Yao Ming's pants

I wasn't able to get this story that former Wake Forest star Chris Paul told into my column that will run in Sunday's Charlotte Observer about the U.S. men's basketball team -- nicknamed the "Redeem Team." So I'll let Paul tell it here.

"I really got to know Yao and interact with him for the first time at this year's NBA all-star game," Paul said. "What people don't know about Yao is that he's always joking and goofing around. So we're in the locker room one time, and he holds up his pants [not his basketball uniform pants, but the pants he's changing into after the game].

"They are absolutely huge," Paul continued. "So he comes over to me, and he holds them up right beside me. And I'm not kidding, they were exactly my height."

Yao is 7-foot-6. Paul is officially 6-0, although I think he's really about 5-10. In any case, that's some big pants.