10 best Asian-American athletes

OK, to establish parameters here: “Asian-American Athlete” encompasses athletes with Asian ancestry in any major American sport. Asia, the continent, includes places like India as well as China, Japan, Korea and the rest. This means I’m including some guys you may not even think of as “Asian”—I’m reminded here of Dave Chappelle’s famous “Racial Draft” skit, especially with my top choice.

And I’m deliberately excluding Samoa, which should qualify as Asian, for the simple reason that they are all over the NFL and could potentially dominate this list. Apologies therefore to Troy Polamalu, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, Marques Tuiasosopo, Junior Seau and all the other standout football-playing Samoans—and Samoans dominate at rugby, too, but that’s not so much a major American sport.

And “best” is inherently subjective, combining both talent, success and a healthy dash of popularity. Feel free to comment with your snubs—who do you think should have made it instead?

1. Tiger Woods. A true ethnic mishmash (he calls himself “Cablinasian”) he’s one-quarter Thai, one-quarter Chinese, and four quarters amazing golfer. It’s hard to imagine a more dominant athlete in any sport—even when he’s not there (like at the British Open) everyone was still talking about what his absence meant.

2. Yao Ming. Certainly close to, if not bigger than, Tiger Woods in the popularity department, Yao has yet to completely assert his dominance in the NBA. He’s certainly among the best big men in the game, especially in his passing and quickness. But just when he seems to break out, he gets hurt. Three times in the past three years, he’s lost plenty of time to foot and leg injuries. Until he can overcome this, he won’t be tops, in the NBA or on this list.

3. Ichiro Suzuki. Or, as he’s known on both sides of the Pacific, Ichiro. One name. He’s a bit past his prime these days at 35, but not too old to put up his eighth straight 200-hit season, something nobody’s done since Wee Willie Keeler did in 1901. In scoring 100 runs during the same stretch, he’s equaled Lou Gehrig’s record, an equally significant mark. In 47 steal attempts, he’s been caught only 4 times. He’s smart, he’s quick, he’s fun to watch, and he draws more Japanese press than Michael Jackson—which is why they call him “Elvis” in Japan.

4. Daisuke Matsuzaka. The 100-Million-Dollar-Man has pitched very well, after being very average last year. But he’s challenging Ichiro for the title of Most Popular Asian Baseball Player, and certainly plays for a far better team. Being the #2 starter for the Boston Red Sox, the Team of the Oughts, Dice-K ought to have a chance to win his second World Series ring this season.

5. Vijay Singh. As Mike McAllister notes in his recent PGA column, native Fijian Vijay has gotten better in his forties, and not worse. Including this year’s FedEx Cup to recognize the PGA’s top golfer on the tour, he already holds the title for the most wins after turning forty, better than Nicklaus, and (McAllister thinks) ultimately better than Woods will do at that age. But even if he stopped playing tomorrow, he’d still retire with 34 wins and 175 Top 10 finishes in 403 career events. He won’t stop, of course, and is sure to add to those totals in the coming years.

6. Hines Ward. You may not think of him as Asian--you probably just think of him as a tough, stud wideout. But his father is African-American and his mother is Korean. In 11 seasons, he’s corralled 734 receptions for 68 TDs and an average of 12.1 yards per catch, numbers all the more amazing for a team like the Steelers that throws (and scores) so rarely. Plus that Superbowl ring. He’s fast, he’s tough, and he smiles a lot.

7. Yi Jianlian. Recently traded to the New Jersey Nets, Chinese import Yi should blossom with a stronger team around him, to say nothing of the support of the local Asian community in the NY-NJ area. He was too much of a focus in Milwaukee and too isolated in a city with a tiny Chinese population. He’ll never be the dominant player that Yao is, but Yi is an excellent forward with a good touch and a developing physique. In the years to come, he may overtake his countryman in popularity, if not in talent.

 

8. Akinori Iwamura. The leadoff hitter for this team’s surprise team, the Tampa Bay Rays, Aki is the sparkplug that gets the team going, and plays outstanding defense. Moved from third to second, he’s transitioned seamlessly with the glove, and his lighter-hitting bat doesn’t hurt the Rays much at a middle infield spot. Like Yi, he plays second banana to his more famous countrymen, but if Tampa finishes its fabulous run, more people will know who Iwamura is.

 

9. Brian Ching. The first Hawaiian to play for the World Cup team, Ching is also a standout on the Houston Dynamo in MLS. A scoring machine, he’s one of only seven MLS players to score four goals in a game, and he was named the MVP for the Dynamo’s 2006 Cup victory. Energetic and dynamic, he personifies his team’s nickname, and would be higher on this list, if soccer got the attention it deserved in America.

 

10. Yani Tseng. One of a host of LPGA Asian standouts, Tseng is merely the hottest golfer right now, the reason for this choice. Consider her the frontwoman for golfers like Se Ri Pak, Michelle Wie, Mi Hyun Kim, or any of the amazing young Asians in women’s golf. Tseng won the McDonald’s LPGA Championship earlier this season, and has finished in the Top Ten of 7 of the 19 tournaments she’s entered this season, and currently stands fourth on the money list. She’ll win the Rolex Rookie of the Year, continuing a trend of Asian women winning three of the last four such awards, and will also play in the season-ending ADT Championship. Another player sure to rise in this list in the coming years.