Shawn Liao

Shih-Siang Shawn Liao (Traditional Chinese: 廖士翔, Simplified Chinese: 廖士翔, Pinyin: "Liao Shixiang", born on October 18 1974) is a former basketball player from the People's Republic of China best known for being one of the first Asian basketball athletes to ever compete in NCAA Division I basketball for Long Island University (from 1993 to 1996). He is 1.70 m (5'7") tall and weighs 70 kilograms (155 pounds). Liao later transferred to Columbia University (1996-1999) but did not play collegiate basketball for the school. He majored in chemical engineering and economics.cite news
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url= http://www.shawnliao.com/SL/North%20County%20News%2004-04-07.pdf
title= Asian man overcomes odds with hardwood fire
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date= April 7, 2004
accessdate= 2007-06-14]

In 2007 China Basketball Museum (CBM), China's equivalent of USA's Basketball Hall of Fame, announced the top 10 most influential Chinese basketball players in China's basketball history. Liao was ranked as number 9 amongst his basketball peers.cite news
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url= http://www.basketball.cn/
title= China Basketball Museum
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publisher= China Basketball Museum
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date= October 18, 2007
accessdate= 2008-05-10]

Liao is currently a successful entrepreneur in New York City with major focus in the area of real estate investments; and the managing partner of Hydra Worldwide Corporation, a company that he founded in 1998.cite news
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url= http://www.hydraworldwide.com/HWWC/newsletter/HYDRA2002.pdf
title= Hydra Worldwide Corporation's Annual Newsletter
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publisher= Hydra Worldwide Corporation
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date= January, 2003
accessdate= 2007-06-16]

Personal life

Liao married Karmen Kam, who is two years his senior, on July 14, 2006, in Taipei, Taiwan. The couple was married by the NBA legend, Bill Russell in a private ceremony with close friends & family at the National Palace Museum. Karmen (born on October 16 1972) is a corporate attorney with Morrison & Foerster LLP.cite news
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url= http://www.mofo.com/international/CN_en/attorneys/12252/biography.html
title= Morrison Foerster: Attorneys: Extended Biography
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publisher= Morrison Foerster
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date= July, 2006
accessdate= 2007-06-16]

Liao quoted during his three-day wedding event that "In my mind.... by having Bill to officiate and be the honored witness to our wedding is basically my 'Hall of Fame.'"

Other interests

Liao is an avid fan of performing arts and has actively been involved in producing theater productions and sponsoring various traditional Chinese artists from China to perform in New York City. Liao was the brainchild behind the largest Chinese opera production ever performed outside of Mainland China. The two-day weekend event, held on September 5-6, 2003, was billed as "SilkROAD2003: "An Experience in Chinese Theater"cite news
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url= http://www.silkroad2003.com/SR2003/pdf/SR03FullPressKit.pdf
title= SilkROAD2003 Chinese Theater Production at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center
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publisher= SilkROAD2003
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date= August 1, 2003
accessdate= 2007-06-14] , led by one of the most popular modern Chinese opera stars, Li Baochun — son of one of the most acclaimed Chinese opera legends, Li Shaochun, and received a near sellout audience of over 5,000 plus at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. The production received a favorable review by New York Times acclaimed opera critic James R. Oestreich.cite news
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url= http://www.shawnliao.com/SL/New%20York%20Times%2003-09-08.pdf
title= Taipei Troupe Puts Emphasis on Acrobatics
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publisher= The New York Times
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date= September 8, 2003
accessdate= 2007-06-14] Prior to the event, an average Chinese opera performance in North America did not exceed no more than 800 attendees per performance. SilkROAD2003 was co-produced by one of Liao's companies, Hydra Ventures, along with a family friend, Taiwan's billionaire tycoon Koo Chen-fu, and his non-profit foundation, called the Koo Foundation. For Liao's "important contributions he has made to the cultural life of New York City," as quoted by City Coucilman John Liu, the New York City Council offered to present Liao with a Proclamation.cite news
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url= http://www.silkroad2003.com/SR2003/proclamation.asp
title= Proclamation
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publisher= The Council City of New York
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date= September 5, 2003
accessdate= 2007-06-15] Liao politely declined to personally receive this honor and requested instead that the New York City government present the Proclamation to all of his colleagues at Hydra Ventures.

In January 2004, Liao was also involved in a musical production with the world renown cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Project, and Peabody Essex Museum in the presentation of "Creative Exchanges: Sights and Sounds of the Silk Road," a series of innovative performance, educational and cultural activities at PEM's newly transformed museum of art and culture.cite news
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url= http://www.silkroadproject.org/press/releases/031103.html
title= Peabody Essex Museum and the Silk Road Project, inc. Partner to launch innovative pilot program in January 2004
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publisher= Silk Road Project
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date= November 3, 2003
accessdate= 2007-06-14] Additionally, Liao sponsored a popular Chinese opera artist, Wu Hsing-Kuo to perform the role of the Ying-Yang Master alongside with the opera legend, Placido Domingo in the international premier of "The First Emperor" opera production at the famed Lincoln Center Metropolitan Opera House. The First Emperor's production team included China's leading film director, Zhang Yimou and Academy Award composer, Tan Dun.cite news
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url= http://metoperafamily.org/metopera/news/the_first_emperor.aspx
title= Tan Dun's Operatic Odyssey
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publisher= The Metropolitan Opera
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date= December, 2006
accessdate= 2007-06-14]

Trivia

*Liao played NCAA Division I collegiate basketball during the same period that the more high profiled China national basketball team member, Ma Jian, played for the University of Utah from 1993-1995. At the time, Ma was projected to be the first Chinese basketball player to enter the NBA (he was cut by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1995). Both players were the only Asians playing NCAA Division I collegiate basketball in the early Nineties. Ma and Liao were considered pioneers who cleared the way for other players from China to enter the NBA, such as Wang Zhizhi, Yao Ming, and Mengke Bateer.

References

External links

* [http://www.shawnliao.com/ Shawn Liao] - Official Site
* [http://www.youtube.com/shawnliao Shawn Liao] - Personal Youtube.com Site
* [http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Liao_Shih-Siang%20Shawn_575037321.aspx Shawn Liao Profile] - Zoom Info
* [http://www.asianathlete.com/ Shawn Liao Profile] - AsianAthlete.com