“Imagine Spending $4,235 to See the Back of Yao Ming’s Head”

On Wednesday night, the legend Yao Ming was in attendance for the Brooklyn Nets home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 7-foot-6-inch Hall of Famer and chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association sat courtside, and while he enjoyed a direct view of the action on the court, the spectators seated behind him did not.

Photos and video circulating online showed Yao occupying a significant portion of space in the front row. In the seats directly behind him were two fans who appeared to be craning their necks to catch an occasional glimpse of the court.

The unfortunate juxtaposition was immediately observed by keen-eyed Twitter users, and the jokes that followed were exactly what you’d expect.

The Nets broadcast team even commented on the situation during the game, joking that the two fans would hopefully be getting some photos with Yao.

Kevin Hart, who had nothing to do with the game, also caught some strays.

While Yao’s appearance generated plenty of laughs on social media, he took it in stride, enjoying face time with fans during timeouts and keeping a smile on his face. Ultimately the Cavaliers edged out the Nets 127-125 with a clutch 3-pointer by Donovan Mitchell — even though Yao unwittingly stole the show.

Image via Twitter