Very well said by Golden State blogger Matt Steinmetz http://www.examiner.com/x-441-Golde...pics?cid=exrss-Golden-State-Warriors-Examiner Yao Ming is big winner in Team USA's victory over China at Olympics POSTED August 10, 10:18 AM Yao Ming: All-Class first teamIt is virtually impossible to walk off a basketball court looking like a champion after you’ve lost by 31 points in the Olympics. Yao Ming did it for China. Team USA did to China what everyone expected it to do to China, except it didn’t start doing it until the second quarter. Then it was U.S. dominance. But Yao’s performance was just as impressive in defeat. He was far less than 100 percent physically, which proved to be a significant hindrance against the quick-ish U.S. team. He also had the added responsibility of playing in his home country in what everyone seemed to be saying was the most important basketball game _ maybe game in any sport _ in Chinese history. It didn’t matter. As always, Yao was a model of composure, competitiveness and professionalism. There was never any frustration or berating of teammates. Never any complaining with the officials or exasperated looks over to the bench. He played hard, encouraged his teammates and found plenty of time to smile during the 101-70 loss. But he was no less the competitor for it. Yao Ming: All-Class first team. Yao was always under control, which is not easy when you’re the best player on an overmatched team getting pounded in front of a few hundred million people or so. Ask Andrei Kirilenko, who has been visibly frustrated at times for Russia in pre-Olympic games. There was a moment in the second half when Deron Williams went to the bucket for a layup and Yao blocked it pretty well but got a lot of body in the process. He was called for a foul, but he turned to the U.S. bench and wagged his finger with a smile, seemingly saying “Not in my house.” The U.S. bench couldn’t help but laugh, just another indication of the respect NBA players have for Yao. The kind of respect everyone should have for Yao. With 12 seconds remaining in Sunday’s blowout, Wang Zhi Zhi made a spin move on the baseline and hit a tough shot from the baseline. The cameras caught Yao with a clenched fist, celebrating the bucket with teammates on the bench. Yao Ming: the unique combination of superstar and team player.
Is sad and pissed and kind of expect to see such a good thread turned into Yao vs Dwight, Kobe vs Lebron, YOH vs *** thread. A very good and exciting, at least for the first 15 minutes, game but i felt the team USA didnt go 100% against team China, probably to give some face to the home team? Regardless, the team USA is very beatable. They cant hit their threes as well as freethrows which were basically the same weakness that caused they gold four years ago. For those who blame the chinese coach on the guards failed to feed yao the post, i said it before and i will say it again it doesnt matter who is the coach, the chinese guards just dont have the handles and court vision to pass the ball plus the decision making was horrible, a sign of lack of quality competition. Just hope Yao and the CNT can beat Angola and Germany for the final 8.
I agree, you have no idea how many times I noticed Yao wide open and yelled for them to pass him the ball. I mean WIDE open under the basket even. And when they did try to pass him the ball it was most often a bad pass. Makes me appreciate that Rafer can actually pass him the ball.
Here is an amazing angle for Lebron's Dunk against China, a must see: <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/65I0HNvTDH4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/65I0HNvTDH4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
GLOAT GLOAT GLOAT Why was Yao up at the end yelling? They were getting pounded and he is cheering like they won a championship? If someone else in the NBA or any sport would have done that, they would be ridiculed. But with Yao, it's about honor. Team USA wins. China should realize they have no chance at anything and let Yao sit the rest of the games.
You do know that when you embed a YouTube video, you can see a preview snapshot of the video before you click on it, right?
