Before anyone thinks this another Yao bashing thread, it isn't .It's merely a continuance of another thread on this board for the most part. The outrage over the way Yao is officiated has been at a all time high in my eyes. We've also had people want to tell Stern about this unfair treatment. I think all that cool and all, but I think its up to Yao. In terms of talent, I don't think there were many more talented centers than Robinson. That included Dream,Ewing,Kareem, Shaq or whoever. The label he could never shake was ''soft''. It wasn't like he played soft all the time or he wasn't competitive, it was because he let opposing players foul him hard and push him down without any retaliation.I'm not saying the refs also treat u that way, but at some point a man has to stand up and be a man. All the old heads that watched Akeem knew he was a angry s.o.b. Akeem played angry, he had fights with Cage and Polynece. I know everyone remember when he whupped up on Kupchak. Its not like I'm advocating violence, I'm just saying. When Shaq 1st came in, people tested him all the time. They fouled him hard by grabbing him and hack a shaq. Some thought the playful giant woulnd do anything. Derek Harper found out otherwise. Ewing,Zo, Malone. hell even Kareem had to get people off him. I think its a manly thing to test the big guy. Little guys do as well as big guys, but once u whip someones ass, now they know ur not with the b.s. I don't want anyone to interpret this wrong, but I can go back and remember last season when Mason got in Mings grill after a foul. That was a chance to kick some ass and take names, but wise or unwisely, yao backed down. Now people think they can do anything to the big fella. We see the hacking and the pushing that occurs to Yao. Let me ask a simple question. After a rebound or during a post up in which the opposing player is clearly fouling Yao, if he would swing the ball with his elbows out and up and broke a nose or knocked some teeth loose, how many defenders would keep trying it? Its not streetball or dirtyball, its called self defense on the court. Its only so much a player can take physically without the refs stepping in. I don't think its thuggish, its just a territory that all big men have to establish. If you enter my area, then you're going to pay the price. Its a reason why people say deke has sharp elbows. How many time will anyone get hit with a elbow to the head? Like I said earlier, I don't want Yao viewed as a soft player like big dave. I don't want the Rox to have to find a guy to get his back. I want Yao to get his teammates back. Just like when detroit was hammering utah and Isaih drove down the lane and malone took him out. Ming should be feared and not looked upon as just a helpless big guy! Its not on the refs, its on him. Kick some ass and they'll give you ur due, bottomline!
I agree with you. Yao needs to stop "following the rules" once in a while and use that elbow to be a truly dominate player. If you been to a live NBA game, you know how physical the guys are (especially in the paint). Yao can't play like a soft wussy down there and expect to get treated like a man.
some valid points. but for one, take malone out of your list. he's the dirtiest player to ever have played the game (though he was a great pf in his own right). the one example you gave when he took out isiah is typical how dirty he is. secondly, i think the players doing what they do to yao... part of it is like you said yao never swings his elbows (though you'd think with deke with him 3 years he'd have learnt something), but more importantly is that the refs let them get away more often than they should. and to the latter part, yao can do almost nothing about imo. he's tried to say something in public, to both american and chinese media, but stern just ignored him. he neither gets better ref'd, nor gets fined. it's rather strange and subtle. i recall last year after a lakers game, he blasted the refs for not calling kwame's pushing on him. i was so sure he's gonna get fined. but strangely nothing happened after that. it beats me how to solve the situation. but the bad calls or non-calls yao gets drive me really mad, because like yesterday, this is really giving the rockets as a team a huge disadvantage.
Its not really about playing outside the rules, its just defending himself and the Rox players. I mean I love to watch Yao operate after someone fouls him hard. Its like he plays angry then which is good. His aggression level is higher, he really wants the ball and he trying to prove a point. I love it! I just don't think he plays angry enough. I get tired of seeing the tick tack fouls they call on yao. If the refs are going to call a foul, get ur money's worth. I'm not saying get a flagrant, but nake sure that guard or whomever know you're not with the b.s.
not a good idea. yao would probably be suspended for 10 games if he got into a fight, and rox would probably lose 8 out of the 10 games and miss the playoffs.
A trip down memory lane, let Yao take lessons from the Great One... <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TMonqfh69J4&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TMonqfh69J4&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
in china, we throw water bottles on the court to make a point, maybe you should all buy some hot dogs and throw it at the damn referee
I'm not talking about him fighting and getting suspened, I mean Kobe had a fight, but its more about defending ur teammates and yourself. If someone keep stealing ur lunch money and u tell the principle and he does nothiing, what are u going to do. Yao is being bullyed a lot by everyone and he's not standing up. I'm not going to say its bacause he's from somewhere else, but everyone has to stand up for themselves. You can be the kid from the suburbs, the girl from germany, it doesn't matter. Action sometimes speak loader than words. I want players to fear Yao. People feared Shaq. When you came down the lane,u knew he would give you a hard hip check foul. If you push him and fouled him on his drives or shot attempts, he would bow u. Ask deke about the nba finals when he was in new jersey. Yeah shaq got a foul called sometimes, but deke got the worse of it.
Yao is definitely not a good fighter, literally. Remember Mason toppled up Yao Ming with his back? Yao may not be a soft bball player, but he seems to be a soft "fighter".
Hey what about this Yao. He did get a little nasty in this video we need to see more of this Yao http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQw7Ss0mP7M
leave this board immediatley you fruit. take you and your TD loving ass here http://spurstalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2/
I agree 100% but Yao needs to pick the right person to get into a fight with. Nate Robinson for example is pretty scrappy and would do him up like E. Honda with the 100 hand slap. Man this sounds like such a stereotype but it would be awesome if Yao knew some martial art so where if some idiot like Kwame Brown came at him he could do a judo chop on him and look like a bad mother... shut yo mouth...nut I am talking about Yao... then I can dig it.
If my temperament was in Yao's body, many players in the league would be in grave danger. I would rebound with elbows up and flying a la Mutombo, I would use my giant butt to remove people from the areas I wanted to control, I would take to the floor with extreme aggression anyone who dared drive or dunk on me, I would make every foul I committed a lasting memory, and I would "accidently" fall on any player who leaned on me or got to close to me. I'm 7'6" 320, I am a rabid gorilla, I strike fear in the hearts of every player that gets on the court with me. I am the most disliked, least popular, and widely feared player in the NBA. Then again, that is a fantasy. Yao is gentle, kind, well-mannered, considerate, rational, intelligent, courteous, caring, ...need I go on. I admire these characteristics, but they don't translate well into the NBA. And Yao's basic temperament is not going to change. Editorial Note: I am 6'4" and 220 and I can't recall any "organized and officiated" basketball game that I ever played in that I did not foul out of.
