Fellas...I don't see how we can look at this FIBA thing as a mere formality. A formality is when you live with the girl for 6 years and then get married. A formality , to me anyway, would mean that the outcome is obvious. I don't see that as the case here. I think we need to take the first step in showing them that they can't hold ALL the cards ALL the time. We should issue a Friday deadline and then move on. This is getting tiresome. I hope its worth it.
Please, a little help for me... Today is the last day to declare for the draft (or pull out). If China does not allow Yao to be part of this draft, doesn't that have to known today? Or is it that Yao's rights can be part of this draft, it is just that China may not let him come this year? If Yao can not come this year, BUT is in this draft, then he gets drafted by whoever is willing to take him. Does China know that Yao cannot be in next year's draft and go to New York or Chicago or wherever. (My main question: doesn't he have to declare today for the draft one way or the other?) Does this make sense? Help me out with this one.
Perhaps this is the Rox answer to J.Williams cancelling his workout yesterday. The Rox may be sending a message and the message IMHO would be intended to put pressure on Krause, in that the pick is still "up for grabs". To drive the message home to Krause that another team could still be allowed via trade to leap frog Chi and get J Will might give Krause a reason to call the Rox AGAIN. I think this could be a ploy to pry something from Chicago. There seems to be little thought (or it could be OLD news or not very interesting) to Houston prying Crawford or another serviceable asset from Chicago. Crawford is a tradeable asset and he along with the #15 could move you up in the draft, assuming that teams holding late lotto picks do indeed either de-value the pick or have a mid-first rounder/Crawford on their wish list. Anything could happen from there, but Rudy and CD will shake things up. I mean c'mon, "we're the dumb b#s$%*@s from HOUSTON" (Seinfeld). Or it could be....drum roll... the Rox simply giving China a deadline. I'm learned pretty good.
Ming does not have to declare for the draft, based upon his age. He automatically goes into the pool. Last year, this was not the case.
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/buck/jun02/52317.asp Rockets doing their homework Officials learn Chinese diplomacy before draft By TOM ENLUND of the Journal Sentinel staff Last Updated: June 18, 2002 For the Houston Rockets, ownership of the first overall pick in this year's National Basketball Association college draft has turned into a crash-course in international diplomacy. Since landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery last month, the Rockets have discovered that the possibility of drafting and then signing 7-foot-5 Chinese center Yao Ming is a long and complicated process, one they admittedly did not at first fully understand. But now, after a four-day trip to China last week to meet with Yao and Chinese basketball officials, the Rockets are expressing optimism that the road would be cleared for them to select Yao in the June 26 draft. The Rockets' delegation that journeyed to China consisted of coach Rudy Tomjanovich, general manager Carroll Dawson, lead negotiator Michael Goldberg and media relations director Nelson Luis. "We would like this thing to work out," said Tomjanovich. "We would like to take Yao Ming." While in China, the Rockets received the endorsement of Chinese Basketball Association commissioner Xin Lancheng - the Chinese counterpart of NBA commissioner David Stern - and came away with the feeling that the Chinese were not going to make any unreasonable requests that would stand in the way of Houston drafting Yao. The Rockets also received the approval of Yao's team, the Shanghai Sharks. The Rockets, though, are still awaiting the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to grant the letter of clearance needed for Yao to be drafted. Yao and his representative, Erick Zhang, also still needed to reach an agreement on the payments Yao would make to his team, the Shanghai Sharks, and the Chinese Basketball Association. While visiting China, the Rockets delegation watched Yao and the Chinese national team practice and met with his parents. They were told that Yao followed Houston's two championship teams in the mid-1990s and was a big fan of former Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, and that Tomjanovich was well-known in China after coaching the U.S. Olympic team. The Rockets have traveled a long and winding road in their quest of Yao. Shortly after the May 19 lottery, Dawson called the process the Rockets had to follow "a little complicated" and that has turned out to be the case. In the weeks since the lottery, the Rockets took Yao's American representatives on a whirlwind tour of Houston, prepared a highlight film of the city to send to Yao and even enlisted the help of Texas politicians in their efforts to obtain Yao's services. They then embarked on their journey to China last week. "He's a big son of gun," said Tomjanovich. "The guy showed solid shooting, passing, athleticism. And he had a great personality. He really opened up after awhile. He asked about players on our team. He asked about things we did with Hakeem." The Rockets have had to seek out the answers to many questions. Would Chinese officials, in fact, allow Yao to play in the NBA next season? Would he come to the US to work out for the Rockets before the draft? When would he be made available to join an NBA team? Would Yao be allowed to choose the team for which he wants to play, perhaps one in a city with a large Asian community? And just how many signatures would be needed on a contract to seal the deal? The Rockets' heads were spinning early on. "I think these things will be worked out with the correct parties working through the NBA who is trying to help in this situation," said Dawson in a teleconference with the media shortly after the lottery. "We'll see, but you really want it to be as uncomplicated as possible because it's a major step. Right now, it is a little bit complicated because there are some things we don't know, but we're learning more every day." At one point, there were indications that it could take up to 10 signatures on a contract to make it official. That would include Yao, his parents, the Sharks, his Chinese agent, his NBA agent, the city of Shanghai, the Chinese National General Management, the Chinese Basketball Association and his NBA team. It remains unclear how many signatures would be needed. There was also some concern at first that the Sharks might demand a player from the team that drafted Yao but that now does not appear to be the case. Yao is represented in the U.S. by Zhang, a distant cousin who is a graduate student at the University of Chicago, along with John Huizinga, deputy dean of the University of Chicago business school and a professor of economics. Zhang is handling negotiations with Chinese officials while Huizinga is the front-man for negotiations with the NBA. It has been unclear just when Yao would become available to play in the NBA. Yao will spend the summer training for the World Games to be played Aug. 22 to Sept. 9 in Indianapolis and that would keep him out of NBA summer league play. He will play in the Asian Games in South Korea from Sept 29 to Oct. 14, which would cause him to miss much of the NBA pre-season. Another major uncertainty early on was that Yao might want to hold out for the right to play in a city with a large Asian community. When Yao was in Chicago on May 1 to work out for various NBA team officials, only the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls were allowed to work him out privately. But after their trip to China, Rockets officials said that Yao seemed eager to play in Houston. The Rockets, a team in need of immediate help, will face a difficult decision on draft night since it could take Yao a couple years to adjust to American culture and to develop into an impact player in the league. It is certainly a much more difficult choice than the one they made in 1984 when they selected Olajuwon with the first overall pick. Olajuwon was well-known to the Rockets, having played at the University of Houston. Yao remains much more of a mystery.
