June 10 - Yao Ming issued the following statement today regarding the forthcoming hiring of Jeff Van Gundy as Rockets head coach. "I am very excited to hear the news about Coach Van Gundy joining the Rockets. I felt very lucky to play for a Hall of Fame coach last year in Rudy Tomjanovich, and I feel lucky to now play for another of the best coaches in the game. I am aware of the work that Coach Van Gundy did with Patrick Ewing during the peak of his career, and I think he can bring out the best in me and all of my teammates. I believe Coach Van Gundy can help lead the Rockets to the next level. I wish him all the best, and he has my full support." -Yao Ming
Hi guys. I'm new here. I'm so glad JVG didn't take the Wizards job. Anyway, I can not wait to see some press photos of Coach Van Gundy and Yao Ming together
Have you become a Rockets fan coz of JVG? Looks like we are going to have a new group of Gundy-only-fans. Like those who joined cc.net after the draft of Yao Ming are being labelled Yao-only-fans, you guys will be called Gundy-only-fans
You and I registered around draft 2002 time, and your ID is 4xxx, now the new IDs reach 12xxx, indicating 8000 more new users' coming during the past one year! And we shall appreciate all of them, regardless YOF, GOF, because there is only one thing tattooed on their minds: BE PART OF SOMETHING BIG!
I love these Team Yao press releases. They read like they came out of a Chinese politburo meeting: Offend no one, project the illusion of consensus, and remember that everything's always hunky dory.
The statement is... dare I say... inscrutable? At best, it seems a bit gratuitous. JVG had Ewing at the peak of his career? Ewing was a 7-foot jump-shooter with gimpy knees by the time JVG got him. Will Ewing be brought in to teach 'gimpyball' to a young 7 1/2 ' specimen like Yao? I can only hope Ewing can teach from the perspective of his pre-knee blowout prime. (assuming, of course, that he assumes a position on the bench) JVG, Ewing, Mario waiting in the wings... NY is taking over. DAMN!!!
Good to see the players openly supporting the new coach. Now I just hope it is true and not all hype. Embrace the system. Win some games.