CBA Suggests Written Agreement on National Duty for NBA Team to Get Yao Ming

[windandsea]

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) suggested on Monday that any National Basketball Association(NBA) team to draft Chinese star center Yao Ming play with them should make a written agreement on his national duties with the CBA.

¡¡¡¡"The Houston Rockets had friendly and effective communications with us but no written agreement has been made on Yao's national duties," CBA secretary general Xin Lancheng told Xinhua on Monday.

¡¡¡¡A delegation from the Rockets, who were expected to pick the 7-foot-5 (2.26-meter) Yao from the Shanghai Sharks with their first pick right in the NBA Draft scheduled for June 26 at Madison Garden Square, New York, visited China early this month to hold meetings with the CBA and the Sharks.

¡¡¡¡"We want to make sure that Yao will be available to play with the national team when he is needed in the future," Xin said.

¡¡¡¡The Discussions between the CBA and the Rockets on Yao's national duties have been interrupted due to the NBA team's preparation for the draft, according to Xin.

¡¡¡¡"They rarely contacted us most recently because of their preparation for the draft," he said. "It's hard to predict how long it will take to get things done."

¡¡¡¡The CBA has always stressed that they held an positive and cautious attitude towards Chinese players' export to the NBA and vowed to protect the interests of the players and the country.

¡¡¡¡"They have to guarantee that Chinese players will be physically and mentally healthy," Xin Lancheng told Xinhua in an interview early this month. "At the same time, our players should be able to play for their own country when they are needed."

¡¡¡¡China's Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer played for the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets, respectively, in the last season.

¡¡¡¡Yao's representative Eric Zhang said on Saturday that he had reached "Agreements in Principle" on how they would compensate the Shanghai Sharks if any NBA team pick him in the draft later this week. However, Yao still needs to get "Yes" from the CBA to play in the NBA.

¡¡¡¡"We have reached agreements in principle with the club," said Eric Zhang on Saturday. "Our next step will be to reach certain agreements with the CBA."

¡¡¡¡Eric Zhang needs a written approval by the CBA to apply the final pass from the FIBA, basketball's world governing body, for Yao Ming to play in the NBA

[C-Kompii]

They really better hurry up, because time is shortly running out!

-G'day-

[Old Man Rock]

Wow! What does this mean... plan B

Marc Berman got the scoop, amazing.

So what do we do now.

[NJRocket]

Looks like the NY Post hit the proverbial nail on the head...

Houston, we have a problem!

[Old School]

I can't understand why this crap wasn't worked out weeks ago. Everyone knew this date was coming.


os

[NJRocket]

Jeff/Clutch...is this "written agreement" something the Rox/NBA is willing to do?

[DaDakota]

What you do is ....Write a document that says Yao will be ready and able to attend all National games for China."

Heck, that is what Wang Zhi Zhi did with Dallas, and look how well they were able to enforce it.

This sounds like small potatoes to me. If the Rockets have already agreed, and they want something in writing, why not give the Chinese something in writing too.

The difference is that in this country, the Rockets really have no authority to MAKE Ming go to China, and the agreement would not be worth the paper it was written on, but at least the CBA would see that Houston's intentions are honorable.

DaDakota

[Live]

If I were the Rockets, it's simple:

'We sign your agreement that Yao be available to the National Team, and you sign our agreement that Yao be available for the full NBA season without unwarranted interruption, including as much of the pre-season his National Team commitments allow, the entire regular season, and the entire post-season.'

OK, I'll give the NY Post props, look like they got the story correct. But this isn't as big a deal as they make it out to be.

[micah1j]

I thought the Rockets already agreed to this, it just wasn’t in writing. So they (Rockets/NBA) should just send a quit fax. I think this might be repercussions for Wang refusing to come back and the Mavs saying “Sorry, can’t find him.”

[Sonny]

Damn, this is the most red tape I have ever seen. Total BS.

What are we going to do if the Yao deal falls through this close to the draft? Trade?

[Baqui99]

Originally posted by DaDakota What you do is ....Write a document that says Yao will be ready and able to attend all National games for China." Heck, that is what Wang Zhi Zhi did with Dallas, and look how well they were able to enforce it. This sounds like small potatoes to me. If the Rockets have already agreed, and they want something in writing, why not give the Chinese something in writing too. The difference is that in this country, the Rockets really have no authority to MAKE Ming go to China, and the agreement would not be worth the paper it was written on, but at least the CBA would see that Houston's intentions are honorable. DaDakota

I agree. Just write up some cheap agreement on a bar napkin, and fax it over. These "snags" are getting old. Once Ming is in America he will do whatever he wants. If that means he stays here to train like Wang, then so be it. What is CBA gonna do- call the local Chinese Embassy?

[NJRocket]

You guys...i think it is a big deal..the Rockets had done their part and were awaiting word on whether or not he would be available...Now, apparently, they still have work to do

[Pole]

Speaking just for myself, this is the kind of crap I envisioned when I took a somewhat "anti-Ming" stance.

I have nothing against the man, himself.....just the baggage he carries.

[DaDakota]

Any deal has give and take, now it is our turn to tell them that we agree to their demands about playing on the national team. No big deal.

DaDakota

[rhester]

What if we do not get the clearance by Wednesday morning and we have a trade offered that is very tempting.

I hope the Rockets do not draft Ming without everything concrete!

[DaDakota]

I would take him anyway, you can always trade his rights away if need be.

DaDakota

[JayZ750]

Originally posted by rhester What if we do not get the clearance by Wednesday morning and we have a trade offered that is very tempting. I hope the Rockets do not draft Ming without everything concrete!

What if...? He isn't our draft pick until we actually pick him. Even if there was absolutely no red tape, the front office would be listening to trades up till the very end.

[BubbaMac]

I'll give one up to the Post for this one but the news release from China doesn't seem as serious to what the NY Post is writing.

Its just a written statement which Goldberg should have drafted already.

I still don't know what the big deal is. Perhaps there are more demands on the way....

[tozai]

Originally posted by DaDakota Heck, that is what Wang Zhi Zhi did with Dallas, and look how well they were able to enforce it. DaDakota

Yeah...that's why Wang didn't return when asked twice and now they're mad...they're scared maybe Yao will do the same. So actually it didn't work too well...

[ROXTXIA]

Hey OldSchool,

I agree. This should have all been done long ago. I wrote as much in Jeff's thread. A lot of this so-called negotiating could have been done before the Rockets even went to China to scope thangs out; everyone knew Yao would go #1 or #2 at worst.

Doesn't this all seem carefully orchestrated? Oh God, what if certain individual posters who shall go nameless were right all along?

Ming will go #1. Will we keep him?

Of course I wonder what incredible draft trade proposals we have received, but I'm getting ahead of myself...let's see how this shakes out.