This is a BASKETBALL forum and as such, I will talk about basketball first, second, and last. If it's not about basketball and only about Yao or a personal question, take that elsewhere. I think they have a Yao Ming Only forum somewhere out there. Yao doesn't pay my bills or do anything for my personal life. Even on the Rockets team, he is simply a $16-17 million burden sitting on the bench. He doesn't relate to me on any personal level, so why should I relate to him on a personal level outside of basketball?!? If you aren't interested in discussing Rockets basketball, GTFO of GARM and go to RealGM or something. So being Chinese automatically makes me a Yao lover? I am a ROCKETS fan and as a fan of the ROCKETS, I root for the name on the FRONT of the jerseys. I could care less about Yao's personal success or achievements. I only care about how his performance (or lack thereof) translates to the success of the team. I have stated many times I respect Yao's humble personality and great work ethic. However, this is basketball not a club for nice people. Now if Yao restructures his contact and gives all the money back that he did not deserve, I may change my tune. Last but not least, why should I tell you where I was born? It doesn't have anything to do with Yao or anything to do with basketball. It is pathetic, though funny, how some people are so desperate about worshipping players and forming this mystical personal relationship with them when these players don't give a damn about you from their end.
Yao isn't even close to all-star level, and I'd be embarrassed as a Rockets fan to see him voted in. Don't his fans have any self-pride? If you really like a player, that means you root for them to play well enough to deserve an all-star selection. Not that you try to get them in regardless of their level of play. That's just pathetic.
I never get this if you want to see yao than vote you vote for him. Its an all star game not the the all nba team.
Maybe once but not now. These guys are so starved for a semblance of Rockets' glory, they will rationalize and compromise themselves into oblivion.
I'm going to have to side with the dissenting opinion here. I think most understand the article and that is the real crux of the debate - is the all-star game still an honorary award or a popularity contest today? I personally gave up on the notion of the best of the best awhile ago. I don't think it's wrong or right, just the times they are a changin'. Every major pro league has tinkered with their all-star games/weekends to get more fans involved and more ratings. It used to be good enough to get the cream of the crop on one field/court/ice and they would come. But it's not today and I don't really blame them for trying new things. If you take a step back and look at what it really is, it's just an exhibition game, and it's not ideal to nominate the best players half way through a season. That's what we have the All-NBA 1st/2nd/3rd team awards for.
I don't want to see a plodding, out-of-place, out-of-shape, half-playing Yao in an all-star game. Don't know about you, but I would get no enjoyment from that. I want to see Yao playing at a high-level and earning an all-star appearance that way. If he's just voted in based on his name, that means nothing to me.
Wow, pretty harsh words there durv. This is the allstar game not the presidency. why would Yao getting an allstar nod embarrass you? What's pathetic is you calling out rockets fans for voting for a favorite player regardless of stats or win totals. I would think you of all people would be above degrading rockets fans. That's a low blow from a fellow clutchfan I usually respect the opinion of.
He'd play like 5 min if that. At least the rockets franchise name will be mentioned. The houston rockets are pretty irrelevant. They are never discussed on the sports talk show. They barely get the front page of the sports section.
1.3 billion people are going to trade Yao ming just trade anywhere is ok for chinese, houston is not YAO 's place
Lots of players would love to be all-stars. Lots of fans would love for their guys to make an all-star team. Why should Yao get an advantage -- just because of his name and international fame? Because he's Chinese? Where's the fairness in that? Fans that choose to vote in such a way as to to turn the all-star game into a popularity contest degrade both themselves and the event.
The point is, people have never seen a FAN site, post an article to not vote for a player playing on that team. Not for AI, Not for T-mac Who cares on what you vote, its your right to vote for whoever you damn well please. Saying Yao only wins because he is Chinese is ridiculous. That's like saying, why all the White's vote Dirk into the All-Star game. IF the chinese had so much leverage, players like Wang, Lin, Yi would actually make the all-star.
