Hello All, While we bask in Yao's glow, I wanted to get people's opinions on an observation I've made. The punchline first: I think the bashing Yao got by the media is the best thing that could have happened. Wilt Chamberlain once said: "Nobody roots for Goliath" The behemoth spent his whole career dominating but feeling unloved and underappreciated (hmm... 20,000 women? Can you say an issue to tackle in therapy?). Shaq arrives. There is never doubt that he would bully and dominate. There is certainly respect and fear of his game, but he is not embraced as a hero ala Jordan, Magic, Dr. J. You see it in every interview, when Shaq is sarcastically self-depricating about his game ("Don't worry about me, I'm a nobody"). Big fella just wants some love. Enter Yao. A mystery. A 7'6" mystery. 7'6" = Bust. The name 'Larue Martin' wastes our brain space. 7 games into the season, ESPN wants to do a re-enactment of the Marbury crossover starring Big Bird & Speedy Gonzales in one of their commercials. Fans stream into Staples, ready to laugh. Yao raises the roof. Jack Nicholson: "You can't handle the truth." Barkley kisses ass. Yao blows the ceiling off AA Arena on national TV with the most incredible 30/16 we've ever seen. Dallas fans on board. He starts and swats Jordan's Wizards with 18/8/4. Jordan: "He'll only get better." And Yao picks up 3 electoral votes from the District of Columbia. I'm in California, the Rox visit Wednesday. People, that's non-Rocket, even non-hoop fans, are happy for him because the media made him the underdog. There is a buzz in the air. A country is starting to root for Yao Ming. And I'm not talking about China.
Great post, i agree that nobody roots 4 Goliath. David has all the fans! Yao is the bigger version of David GO YAO GO ROCKETS
It would be pretty hard to not like Yao. He kind of reminds me of Tim Duncan in a way. I don't want to like him since he's a Spur and he always dominates us, but I just can't. He is just a good person, like Yao. They both play without getting too high or low. (heard that about Yao somewhere.) Shaq, on the other hand, I have no problem not liking. He's kind of cocky and stuff. Uh...yeah.
Very nice post CB4ever. Yao definitely has become the loveable underdog. From the beginning, the buzz from Houston fans was half and half. Some rooting, others hating. Other basketball fans seemed to be ready and willing to jump all over and devour Yao. It's kind of the Bradley effect. Everyone loves to bash untapped potential (especially if athletically gifted or vertically adept) as a way to ease personal disappointing deficiencies. But beyond Yao's game he is very intelligent and has undeniable charisma. His attitude and natural charisma teamed with his incredible fan appeasing "team game" on the court are an unstoppable combo. Another loveable giant in Houston. It makes being a fan that much more enjoyable. It's nice to know other fans of basketball have been converted and are able to have the same joy.
Yao ming must've been the biggest underdog. The people at the NBA draft were booing at him simply because he was asian and didn't seem to be a good player at all. On top of that, there were so many negative statements about Yao. For example, Dickie V said he was a bust by calling him the next Larue. Clippers were all saying how they were going to dunk over him. Shaq mimicked Yao by saying "ching chong ching chong" on the Dan Patrick show. Yao arrives in America, not knowing much english, knowing that alot of people had no respect for him and wanted him to fail, knowing that he would giving 2/3 of his paycheck to his tyrant government and still manages to shrug it off. I am sorry but Yao has class and has character, Rockets are lucky to get a player like him.
That is a VERY interesting take on the situation CB4ever. I can't imagine how hard it's been for Yao Ming with the media all on his back for the past few weeks, but the fans have REALLY rallied around him. It seems that the people really want him to succeed. He tends to harken back to an era of basketball and players that people so often say is missing in the NBA -- guys with class, heart, and fundamentals. I imagine that he will soon have the same effect as Jordan -- when the Rockets play an away game, the game will be sold out because people want to see Yao Ming. He's an easy guy to root for, and has genuine class. It seems to me that most people who root for or against Yao Ming do so based on their prediction of him. EVERYONE had an opinion of Yao Ming before the draft, and everyone wants to be right about his prediction. So people root for Yao Ming if they want him to succeed, and against him if they predicted him as a bust.
Thanks for the responses and the feedback. What have the experiences of other non-Houston based Rox fans been re: others' reactions to Yao's breakout? Quick story: I'm working out in my apartment complex's small gym while I watch the Dallas game. Two girls are on treadmills and watching different programs. At halftime I'm so worked up about Yao I call up my brother in H-town and we hype each other up even more. At the start of the 2nd half, when Yao hip checks and facializes Bradley, I forget where I am and let out this ear-splitting, primal "OOOEEAAHHHH!!!" The girls both go "Whoa!" and start laughing. One asks me, " What game are you watching?" So I explain and she's like "Cool, he's cute." (And then both girls say "Ooo, you're cute, too" and bow-chicka-bow-bow... wait, sorry, dreamcasting... or am I? ) Seriously, they both start watching Yao in this Rox-Dallas game that they could've cared less about before. It truly was... "cool."
LOL!!! That's the best line! Governor of MD, Robert Ehrlich has a lot to worry about, I guess! By the way, one of the reasons for the Yao mania (outside of Houston) is because they want a balance of power; Shaq has no one to match up with. People outside of Houston want the new rookie to do well against Shaq. Now, after Shaq leaves the NBA, and Yao is the only one, then people will start to dislike Yao (in a competitive way). But because Yao is humble, this will help him in the long run; like Duncan.
Heh heh...When a player attracts fans that are non-basketball fans, watch out! Next on the list? Non-sports fans! By the way, I'm not sure everyone caught that "bow-chicka-bow-bow" statement. That was hilarious!
