He'll have flu. BTW, I think the whole idea of letting fans vote for all-stars is nonsense. A marketing gimmick that does not do justice to the art of basketball.
Just wanted to mention that at last Sat. game vs. the Sixers, they had voting booths at the laptop and said that if you fill out 100 ballots, you get a free tshirt. I saw ALOT of people filled those things out. My 2 cousins did, so thats 200 votes right there. I would say that people at least filled out 1000-2000 votes that night. They even had a offer that if you filled out 300, u get the same shirt autographed by Ming. Now, he and Steve isnt at the allstar game, i would be VERY surprised.
I always thought that a guy couldnt coach the All Star game 2 years in a row, isn't that some kind of Pat Riley rule or something? Someone confirm or unconfirm this for me please. BTW, Phil Jackson is a lucky little bearded, ginseng drinking chump who thinks he's the man just because he's able to win with Kobe & Shaq and Jordan & Pippen. The man needs to get over himself, he and LA deserve each other, they are both the epitomeof all that is fake in their respective areas.
NBA had not released the result of the preliminary votings. I wonder if the starting line up so far might be something like this: Center Yao Ming SF Wang zhi zhi PF Meek Bateer SG Kobe Bryant SG Steve Francis The league is trying to figure out how to fix the ballots so that they can change the result of the voting. When they figure out, the willl post the preliminary results of the voting. May be they will change the rule to allow the players to play only if they are actually starting for their respective teams. This will eliminate injure players and players who are not a major contributor to their team. Just kidding. I don't think the Chinese would vote (by writing in) for Bateer and Wang. They have too much respect for the game and too much pride for their countryman to stuff the ballots like that. But I do hope Yao will make it. He represent something special and will bring back respectability to the game. But base on talent, Shaq is ahead of Ming at this time so he probable deserve the starting nod and Yao would be a reserve. I think this is also the way Yao would like to participate in the all star game (as a reserve). I think he want to start only if he deserve to and not because of his popularity with the fans. Being a person with integrity, I don't think Yao want to be in a position where he felt that he doesn't deserve the spot.
Hold the conspiracy craziness everyone. The NBA didn't annouce the totals for the All-Star balloting until December 19th last year. The early voting totals are usually announced around the middle of December. I'd bet on next week.
Me too! I honestly believe the Rockets would give any team that was assembled from the Eastern Conference fits. no kidding.
when was the last time a ROOKIE CENTER, started in an all-star game. But if Ming does get the starting position. I dont think a rookie center will get to do this again in the near future
To all our Chinese friends: The rules allow for you to vote once every 24 hour period (on the net) so don't be shy step right up and cast your vote! I've been voting every day for the last month or so.
Don't forget that Rudy T will be the west conf. coach, since by that time Rox will be No. 2 (beat SAC) and Nellie was the coach last year.
I agree with others who disagree on this. Their games are different, substantially so. Hakeem, as a rookie, was a far superior defender to Yao. He was more athletic. He was more capable of making a steal of a ball. More than any player I've ever seen, he played the entire court. Hakeem's signature move was running down a guard from behind and blocking his layup to trigger a break going the other way.It's all speed and grace and effort, and Ming just is not in that class defensively. Ming has a wide variety of offensive moves, and has an accuracy that I think cannot be compared to any current center. Ming passes *now* in ways that took Hakeem years to figure out. The range of his jumper is greater than Hakeem's was as a rookie and he's offensively more rounded. Both these guys are extremely good, but their games are very different. Ming is, to use an analogy, more like a quarterhorse, quick in short bursts and powerful whereas Hakeem was a greyhound on the court, always running, and relentless. Dave PS - It's really unfortunate. By the middle 90s, Hakeem wasn't the supernova defender he was as a young guy, and too many of the newbies to this board only know the offensive game (and slower reactions) of the guy who took the Rockets to the championships. That, I think, does Hakeem a disservice, because he may have been more impressive in the late 1980s-early 1990s, when he still had the full use of all his terrific defensive skills.
"Originally posted by The Cat To all Chinese fans: Don't worry about him being "worthy" of the honor. Grant Hill and Alonzo Mourning were voted in as starters despite never playing a game. Kobe Bryant was voted in as a 19 year old when he wasn't even starting for his own team. Michael Jordan was voted over MVP runner-up Jason Kidd last year. Whenever any league makes all-star voting a fan choice, they know right then and there that they aren't going to get the best players. No matter how you think, it's not ever going to be who deserves it, and I'd rather a few "undeserving" Rockets over a few undeserving players from other team. Stuff the boxes, and let's make sure Yao starts. " GREAT POST!!
I just came back from the carribbean and everybody was asking about how Yao is doing and that our team was looking good. You could only get Spanish Espn out there and instead of showing last weeks Indy game they showed the most boring sport outside of golf (SOCCER). Atleast I got to see the Texans. Now that I am back it is back to voting and I was so excited to here that Kenny's damn ass is gone. That made my vacation that much better Do not forget to vote http://www.nba.com/allstar2003/AS_Ballot.html
What will happen to the votes that Kenny recieved in the West, I doubt that many people outside of Houston voted for him....but what will happen to them? Will they be switched to the East?
Here's the best part: So Yao gets voted in after Chinese fans STUFF the ballots big time, and Stern decides to change that format next year. SO WHAT?? NEXT YEAR, YAO MING WILL BE THE BEST C IN THE LEAGUE ANYWAY! This year, he's a rookie, so he can't be the best. Yao isn't hated by the players as much as Shaq. Lots of people hate Shaq, but with Ming's personality? So that's 1/3rd. There's not one coach in the league who hasn't come across Houston impressed with Yao Ming, hs skills and his demeanour. That's half of the 2nd 1/3rd. Which leaves the 1/3rd of the fans, and Yao Ming will have more fans next year than this year. If Yao Ming makes it thisn year, he'll make it for the rest of his career (barring a draft phenomena like a new Hakeem/Robinson/Shaq). Come on, stuff it like it means he'll start forever.
