Is it just an Asian stereotype, or does he really have a big, um . . . brain? After that bounce pass to Francis, you have to wonder. He appears to be a very fast learner on the court, and his comments to the press have seemed unusually wise for a 22-year-old. Did you notice his remark the other day about how much better he plays the second time he faces a team? He seems to think he can figure out how to beat them after watching and playing against them for 48 minutes.
Not many Asian Athletes are that smart are gifted (in soccer, tennis, bball etc.). In Yao, he's a Special type of player, franchise center likes Hakeem, Kareem etc. Just sit back and enjoy the development of something special and be part of somthing really BIG
I think that there is little doubt of Yao Ming's intelligence. He has come into a situation where the smallest misstep or mistatement would have consequences (let's be honest, there were a lot of people: players, coaches, sports "experts" and just plain fans, who were praying for him to embarass himself) and has handled himself with great skill and poise.
sorry but athletic genius is different from other types of genius, such as a linguistic genius. and just because you are smart doesn't mean you are cool and calm at sports under pressure. when you have a work ethic like yao then you tend to learn things faster since you are spending a lot of time working on those things. the only reason why that asian stereotype exists is because much more often than not their parents are on their ass constantly to get good grades. same thing with indian parents as well. so as a result they get high grades...school and sports are that different. each takes a lot of work to do good in, no matter how much talent or intelligence you have. yao is just a freakish combo of athletic talent, size, intelligence, and wit. nothing asian or chinese about it...its just a human phenomenon.
Last year I was able to read a number of Ming's interviews in China and elsewhere. It was quite obvious that he is a very intelligent young man. He is living proof that playing "smart" is a player's greatest asset. It also helps to be "big" and talented.
i was just thinking....you know its pretty hard to find a dumb player among the games greatest. MJ, Dream, Zeke, Magic, Bird...maybe i am only thinking of the ones that were smart. are there any dumb great players?
I'd venture to say that Yao is the smartest 7'6" 296lb Chinese guy in the entire world!! Who dares prove me wrong?
I agree with Robbie. Athletic "smarts" is a different thing. for instance, the greatest passing center of all time (Bill Walton) is a pretty stupid commentator. btw: who had the greatest athletic smarts of all time. imo, the man is "The Greatest of A L L T I M E"
People are people. And Yao is a special person. Thanks, Rudy, for recognizing that and insisting on Yao!!!
I think if you want to be good at anything you do.. you gotta continually learn, and correct the mistakes that you have done before. You have to be able to adjust/adapt to new environments well and quickly. I think for all these successful basketball players... mj.. magic... bird... etc etc etc... they would have been successful even if they did not become basketball players...
Yao is making decisions on the court that show a serious amount of SAVVY !! He is the player I have been craving to have on the Rockets. More often then not he is going to make the SMART play, and Rudy has recognized this, and suprisingly, so has the rest of the team. They have embraced playing with Yao more quickly then I could have hoped. Yao is a very smart and savvy player. I mean, come on, the guys plays video games, that makes him VERY smart in my book. DaDakota
<blockquote><hr>Originally posted by robbie380 i was just thinking....you know its pretty hard to find a dumb player among the games greatest. MJ, Dream, Zeke, Magic, Bird...maybe i am only thinking of the ones that were smart. are there any dumb great players? <hr></blockquote> Francis?? you're right. The ability to be great is in the ability to see the whole game...to slow things down in your mind...to choose options faster than others without the need to think because you already know what to do. The ability to break the game down in your mind and choose best options rapidly...to the point of reflex instinct...is shared by all the greatest with the only exceptions being the strongest players. For instance, Moses Malone was a great one, but he did not really ever need to make choices on the court. His first choice was always enough.
In regard to Ming's passing I remeber there was a Rudy quote that is something like this: We don't know how he did it, sometimes I don't see the play....but he makes a good play out of it. Also, I read Ming says his mom is the X and O expert in his family, his court savvy must have something to do with it.
