Some ppl have respect for their national team and personal integrity keeping them from abusing their power. Be happy men like him don't think like you.
One thing that you probably have noticed: Wang Zhizhi is playing for a $2 million salary with no endosements while Yao is signing his $75million shoe contract on top of his many other commercial contracts. But what you may not know is that this was partly because Wang's refusal to play for China has dramatically removed his commercial value in the huge Chinese market. Wang is not a smart person, or his advisers are very stupid ones. Yao's decision to play for China greatly increased his commercial value, while Wang simply becomes a third tier basketball player sitting on some team's bench.
People kept talking about Yao's defection. Why would Yao defect? What would Yao defect from? If you expend your vision a little, you would notice that majority people in the world care more about a famous person's integrity. Yao's dedication to his own country demonstrates his integrity as a person. If you think Wang has benifited from hisquasi-defection, think again (see my previous post on the commercial values). With that said, I think Yao should set up some rules with the Chinese basketball people and be allowed to play less commercial games. He does not need a whole 3 months training with the national team to be effective. It owuld benefit both the national team and Yao himself if he gets sufficient rest in the off season. He could play for the Chinese national team for 3-4 Olympics, for God's sakes, if he preserves his energy and increase his durability.
The article is way too long for a full translation. It's written by the reporter Yang Yi, a friend of Yao's that travelled with the Chinese national team this summer. The main point is that Yao is sick and tired of all the pointless commercial and advertisement activities that he has to go through while he's on the Chinese national team. Many of these activities are obviously designed by the NT to take advantage of Yao's fame. Here are some notable points in the article: 1. Every time the Chinese NT get on the bus to go somewhere, they always make a bunch of extra stops so the bosses of the numerous company sponsors of the NT can have their picture taken with the NT. Yao Ming eventually got fed up and refused to get off the bus to take these pictures, upsetting the NT sponsors, who really only want to take the picture with Yao. 2. Fans and reporters are mobbing Yao everywhere. He can't have any peace anywhere he goes. Even when he's going to the toilet, there's a crowd waiting outside taking pictures of the bathroom door. Because of this, he's afraid to go outside of his hotel room. 3. Even in his hotel room, he can't get any peace. On the day of the game in Wenzhou, there was someone knocking on his room's door every 20 minutes to ask for autographs. This is despite the fact that the hotel is under instruction not to let anyone up to see him and there are guards posted in the hall way to protect Yao Ming's privacy. Apparently all these autograph seekers knew someone in the hotel or bribed someone. Yao eventually got fed up and screamed at the guards in the hall way. 4. In Tianjin, Yao became jumpy and is nearing a mental break down, making the reporter go check the door every 10 minutes because he thinks he heard knocking even though each time no one was there. 5. Yao's feeling lonely because of the dramatically different circumstance he's in as compared to his teammates. Fans are mobbing him while completely ignoring his teammates who just stand around and wait. The article mentions Yao's NT teammate Fan Bin went to Yao's hotel room one day with a big bag of basketballs for Yao to sign. Yao signs them but told Fan Bin he won't sign Spalding balls any more because of his sponsorship deal with Upper Deck. Fan Bin left afterwards without talking much. Yao tells the reporter that when he used to play in the CBA, he always had dinner with Fan Bin after games between the Shanghai Sharks and Fan's Bayi Rockets. But now it's been a long time since they've had dinner together. One day in Anhui, the reporter's girlfriend's cousins came to visit, nominally to see the reporter but really they wanted to meet Yao. After taking their pictures with Yao, the reporter asked whether they wanted to take pictures with Yao's roommate and the NT starting point guard Liu Wei. The cousins, who were not basketball fans and had no idea who Liu Wei was, said they don't mind taking the picture with Liu Wei since they had extra film left. This greatly upset Liu Wei. Yao was upset too because he and Liu Wei has been teammates and friends from the time they were 14 to when they won the CBA championship just before Yao become a Houston Rocket. 6. There are lots of lavish and tiring banquets that the NT has to attend. Many of them are scheduled at the last minute without informing the team ahead of time. Yao is sick of them and started to refuse to go to these banquets. So while the entire team is at these banquets, Yao's eating in his hotel room and watching TV. Yao says he plans to play til he's 35 but if things continue like this on the NT, he doesn't think his body will last til he's 30. 7. Yao plans to make 2 demands of the NT. First is that he must be informed of any commercial and public relations activities 15 days ahead of time, otherwise he has the right to refuse to attend. Second, he will only play in 3 warm-up or purely for show games with the NT and he won't even travel to the other such games.
I'm not sure what you're talking about here. Compared to $2 million in salary, how much was Zhi Zhi going to get from companies outside China wanting to make inroads with the Chinese? And compared to what he could make in the NBA once he establishes himself is likely to be far more lucrative than the endoresements he'd derive if he were only a hero in China far eclipsed by Yao's current standing. From reading the almost abstract translation it sounds like Yao's taking baby steps in order to make the NT aware of the reality of the current situation. And at the same time improve the situation for his NT teammates. I need a much better translation, but that's how I "read" it.
A roughly translation for the last several paragraphs. 在深圳，中国篮球年度颁奖盛典之前。姚明是2002至2003年度中国篮球最受欢迎的男运动员。他在房间里拿出刮胡刀来，把那些冒头儿不多的胡须又刮得一干二净。我想起当年在上海东方的时候，他是经常要把胡子蓄起来的，还说过什么不拿冠军就不刮胡子。但现在不用了，他再也不用靠蓄胡子的方式去体会那种做男人的感觉了。 In Shenzhen, just before the annual Chinese Basketball award, Yao Ming, as the 2002-2003 fans-favorate basketball player, shave off his beard. I remember when he is playing for Shanghai Sharks, he always try to keep his beard. But now, he don't need to. He don't need to feel being the man by keeping his beard any more. 他早已经是全中国最大的男人。在中国篮球里，有舍我其谁的威风和霸气。 He is already the biggest man in China. In Chinese basketball, he is the man. If he claimed he is only the No. 2, whoelse can be the No. 1? 按照他的地位而言，姚明是应该变得更世故和圆滑一点的。但他却总是做不到很彻底。 didn't translate 在合肥，中国联通的合肥分公司临时决定请中国男篮去赴晚宴。只有姚明一个人留在房间里，点了一份椒盐龙虾，一边看电视一边吃龙虾。他说实在太累了，从第一站在秦皇岛开始，各种各样名目的晚宴、应酬、酒会就从来没有停止过。况且在路上走了一天，他哪儿也不想去，只想在房里歇着。我再次半开玩笑地说这可是联通的酒会，他说联通就联通吧，管不了那么多。 In HeFei, Chinese United Communication co. temperaly decided to arrange a dinner for Chinese National Basketball Team. Only Yao Ming left in the hotel room. He take an order of lobster and enjoy his food when watching TV. He said he was really tired. From the beginning in QinHuangDao, all kinds of social dinners, parties have never stopped. Furthuremore they already travel the whole day, he don't want to go nowhere, but just rest in the room. I joke him again that this is United Communication Co. who provide the social dinner party. He said whoever, he just don't care at this time. 后来他的中国经济人陆浩回来过。他是个安徽人，想说服姚明哪怕只去酒会上露一面也好，否则他不太好向老乡们交差，还有那么多的领导。姚明只是摇头，说我肯定不去，谁说我也不去。 His chinese agent, Lu Hao, back to the room in the middle. He was born in An Hui province (where the city He Fei located). He want to persuade Yao Ming to show up for just minute. Otherwise he can't deal with those people, especially a lot officials there. Yao Ming only shake his head and said he won't go no matter who. 两天之后在天津，姚明照样逃过了第一场欢迎晚宴。专门赶来打算采访姚明的凤凰卫视记者许戈辉没有找到姚明，却成了那场晚宴上的焦点。 After two days in Tianjin, Yao Ming avoid another welcome dinner social by the same way. Hongkong Phynics TV's famous reporter, Xu Gehui, didn't find Yaoming, but surprisely become the focus of the social. 姚明那天躲在房间里，很郑重地搬着自己的腿说：“我以前觉得我能打到35岁。但如果照这样打下去，我每年打完一整个NBA赛季，回来还要像这样不停地拉练，不停地到处去给别人应酬，从来没有休息的时间，也许我打到30岁就会报废。” Yao Ming was hiding in his room that night. He seriously hold his legs and said:"I thought I could play until 35 years old. But look at my current situation, every year I play the whole NBA season, then back china to play like this and continued to attend social activities net stop and rest. Maybe I have to retire at age 30. 姚明打算对中国篮协提出未来归队训练的两个条件。第一，有任何应酬或者商业性活动，必须提前15天以上通知他，否则他有拒绝和不出席的权利；第二，在国内的这类巡回表演赛或者热身赛，他每年只打3场，其余的场次他根本不会去赛区。他说他没有办法，没有办法再世故下去，否则他不知道怎么去保护自己。 didn't translate 上上下下，有胆量和有资本敢在中国篮协面前说要“保护自己”的，或许只有他姚明一个人。别人，都离他远远的。 didn't translate 第二天，就是对墨尔本老虎队的最后一场比赛，也是9场热身的最后一场。中国男篮一早照样去投篮训练，一个小时就练完，车却没有开回酒店，停在一家公司门前。有位老板说，麻烦大伙儿，下来在门前面合个影。 The second day, it is the last game againd Melbon Tiger and also the last game of the whole 9 warm-up games. When Chinese Basketball NT finish the one hour shooting workout in the morning, The bus didn't directly back to the hotel but stop at the gate of a company. The boss want to take a photo with Chinese NT at the gate. 姚明一个人坐在大巴上，到最后也没有下来。 Yao Ming sit in the bus and didn't get off the bus.
I think the key point is Yao's comercial value is about his influnce in China and Asian market. People over there worship him because he is one of them, and because he set a good role model. If Yao abuses his influnce, and leave people the impression that he is becoming just another arrogant NBA star, then his glamour is gone. Why would Chinese be proud of someone who says "I am not one of you"? Where is Yao going to get endorsement deals then? Let's face it, Yao is popular here because he is a great player, but he is popular on the other side of the Ocean mostly because he is one of them. Let's keep it that way and stop the talk of defection for good. One who is not loyal to his country will not be loyal to his club and his fans.
Imagine how horrified it would be when there's a crowd waiting outside the bathroom and trying to time how long your pee is.
Thank you hnjjz and zhd80132 for your translations. I really feel sorry for Yao's situation. He's become a hugely famous both here in the states and in China, even worldwide. It reminds me of the time the Rockets stopped off in Sacramento California at that In and OUT burger franchise. As soon as the workers and customers saw him, they shouted, "It's Yao Ming!" and started chanting his name. The whole establishment dropped eveything and gawked and asked for autographs. Keith Jones said all of the sudden it looked like the Backstreet Boys had entered the building due to all the frenzy. Poor Yao had to board the bus and Colin Pine had to take him his burgers while the rest of the team ate inside.Thank you hnjjz and zhd80132 for your translations. I really feel sorry for Yao's situation. He's become a hugely famous both here in the states and in China, even worldwide. It reminds me of the time the Rockets stopped off in Sacramento California at that In and OUT burger franchise. As soon as the workers and customers saw him, they shouted, "It's Yao Ming!" and started chanting his name. The whole establishment dropped eveything and gawked and asked for autographs. Keith Jones said all of the sudden it looked like the Backstreet Boys had entered the building due to all the frenzy. Poor Yao had to board the bus and Colin Pine had to take him his burgers while the rest of the team ate inside.
It's easy to sympathize with Yao's predicament. He's getting millions from the NBA and from endorsements, but when does he enjoy them? The guy hides in his hotel room all the time. It's not like anyone's going to miss a 7'6" guy walking around the streets in China. His riches are serving well to employ a small army of hangers-on, and Yao hides and plays video games. That's of course all in addition to the pressures of being expected to become the best center in the NBA and a national hero. Yao is the same age as me and seems from all indications to be a funny, witty, normal guy dealing with extraordinary circumstances. He's given up a lot to come to the NBA. I hope he's getting some enjoyment out of being on the court... maybe he can take some of his frustrations out on the Rockets' opponents.
Here is my translation: After suffering many grueling and exhaustive commercial advertising games in China, Yao decided to set two ground rules for his future return to the Chinese national team. First, any commercial and public relational events (publicity tour games) must be given notice 15 days in advance, other wise Yao has the right to refuse such events. Second, he will only play in three such type of games each year in China, the remaining games he will not even go the site of the event. Throughout China, the only one who might have the power and courage to protect himself from the Chinese Basketball Association is Yao. By Yang Yi, Yao is sitting by himself in the bus. One by one his teammates left the bus, this is TianJing (a Chinese city), the last stop for a nine game tour for the Chinese national team. According to the organizing officials, the entire national team members and coaches must be present for photo shoot in front of the buildings of several large sponsors for the events, to help them publicity wise. Team manager Bai turns around and say to Yao "Big Yao, it is time to get off." Yao shakes his head and says, "You guys go ahead, I will stay here." Then came the organizing officials, but Yao just sat there and shook his head without saying a word. No one dares to come up again, the Coach (Jiang) step past him with a broad smile on his face as if he saw nothing. Afterward the team photo was taken without Yao. The owner of that business was very unhappy. Someone said, "They only cared about the picture of Yao, they don't care if anyone else is in the picture, but Yao just won't corporate." Yao was talking on the phone in the bus, he says, "I am now telling them, it just can not be like this. Chinese national team is not a circus, and we are not clowns. We cannot be just brought to a place and expected to take pictures with someone. There are too many events like this on this tour. We are not props and we can not be treated as such." After hanging up the phone, team members and coaches got on the bus, everyone was looking at Yao, who still did not say a word. The shadow of the tree leafs were reflected on Yao's face, he moved closer to the window, looking at the summer street in TianJin. I have to go eat dinner now, if I have time I will try to translate more.
To Yao Ming, playing for the national team is more important than playing for anyone else, since he is patriotic. He just does not want excessive commercial activities.
Wang made the wrong decision by not playing for China. Now eventhough the Chinese national team still welcomes Wang with open arms, but Wang is too afraid to go back, fearing he may not be able to come back. He has not seen his friends and parents for 2 years for a stupid decision that he made. He could have been made a lot more from endorsement in China. Yao and Bateer do not have any problems playing for the nationa team at all.
Just one thing, the Chinese NT still demands an apology from Wang to accept him. So far he hasn't done that.
There's just way too much politics and face involved in the saga between the CBA and Wang Zhizhi. Hopefully the CBA have learned its lesson with Wang so that it won't repeat the same mistakes with Yao.
Oh, I think Wang is the one who learned a lesson. He is nobody in NBA, and he cannot even go back to China now. And because of this mess, his future in NBA is in serious question.
excellent translations! thanks to all that made the effort. given all the BS he's had to go through during his "offseason", it's no wonder he said he was tired & only feeling 50-60% right now.
