ESPN Insider: In The Crosshairs - Yao Ming

HE'S GOT THE MONEY AND THE FAME. NOW THE ROCKETS' GIANT NEEDS SOME BIG WINS

BY ANNE E. STEIN

THE YAO FILE BORN Sept. 12, 1980, Shanghai

SIZE 7’5", 310 pounds

KEY STAT 9.0 rpg in 2004; 8.4 in '05
Yao Ming is at that point in NBA life when “he has potential” gives way to either “he's the truth” or “he' s a bust.” His scoring and blocks have increased over the past two years, but last season Yao took a step back in rebounding and intimidation. This off-season, Houston signed the big guy to a five-year, $72.5M contract-similar to what Phoenix pays Amare Stoudemire. Raise your hand if you'd take Yao over Amare. Have the Rockets hitched their wagon to a player stuck in neutral, or will the thr e e-time A ll-Star inally p ut hose Rik Smits comparisons to bed? To be fair, Tracy McGrady means as much to Houston as Yao, and he' s never been past the first round either. But T-Mac's not carr y ing the hopes of a billion people. When you're the biggest thing on the court, people expect bigger things.

(OVER)COMMITTED
Yao has always been dogged for his poor conditioning. But there's a reason he's hunched over at the end of games-he never rests. In 2002, he played in the World Championships a nd Asian Games before his rookie year. Summer 2003: helped clinch the Chinese national team's Olympic berth. Summer 2004: l ed China to eighth in Athens. This summer? He played for the Asian Championships after having a bone spur in his ankle removed in June. “I'd love to have Yao for a summer of pure rest,” says his personal trainer, Anthony Falsone. “You'd see a different Y a o Ming.”

TOUGH ENOUGH?
Foreigners are often panned for being soft That's not Yao. As a rookie, he could bench 250. By last April he maxed 320. Last season he was among a select group of players who averaged at least 18 points, 8 boards and 2 blocks, which also included Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Elton Brand. Yao's more selfless than soft. It's a cultural thing. In China, no man is greater than the team. Here, no team is great without someone who can be called The Man.

FOUL PLAY
It's hard to imagine a franchise player not logging major minutes. Which is why Yao's 30.6 per game had fans clamoring for more. But fouls get in the way. In 80 games last season he was whistled 298 times. That's 25 more fouls than he had over the 82 games he played in 2003-04. “It's tough to officiate big players,” he says. “Our center of gravity is different, our footwork is different. I also think I get a lot of fouls called on me because I am easier to see than guys like Earl Boykins.” Yao's always had a sense of humor. But Rockets wner eslie Alexander, who says Yao will “become one of the greatest players in the history of the game,” won't be laughing if his uperstar s can manage only role-player minutes.

STRETCHED THIN
Yao may be in sore need of some downtime. As global spokesperson for Reebok, McDonald's, Pepsi, Gatorade and TAG Heuer, he spends long hours shooting commercials, earning an extra $20M. And his portfolio is dwarfed by his philanthropy. One of three world ambassadors for the Special Olympics, Yao also works with the NBA and UNICEF on AIDS awareness. He helped host the first major telethon in Chinese history to raise money for SARS, participated in this summer's Basketball Without Borders in China and lobbies for children of Chinese migrant workers who are enied d access to education.

END GAME
The Rockets have worked hard to surround Yao with talent, acquiring T-Mac last year and signing Stromile Swift this summer. But any hope of a championship begins with Yao, and ends with him, too-in crunch time. In Houston's 51 wins last season, Yao averaged 4.7 fourth-quarter points; in the 31 losses, he managed just 3.9. To join the elite, Yao must play like the elite. When it counts.

 

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