All the hubbub about Yao going back to China and practicing with the national team got me to wonder how other international players handle it? Is Ginobili "forced" to go back every summer to practice with the Argentine team? Do other guys play "year-round"? Or is Yao the only guy that is pressured more or less to moonlight? I saw plently of NBA guys play for their national teams in the Olympics. Do they have to practice with them every damn summer too? THX!!
Yao plays for a totalitarian government, which while it has significantly loosened its grip on the economy, still manages to remind everyone once in a while that they are very good at micromanaging the lives of their subjects.
No. They nearly all play for their home countries. But the degree of exuberance and feelings of personal responsibility vary from player to player. Peja is higher mileaged because of it, Gasol sprained his ankle in the World Games and didn't get back into the Grizz's lineup until January, Cuban is on record as not liking the risk he takes with Dirk.
Didn't Turkey threaten to draft Okur when he tried to get out of his national team commitments? Or was that someone else?
China is the last remaining old school dictatorship where anything you say or do can and will be used against you. Team China really f*ed up thinking this guy was going to be the biggest international superstar and they need to get in on the action. What they didn't realize is that their hostage demands have made him ineffective and tired. Now same is gonna happen to Lian and he is going to see his progress get hampered by his Chinese masters.
yao should tell the chinese goverment to force the NBA to give Yi to the Rockets or draft Yao and Yi therefore make stern change the whole lottery system for us
damn u. Yao does this b/c of his own discipline and loyalty to his country. not b/c of a dictating china. he is not required to report or practice all the time with national team, he just wants to do that.
Don't be stupid, Yao playing for China or not has nothing to do with China being politically dictating. It's a condition for CBA to release Yao. Last time Wang Zhi Zhi violated his national team duty as a Chinese soldier. What wrath fall upon him? Upon his apology, he's now merrily getting all star reward in the CBA. Yeah, very totalitarian, very iron fist if ya ask me.
You guys think you know truth about China, actually nobody really knows China, not even those who live in it. It's changing fast and people get dizzy.
Dude, don't say that, the Chinese fans on this board will kill you, ask no questions about what Yao does over the summer...
you know, its considered an honor around the world to represent your country. i realize these nba players make their money for their nba teams, but in the end its this country that gave them the opportunity to go out and make money. they owe it to their country as patriots to play for them. to not play because of money reasons is, frankly, bs. if yao feels the obligation to give back to his country, then im happy for him. there are more important things in life than just money. its funny how people can be so nationalistic, yet get pissed off when players from their favorite nba team go represent their country. i wish tracy was playing for the us. these guys owe it to the united states for having a system that allows them the opportunity to make 14 million a year. /rant
Yao isn't forced to do anything. At this point, if he wanted full American citizenship I don't think he'd have all that much trouble gaining it. (Hell, we'd probably be pressuring him to play for Team USA if he did) He wants to represent his country in those games. It's natural for athletes to want to represent their country. It's admirable even. I know it's not necessarily in the best interest of the Rockets, but we knew he'd be doing this when we drafted him. Besides, would you have rather we took Jay Williams?
It's an honour for international players to go back to their countries.I know that manu was upset with the spurs management for "suggesting" him not to go to Argentina.
tell me who is the dictator in china? government NEVER micro-manage anyone's life... besides playing for china > playing for houston in all almost all chinese mind, at least during prime... when younger players come up, yao will get a rest, that's how it has always been and always will be... take it or leave it
