me too. maybe itz b/c KG is kind of nice guy and he is really good-looking, he cares about the whole team, plays unselfishly and does little things on the court. but KB is just cocky and too much swagger. I really got pissed off the way he played when he came into the league, the swagger after he made some nice moves. I was like whatz that for, way over. and then talking bs with o'neal. he just sucks
I think the main reason the Celtics aren't hated as much is because the dominanted for only periods in NBA history while the Lakers have never really had a down decade. The Celtics dominanted with Russell and then with Bird decades later but nothing until this year. Meanwhile the Lakers have won in the 40's, 50's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 00's and have had Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Shaq, Worthy and on and on.
Please think this way: 1. Most Chinese fans think of Rockets as their home team(even w/o Yao); 2. Many fans also like Kobe and his Lakers very much and will root for them if Rockets are not playing them; 3. Chinese fans are realistic fans. Although they really hope Rockets to win it all, most of them think it's not possible this year,especially w/o Yao. When that happened, they need another team to root for. So I think this article didn't contradict itself. The conclusion is: If Rockets are still playing, they will always be thier team; if Rockets are eliminated in the playoff, they need to find another team to support.
Kobe may not be welcome by many bball fans in States but he sure attracts a lot of Asian fans. From what I've seen and read about the coverage of his recent visits in China and Hong Kong (2 times within last 4 years already??), he was SUPER nice to his fans, down to earth and friendly. I have never read the word "cocky" from the Hong Kong reporters whom interviewed him during those visits. Who cares if it was pure PR? He should win the academy award if what he did in those days were just actings.
some of youse guys would set back international relations back to the dark ages. there is a thread in NBA Dish section right now that asks who if not the Rockets. youse guys should invade and set them straight on proper fan decorum.
Or there are many types of fans. You have true fans (fans who like the team first and foremost and like most players on the team because of this). You have fake fans (fans who know nothing and do nothing to support but when asked say they are a fan of named team). You have bandwagon fans (fans who like the team only because they are good at the moment). You have player fans (fans who like the team only because of a certain player on that team). Now the last one is a good portion of the Rockets fans in China due to Yao. Now how many of them will still be Rockets fans when Yao retires/is traded/leaves via FA? I would say most will move onto a new team that has a Chinese star on it (Yao is the only one now but that is likely to change).
spare me the definitions please, if yah think you're breaking new ground i'd hate to burst your bubble ... the Nostradamus stuff ain't particularly impressive either. some will form an affinity, others will move on. more Asian fans are likely to remain if they're welcomed and not endlessly regaled with xenophobic ignorance. my Rocks haven't advanced beyond the 1st round in awhile. i watch the playoffs anyway and usually find an alternate team to favor. good thing you're not the final arbiter of 'true fan'.
i am a rockets fan from china.as a college student, it is very often to skip classes for a rockets game. rockets becomes a important part in my college life. there are really a lot of chinese rockets fans. But why we choose to watch rockets games is not because Yao is playing for houston rockets. Actually it is Yao who introduced Rockets and open the door to this city and club to all China fans. we all like this clutch city, this club and the people. they are really amazing. even when the rockets were in difficulties or lose the key game in playoffs, our love to this team never change.we believe under the leadership of Yao and T-mac, rockets will creat a new history in NBA. There are also many hot BBS or forum in China about NBA and rockets.I often visit them. To be frank, almost 99% of NBA watchers are Rockets fans.and the 99% of the other 1% are kobe or lakers. Rockets fans are strongest in the world!!! maybe one day Yao will retire or be traded, but i will still love Rockets. sorry for my poor english.
hummm... I thought I was both a Rockets fan and a Lakers fan. I root for them all the time except when they play each other. then I have a trouble deciding which team I root for. By your standard, I am not a fan of either team. I am now curious what percentage of the clutchfan.net members are Rocket fans by your standard? 10%? or 5%?
This has been a problem and will stay a problem. Not many here are "born again" Rocket fans. It is not a religion for many of us. It does not take much to be a fan, it takes a lot to stay as a fan. And when you look around, what other fans do can have an effect on how much you involve. When you realize you do not belong to the group,you leave. no big deal.
I'm a Chinese.To tell u the truth,we Chinese fans not only love rockets,but also lakers,spurs,mavs and so on.But you know,because of Yao Ming,we support rockets as home team,it's true.If you watch the live broadcast in China,you will find rockets is the most important among the thirty NBA teams.But now,bucks is becoming more and more popular.
I think you are mistaken if you think only 10 or 5 percent of clutchfans are Rocket fans above any other. As you say you can not decide between Lakers and Rockets (liking teams in the same conference must be hard can't imagine doing it). Why are you a fan of Rockets and Lakers? I'm truly curious for the answer. I very well may be wrong but I would bet it is some current player on each team or players.
Yep you got me. I truly thought more than a 100 years into this professional sports league stuff in the U.S. that I was the first person to ever put definitions to the different type of fans. You have obviously chosen not even consider what I wrote or misunderstand it. I say very plainly in my post that their are different types of fans. There really is no arguing that. Just because you aren't what I labeled a 'true fan' doesn't make you not a fan. You are obviously still a fan otherwise you wouldn't have gone through the trouble to join this site. You are just a different type of fan than I and many others. Another way to put what I called 'true fan' is Rockets only fan. I didn't use that because it has been used on this board in other ways and some people could have thought I was using it the way the first heard. Plus say Rockets only fan in the same post that I talk about people being a fan of the league could make one think I was saying these people don't care much for what happens around the league just the Rockets. In no way was I trying to say the type of fans I listed are the only ones that exist. There are countless types of fans and some people could fall into multiple types. All I was showing was that there are different types and many of the Chinese Rocket fans are different than the fans here in the states, which isn't all to surprising considering they can never go to games or truly be immerced with every day ESPN coverage. In China you must seek out the NBA (I would assume) where as here you watch ESPN (or FSN or VS. and many others) for an hour and you will get NBA news.
Is isn't a religion for me either nor do I think anyone should get so involved that the Rockets become one. I hate when people call other fans a lesser fan (unless they are a bandwagoner). But this doesn't mean that fans can be distinguised from one another and be put in different categories.
we haven't gone far in the playoffs the previous years WITH yao, so how come there was no talk about surrogate teams then?
first of all thanks for posting a million times, this thread has 35 replies as of now and as far as I can tell about half of them are your one and two liners. so good on that second, try rereading the article, while you're slamming other people's language skills. > it says the rockets are china's favorite team with or without yao. follow that? > NBA broadcast in china is a business. get that? > because programmers realize that the rockets are not likely to go far in the playoffs, they've been weaning people onto other teams so that people dont just turn off their sets when the rockets get eliminated. STILL FOLLOW? OH THIS IS SO HARD TO COMPREHEND > to that end they've identified some playoff teams that people seem to have picked up on. OH NO THE BANDWAGONISM article is half social commentary (rox are #1) and half economic commentary (will people keep watching the NBA with yao out, is it viable in china as a business. if so which teams are being followed) BERY HARD TO READ ENGRISH BUT ME KEEP POSTING IF I STOP POSTING ME DIE
I think we all understood what they mean... but to a Rockets fan its like saying, "I believe there is a God but i'm just being realistic because there is big chance there isn't one" You're job as a fan is to believe, even when it looks impossible, who would have thought we would have won 10 straight w/o yao, it happened. that's the reason for the blasphemy post and others.
