have you read my "Who is Dream?" post? it concludes about 15% (5% joke votes) don't even look at the question, they just react like robots. 15% said "Dream" was Yao. Clearly I put a simple Trivia question on there to prove my point. Your point is obvious too, cause they aren't reading everything you write. you get a fool writing about serving hot meals while you were educating some about the struggles of Ali and Black America during the days of segregation. I assume the same thing is happening at the Nets boards, if the tinman version of the Nets fan put a poll: Who is "Sugar"? 1. Michael Ray Richardson 2. Yi Janlian 3. both Yi would get 20% of the votes. the bizzaro -leebigez in jersey could write about the ABA and Julius Erving and the people will think you were talking about that place in the mall that serves those fruit drinks. We need Skynet.
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yao is NOT soft. the opposite of that. period. just ask jon feigen. You want tough? Look 7 1/2 feet up. You want tough? This is tough. It's not about shouts or slams, poses or chest bumps. Tough is many things, but real toughness, not the kind that looks good at the end of SportsCenter, cannot be found in a highlight. It's about something deeper. It's about who you are as a person and an athlete. Yao Ming said his team was soft after the loss in Philadelphia and many did not understand what he meant because they don't know what it is to be tough. Yao does. Yao has been accused of being soft. You might as well call him short. Tough is wanting the ball with the game on the line. Tough is wanting free throws when everyone is missing them. Tough is competing, not just when it is convenient, but when things go badly and it is hard to keep coming back for more. Tough is facing the scrutiny and harsh judgments and a standard impossible to reach, then never shying away from any challenge. It's about moving yourself and your life across the planet to take on anything and everything the world's best basketball league can throw at you. It's about taking all that the most powerful big men the NBA have as they physically try to beat you and defeat it. You want to stop Yao, you do it with quickness. Strength doesn't do it, because of toughness. Yao will compete with every bit of heart he can muster. That's what toughness is. It's not about dunking or laying it in, no matter how tall a person is. Would you prefer Stromile Swift because that's a guy who can really slam? Yao did not learn the game as a performance, a reason to bend rims. There are times when he makes a move quickly enough to be in a position to dunk and does not. But that's because his instincts and training are to be in control. On other occasions — which by the way are much more common occurrences — he is under control and in position to gather his momentum to slam and does, as when he drove past Rasheed Wallace and threw it down on Antonio McDyess, two pretty tough individuals. Sometimes, he does not have all that body so well controlled and has to lay it up. And who cares, anyway? Both are worth two points, and neither measures toughness. Toughness is sticking your neck out, as Yao did, and leading, and putting the attention and pressure on yourself. It's demanding everything of yourself and the next day asking for more. It's about commitment. Yao is a skilled, shockingly agile giant. That's the kind of athlete he is. Look at him. He is not a brute. Neither was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yao's not Kareem, but there is nothing wrong with grace, and it does not preclude real toughness, the kind found in one's heart and mind. Whether he can inspire that in the Rockets remains to be seen. But if they want to develop real toughness and need to see what it looks like, they need only to look up. sums it up pretty nice if you ask me.
Tough is also getting more than 12 rebs in the last 2 games of the playoffs. Tough is also not letting the bully take your lunch money. I agree Yao has some fortitude, but like other giants of the game, u have to stamp the game. Every game and its not all about points, its presence. Big guys have to have presence, no matter what. At times, u don't even know Yao is on the court. You always knew Shaq and dream were on the court. Maybe that's my problem because maybe I'm comparing him to all time greats, instead of just good daughtery type guys.
ibm- The rox can win with a softee like yao, just like the spurs won with big dave. U just have to get tougher players around him and artest was that kind of guy.
yao - softee ron ron - tough(er) the biggest bias on this board for the moment. is tim duncan a lot tougher than yao? (hint - must be, because the softie d-rob never won anything w/o him, eh?)
Why is it that Yao fans can't admit any of his flaws? I like Tmac and i say he's soft because he's a 6'8 swingman who shy's away from contact. Yao is in the same boat, he's a 7'5 big man who takes turn around fadeways when he could easily be able to take the contact and finish with an easy lay in or dunk. Artest is considered tough because when he doesn't score its because he missed. When Yao doesn't score, he got pushed out of the post, someone affected his shot, he got blocked, someone ripped him, he got swarmed and turned it over. SOFT, SOFT, SOFT. He is soft, get over it. He does alot of good things for this team but on the court he just isn't tough and EVERYONE i know who isn't a big Yao fan agrees. So either everyone who isn't a fan of his hates him or they're right. Hmmm...
I think some people are just hypersensitive when discussing Yao and some are particularly inflamed about this issue because others here make provocative comments that cause people lash out to defend Yao. It's one of the subjects where you can't get a reasonable debate on the forum because the provocateurs and the reactionaries take over.
yao has some flaws in his games - just like anyone else. but being soft is definitely not one of them. you're right you can call #1 soft because he shys away from contact. yao does not. yes he gets pushed out of his zone sometimes by smaller players (pls beware everyone is smaller than yao) - by uncalled illegal shovels and two-handed pushes. if you call that soft on yao's part rather than the blindness of the zebra's, then i've got nothing to say to you. look at what you said - "Artest is considered tough because when he doesn't score its because he missed. When Yao doesn't score, he got pushed out of the post, someone affected his shot, he got blocked, someone ripped him, he got swarmed and turned it over." so when artest (or anyone you consider tough) doesn't score, he simply misses. when yao doesn't it's his softness. what kind of logic is that? are you saying yao should score every time down the court (or shoots the ball at least @ a 80% clip), else he's soft as he gets pushed out? sheesh.
hypersensitive? provocative? reactionary? not sure if that includes people like me in your mind. seems you have pretty high regard about yourself. one question for you - what do you have to say about that feigen's article that i just posted? any counter points?
Yao is a lot tougher compared to first two years when he entered the NBA, but he is still soft. Or maybe he is just not good enough, or dominant enough. That is why CNT and rockets seemed underachieving even with him on the team. Rox even looked better without him, at least defensively.
Yes his point is obvious. He disagrees that Yao can contribute to society after he retires because what he is doing now is not on par with what MLK has done. The only one who has completely missed the boat on what he was saying is you. Talking about repeating crap, I have to say you are the master at it. You should take it as a compliment. Is someone who volunteers to serve hot meal in the SA a contributor to society? Yes or No? I will keep asking you this question until you will man-up to give a yes/no answer. Carry on.
Right. The CNT underachieves with all that incredible talent, especially in the back court. I'm actually very impressed that the CNT made it to top 8 in the World Championships with the guards they have. It's safe to say that Chinese guards are the worst in the world.
I remember Avery Johnson yelling at David Robinson. That team was soft.. until they got MARIO ELIE! I wouldn't call Yao soft, but I am still pissed off about that Utah series where he couldn't grab a board vs Boozer/Okur.
MacFu, it's quite obvious that Tinman is being a borderline troll at this point. The subject at hand is very simple, one that doesn't deserve further discourse. (or any to start with)
I want you to keep asking this question so you can reach at 10,000 posts! We can do it ! We can do this FOREVER!! Its obvious that you didn't understand his point since you called him ignorant and 'where did this mlk and malcolm thing come from" crap. Kenny or Sam?
IBM, I respect ur post and opinions, but yao does shy away from contact. Whether it a strength issue or what, but u can't continue to get pushed off ur spot by 6'7 guys, getting stripped by 180lb guards, and getting handled by okur straight up when ur suppose to be the best center in the league. Guys can't just continue to lean, grab, and push u down and nothing happens. When players keep doing that without consequences, then u get put in david robinson territory. Like I've said, the rox can still win it though.
