I didn't read through the whole thread but I think the Chinese rushing Yao back so that he could play in the Olympics when he clearly wasn't 100% had more to do with his injury problems than the length of the season.
Unless slavery was recently instituted in China, I don't think that anyone forced Yao to go back. If the Olympics was held for the first time in your country and you are your country's most famous athlete, you'd be an idiot not to go.
Eh, both sides have a point here. Obviously the NBA is more strenuous, and the 82-game season is definitely more of a culprit here than the 20 or so CNT games he plays. However, if he didn't have to travel during the summers, and play in the CNT games in the first place, his body would be allowed to get the rest that every other NBA player has the luxury of getting during the NBA off-season. At the end of the day, it simply comes down to the fact that Yao has been overworked by both sides, and now his already susceptible body is paying the price. If it came down to it though, I really wish Yao had the guts to tell the CNT to go fly a kite when they were expecting him to fly to China during all those meaningless summers. I understand that it's a true honor to represent your country, and that the pride he has for his home will never match the pride he feels for Houston, but there has to be some loyalty shown to Les Alexander and the fans of the Rockets. A LOT (almost an understatement at this point) of money was invested in him, and there has to come a point where Yao stands up for himself and does what's best for his body and his career. Because he didn't do that, he may have cost himself a max contract, and millions upon millions of dollars.
Who knows who to blame, but the fact that the Chinese are taking no responsibility in this is hysterical. !@#$ them (their government).
If they were to shorten for Yao to go through a season uninjured, it would have be kept to 47 games. Yao got injured on the 48th game in 2006-07. Those 47 games would have to include post season, so that he doesn't break his foot in the playoffs. If Yao plays 4 rounds of 7 games each for the playoffs, that's 28 games. 47 total games= 28 playoff games 21 regular games It's highly unlikely the NBA shortens the season to 21 regular season games. If you go higher than 21 games, he will be injured in the playoffs and regular season.
Obviously, the NBA is a lot more strenuous than the CNT games. BUT, the CNT is ON TOP of a normal NBA career. It's like asking a guy who is working a busy full-time job and a hectic moonlighting part-time job, and his health gets racked. Of course the full-time job is more taxing. But does that mean the full-time job is to blame over the moonlighting?
Obviously the NBA and its 82 game schedule is a big reason Yao is injured and has been injured so often, but to pin it solely on the NBA and the Rockets is ridiculous. Yao Ming played basketball all year long with very little breaks, you'd be naive to think a body, especially one as abnormally large as his, could take that kind of strain. The comedy in this lies within the notion that it's the NBA that should change its ways to prevent this from happening. This is entirely ridiculous and how anyone could even formulate such a notion is beyond me. Playing in the NBA was Yao's choice. He signed the contract. The game does not need to change to accommodate him. If the toll is to great on him, he can retire and go back to Chinese competition. No one can fault him for that. He is one of the hardest working players I have ever seen and I have nothing but respect for him. He tries to make everyone happy, but such cannot be done without extreme risks. To blame the NBA is incredibly selfish, just as blaming China is. Yao Ming's body cannot take both, so he needs to decide where his future lies. If it's with the NBA, then he plays there. If it's with Chinese leagues, he plays there. He cannot do both anymore.
I think the 6 weeks yao plays with the CNT isn't really doing him much harm physically - probably the toll from that was more mental. And playing in the Olympics was a life long dream for Yao - it was his desire and dream to do that. He did it by choice, he didn't need to be rushed back. Yao's injury - if it is a stress fracture - is not a result of the number of games he played, but a result of the number of games he plays without a chance to heal and rest. If he had 6 weeks between the olympics and the season, which was the case, it means his foot came into last season at 100% - micro fractures heal in about 6 weeks. So it's not likely to be a result of his chinese baskeetball - i think that's a scapegoat. It's the NBA rigor. His right foot just isn't able to handle the impact. Hopefully this surgery corrects that.
it is the combined rigours and games Yao has to play for BOTH the CNT and the NBA that is wearing him down and causing so many injuries to him. Both parties are at fault here. Yet this issue always turns out to be a China vs USA debate... The only solution is one party has to step down and let Yao go from his commitments. Since NBA has a contract with Yao, while CNT is more of a 'voluntary' obligation, CNT should be the one who lets Yao free from his obligations with them. However, you can imagine how hard it would be for China to let Yao go as it would be a HUGE loss of face and a sign of deference to the USA... There's no easy solution to issues that have huge political undertones to them
They're prob sayign this because they changed their own CBA (chinese basketball association) season last year to shorten it. Plus if u compare NBA schedule to European schedules u'll see that NBA does have a lot more games comparatively,.
82 games is an NBA season. Is it long? Sure. Is it rough on someone's body? Yeah. Who plays in the NBA? The best in the world...and for a reason. It's not supposed to be easy. Why was it such an achievement for Yao to make it to the NBA and be successful in the NBA...because it is what it is, a group of the best basketball players in the world. Maybe they should tell Yao to reconsider playing for the NBA...
The Rockets knew full well what they were getting into in terms of Yao's commitment to the CNT before they drafted him. I'm not going to play the violin for Mr. Alexander deep pockets having to pay Yao millions of dollars. Money goes both ways. I'm sure Yao had something to do with the power of the Rockets' global marketing and healthy financial position. The characteristics which Yao possess and (most) fans admire about him, such as his size, his sense of honor, his work ethic, and his sense of duty, may ultimately be the factors which undo his basketball career.
Of course. I'm not blaming the CNT for Yao getting injured. I just think Chinese media are stupid if they are going to blame the Rockets. We the one paying him. His job is to play 82 games + playoffs. Could you imagine Yao actually complaining about 82 game seasons? Hell no. He would be ridiculed to the max.
There is no doubt that the NBA is a lot more strenuous. Up until this year, I've never really been against the summer playing. It kept him in shape and sharp. Someone with his lack of natural athleticism needs reps. Also - this is the league where fat Bonzi Wells was putting up 40 a night. If Yao can't handle a light schedule of 20+ minutes games versus vastly inferior competition, then he definitely can't handle extra playoff games. Sadly - this seems to be the case. Anyone who faults Yao (or China) for playing in the 2008 Olympics is just ridiculous. You guys are probably the same people who call out Shaq/Kobe/etc. spoiled for not previously representing the USA. Did he even play in the summer of 2007? I think he played in the World Championship in 2006. Not sure about 2005. Do I agree with most of you that Yao should focus solely on the NBA? Of course. But to say that 15-20 Fiba style games is more strenuous that 82 NBA games versus world class competition (and refs swallowing the whistle) is ludicrous.
