610 report on Yao.

This is required on FIBA rules already. By the NBA's existing agreement with FIBA, international players must be released upon request for the duration of a National Team competition and some preparation time beforehand, as long as it is sanctioned as a "main competition of FIBA." The Asian Games are sanctioned by FIBA.

If they are asking for a repeat of the FIBA rules in their own language, fine....no big deal. We are already bound by that as soon as Stern signs FIBA's Letter of Clearance that we need.

 

Actually, that is the correct assumption, the report was just released from China. The link to a newspaper in China in English reports this:

LatelineNews: 2002-6-25] BEIJING - Chinese sports authorities want a written promise that Yao Ming will be available for the national team before he's allowed to go to the NBA, state media reported Tuesday.
The approval of the Chinese Basketball Association is the last major obstacle facing Yao before he joins the NBA. The 7-foot-5 center is expected to be the top pick by the Houston Rockets in the draft Wednesday.

``We want to make sure that Yao will be available to play with the national team when he is needed in the future,'' CBA secretary general Xin Lancheng said on the Web site of the state newspaper China Daily.

Such a commitment would pose a conflict for the Rockets. The Chinese association expects Yao to be with the national team for the Asian Games in October, when the Rockets want him in training camp.

An assistant said Xin wasn't available fro comment. But a member of the CBA staff said the demand covers major tournaments such as the Asian Games, the Asian basketball championships and the world championships.

``The sides are in discussion on the matter but I don't know if there has been any outcome as yet,'' said the staff member, who gave only her surname, Cheng.

Yao would be the third Chinese player in the NBA after Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavericks and Menk Bateer of the Denver Nuggets.

The demand for the 22-year-old center to play on China's national team has been a sticking point in the negotiations.

Yao's agent said Saturday that his Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, had accepted a compensation offer for releasing him to play in the United States. The agent wouldn't elaborate on the proposed agreement.

Yao is not expected to appear at the draft in New York because he is training with China's national team for a tournament this month against Yugoslavia, Italy and Australia.

The CBA has said it also expects Yao to join the national team for a world championship qualifier in August.

Here is the link:

http://dailynews.muzi.com/ll/english/1214591.shtml

 

here is the official language that is part of FIBAs Letter of Clearance that we seek. The NBA already obeys this, so China is really asking for nothing new; they just likely don't trust other governing bodies, and they need to same promises in their writing.

 

Anyone else find it odd that the Chinese are demanding written documents guaranteeing things that are already guaranteed in other, already agreed upon documents? Could they maybe be getting cold feet, and are trying to create some kind of conflict that would enable them to stop Yao from being drafted, and also enable them to blame it on bureaucratic confusion, rather than their cold feet? Seems like a stretch, because I am sure they would have caused a problem that would be more difficult to circumvent for the Rockets.......but it just seems odd that they keep demanding written documents that promise the same thing.

 

ME...Ive been saying this since this news came out that they want something in writing that ALREADY IS in writing. Im with ya on this RL.

 

Just out of curiosity, when do the Asian games run through? I'm trying to determine when Ming would be available to start practicing.

 

Heypartner: You have quoted this again and again in several threads already. I simply disagree with your notion that CBA is misquoted.

I am in agreement with another thread that CBA is going to ask more than what FIBA's guidance.

This means they ask for major events (Olympics, World Championships which are known to everyone). They may also call Yao back to compete for China in Asian Games, Asian Basketball Championship and possibly East Asian Games and East Asian Basketball Championship, perhaps even for World College Game. Each of these games occurs every four years. So for those people think that Yao may only be called occasionally, this is a wake-up call.

Can some one do research to see if any of those games "MIGHT" have schedule conflict with NBA regular/playoff season? Or better yet, can anyone find out the schedule of the Chinese NT for the next four years? I know that the last world college game was held in Beijing in February 2001. Yao led the Chinese NT defeated US college team. So, I bet that there will be schedule conflict if and only the big if Yao is called back for all those events.

Second, I also think that CBA wants to recall Yao at least a few weeks earlier prior to any major event in order for him to practise with the rest of NT. This action is not defined in FIBA rules at all. So CBA might want to get this in writing. I still think that the fact that Dallas has signed an agreement with CBA about Wang Zhizhi gives CBA the confidence that Rockets will do the same and I doubt NBA will say no otherwise one can ask why Dallas is allowed to do so but not Houston.

 

Since Doc Rocket says he "HATES, I mean HATES" reports he knows are "UNTRUE," I thought I continue chiming in on this. I HATE it too.

There's more misinformation for you. This has never been a "sticking point in negotiations" unless Stern, CD, Rudy, Ming's cousin, and Michael Goldberg are lying. What could they be doing?

consider for a second that they might not be asking for things, but just reponding to internal uproar for taking too much $ from Ming, and now they are being defensive and making up issues.

The CBA is run by local govt officials. According to windandsea and others, reports from Chinese BBSs and other sites I've seen, there is a lot of uproar happening with citizens who want Ming to be totally free. I think there is a lot of questions from the media hitting the CBA, with b****ing to just let him go already, so they have to respond to that.

If you believe that this is a nothing-of-a-request, like I do--given the FIBA rules that we are already bound to--then consider this could all be just official responses to media inquiries, and their response is focused on making it sound like they are looking out for China and Ming.

imo, all this stuff is pure political weasling, and has nothing to do with us or the NBA. I mean, we have heard no comments from Stern or CD or Michael Goldberg, or Ming's Cousin, or Doc Rocket about contract problems. Keep that in mind.

 

I agree Fwang...its been over 24 hours since we heard that this "repetitive" written agreement is needed...you would think it would have gotten done by now if it was so insignificant.

 

All those games are sanctioned overed by FIBA.

Look at this article and start with the bottom paragraph.

http://www.inq7.net/spo/2001/sep/04/spo_2-1.htm

We are already bound to release for these games. I keep repeating this, because you guys are not listening and are all scared and ****. Listen to Stern, Goldberg, CD, Rudy, Ming's cousin....non of them have mentioned a snag. It is just one voice from the CBA....good grief

 

I know I for one am pretty scared. I have been hiding in the closet with my eyes closed tight and my hands over my ears hoping to not hear that creepy FIBA word again. I am scared out of my wits.

Perhaps "concerned" would have been a better word.

 

fwang, I remember that last year's world college game (or should it be university games) was held after the Asian Championships (July or August), I think it's around September... I am very sure that it wasn't in February, because I remember that the CBA 2000-01 season (Nov00 - Apr01) wasn't interrupted by that.

 

fwang, don't say I keep repeating things when you are doing the same thing without understanding the FIBA Letter of Clearance.

Yes it is! 14 days of preparation is covered for tournaments. Re-read the rules I posted. What more do you want me to show you? You keep repeating this, but for some reason won't believe positive responses. You just believe the worst....that's all.

Hold on. The clause by Dallas had to go through the NBA's Legal Office. So really, it had to pass muster of legality of NBA contracts. I can pull that post if you want.

FACT: Stern has repeated that they must not go outside our NBA Player contracts within the rules allowed by FIBA. Not for a #1.