A Question?

Are you saying that if the season starts and they still haven't signed him?

If that's the case then there would be more negotiations, until he
IS signed.

If you mean that they wont negotiate, period! Well, then China would
have shot themselves in the foot as far as the NBA is concerned.

No NBA team would draft a player from the PRC ever again.

There's a lot of politics involved. So, don't worry. Yao will sign.

There's a lot at stake for both sides.

On a side note...

Here's a more pressing question:

Will Yao miss training camp every October due to the Asian games,
for the next 15 years with the Rockets?

***

 

DavidS, that's a question I've wondered myself many times.

If it were true that his NBA season ended with Yao going to train with the National Team of China every year... nah, it's too ludicrous.

 

As I recall. it was said that the Asian Games are not every year. I'm not positive on that...but thats how I remember it..Ill see if I can find a link...

 

I also recall something like that, but it may have been another tournament.

One thing I would like to know is why must Yao play? From what I've heard, China always wins this thing, usually by blowouts. As we've seen thus far, it continues. I realize that Bateer and Wang would probably have to be allowed to leave as well, but they may still do well. IMO, its a waste of time for him to be missing camp, sitting on the bench with a 30 point lead.

JMO, like I said.

 

David S:- Dop you remember Yao Ming saying that if he was prevented from playing in the NBA this year he would retire!

 

Exactly what negotiations are needed on a rookie contract? I guess we're negotianting with China and their politics rather than Ming and his agent.

 

Thats interesting that you bought this up, about Yao might not come here if they don't allow him; thats been a bad thought in most of our heads. But we seem to just dismiss it and tell our selves ah, he'll come. If he don't it would be a big blow to expectations for the next three years and so on. Even if he didn't come, I beleive we could still make it to the playoffs this year; and eventually become contenders when we get a legit Center.

 

The Asian Games are held every 4 years.

 

Here is a thread where a Chinese poster says they are every four years...

I didnt see anyone else dispute him, so I'll take it as the truth till I see other proof...

 

I was thinking the same thing too. After Anthony Falsone and Keith Jones
get through with Yao (plus the riggers of the 82 game season) Yao will go back to
China as a man of steel!

After his third year in the NBA Yao will dominate the China leagues like
a pee-wee league. Can you say BORING!

We all know what it's like to play a video game when you have all the
cheat codes. It's no fun after awhile.

Us mere mortals can only dream of what it would be like to be 7'5".
Yes, some of us can only have fun in video games. NBA2K4!

Anyways, Yao seems like the type that will always like a challenge.

 

Will Yao Ming have to play in all these Asian games? It's not like that China really needs him when they blow out a team by 70+ poionts. I heard that China has a lot of young center prospects between age 13 to 17. Maybe in a few years they can play in the Asian games and Yao only needs to play in the important ones (like Olympics) and can get some rest and not miss training camps during most summers.

 

R2K -
The poster is incorrect. The Asian games have historically been held approximately every other year but not in years which have Olympic competitions. Page down to the bottom of this link:

http://www.asia-basket.com/events/ac/ac01.asp

This is purely a guess on my part, but since they were held in 1999, skipped 2000 (Olympic year) and held in both 2001 & 2002, they may skip 2003 & 2004 (Olympic year).

 

So we might get Yao about 1 summer out of 4? Does he ever get a vacation?? A chance to recharge his mental and physical batteries? Maybe train here, with his teammates and peers, and work to improve his game?

(Or is that too unreasonable.)

 

What happens if Ming never makes it to the Rockets b/c of the Chinese government? Say we finally give up on trying to sign him, and then next year, he decides to sign with the Knicks. Would the NBA compensate us in the draft or something, or are we totally in the ****house because it was our risk in selecting him? It would be a huge blow if we lost a #1 pick and were not somehow compensated, in a way, for it!

 

The Rockets hold Yao Mings rights indefinitely just like Portland held Sabonis' for 8 or 10 years before he played in the NBA. And just like the Kings have held Dejan Bodiroga's rights since '95.

Trust me, Yao will sign before the first regular season game. There is just too much $ at stake for the Chinese government to blow it.

 

At this point I'm more concerned about the demands placed on Yao from home than on whether he will become a Rocket. I think he will. It's just been an unnecessarily obtuse process. Being a Rocket may turn out to be the most fun Yao has had in a long time.

 

Let's clarify everything into one post:

- Asian Games are every 4 years.
- Not sure, but I doubt the Worlds are every year
- He won't be returning to the Chinese league
- He said he'll retire if he doesn't enter the NBA this season
- China's future in the NBA depends on this
- We have his rights,so it's us or no one


Based on these facts,the worse thing that can happen is that no one will get him.

 

OK. I finally had time to do some decent searchin, here's what I found.

from the International Games Website

and from the official 2002 Asian Games website FAQ..

This is about the best proof I can find.

Dont sweat it guys...we should have him for pre-season in the future..

 

R2K

I still disagree. Did you go to the China Basketball link I provided?

In your first link, observe that it describes "11 nations and 489 athletes". This is not consistent with a 10 or 12 player roster. Nor is the statement "The 1994 games in Hiroshima saw 32 countries win medals" indicative of a basketball only competition.

This information appears to be for Olympic style events and may or may not include basketball but it is certainly NOT a hoops only function.

Your second link is a from the Busan, Korea website. I believe the authors are incorrect and in direct conflict with the FIBA website:

http://www.fiba.com/oneplanet/asia/index.asp?CC=ASMM&YearBegin=2001

There was obviously an Asian games last year. Observe from the FIBA article that:

"This was China's second consecutive victory in the Asian Championship for Men, and 12th in 14 appearances in the competition."

This is consistent with the link I provided prior. Sorry to be picky, but again I do not believe the Asian Basketball Championships are held only every 4 years.

If you decide to research this further, remember that these are Asian Basketball Championships (ABC) and not part of any "international games".