Chron: Rockets welcome Yao's mother/ Center's arrival matter of time

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1617299

Oct. 14, 2002, 11:06PM

Rockets welcome Yao's mother
Center's arrival matter of time

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

With his Chinese national-team duties finally over, Yao Ming could almost be seen at Rockets practice Monday.

While Yao remained half a planet away, only a few hours removed from an overtime loss to Korea for the Asian Games championship, there was a greater sense than ever for the Rockets that help is on the way.

For those still caught up in the daily Yao watch, the latest sign the 7-foot-5 center eventually will be here was unmistakable. Yao's mother Fengdi Fang attended Rockets practice, toured the team's training facility at Westside Tennis Club and exchanged a hug with her second-most favorite Rockets player -- Steve Francis.

The letter of clearance from the China Basketball Association that Yao will need to validate his contract with the Rockets still had not arrived, and Yao's travel itinerary to Houston has not been set. But for those tired of reading tea leaves to determine whether the first pick of the NBA draft will be ready to play by the start of the season, it had to be considered a sign of progress that his mother felt the need to arrive to start picking out drapes.

"Rudy (Tomjanovich) and I were tickled to see her," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "I showed her around the place. She watched about 45 minutes of practice. It's getting exciting."

Erick Zhang, Yao's agent, said now that the Asian Games are complete and CBA officials are back in China he expects the Rockets to receive the final clearance "within a couple of days."

"I'm not worried," Zhang said. "Yao Ming will be here a couple of days after that arrives."

Once Yao is here, he will have a lot of catching-up to do. Every time the Rockets speak of how much they accomplished in training camp, they also seemed to be indicating how far behind Yao will be.

But Tomjanovich said it should be easier for Yao to fit into schemes already in place rather than having an entire team trying to learn everything at once. The Rockets coach said he has not designed plays specifically for Yao but that the new five-man offense should be a nice for the newest Rocket.

"The guy is a versatile player," Tomjanovich said. "He'll fit into the stuff we're doing right now. It's not going to be where everything will change when he gets here. He's going to have to fit into what we're doing.

"It's difficult for him. Everything is going to be difficult, the media coverage and culture. We understand that. We're going to try to make it as easy a transition as we can. It's not a good situation for him. But I think he's the kind of guy that has intelligence, has a poise about him. He has a very good, positive philosophy.

"I mean, we watched the guy play in front of the whole world (at last month's Basketball World Championships), his team not being able to compete with other people, and I didn't see the guy get frustrated. I was more frustrated than he was. There's a level of acceptance of all these things. I expect good things. I think he's going to surprise a lot of people of how he'll fit in."

Rockets players said Yao will need time to make the necessary adjustments, but they have no plans to break him in slowly to the traditional rookie routines.

"He's going to get that regardless of who he is, what pick he was," forward Maurice Taylor said. "That comes with the territory. The biggest thing for him I think is he's going to want to feel accepted. It's up to us to make sure he's accepted."

To do that, Taylor said the Rockets will "just treat him like any other player on the team. Obviously, there's a cultural gap between us. But we're going to treat him like any other rookie. If we want doughnuts or orange juice ... just because you're the No. 1 pick, that doesn't save you from anything."

However, there could be advantages to being treated like just another rookie.

"We're just going to take him wherever we go," guard Cuttino Mobley said. "We'll see how he likes that. He's regular old Yao Ming to us."

That said, Yao will face far more scrutiny than other rookies and will have far less time to make the adjustment.

Francis was taken one pick later in the 1999 draft than Yao was in June, but Yao already has received far more attention -- from the international media scrutiny to the billboards the Rockets have put up around town.

The players said they don't mind the attention given a rookie who has yet to go through a practice with them.

"I don't think anybody on this team will resent him for that," Taylor said. "If you're secure in yourself, you don't have to worry about that.

"We're professionals. That's what everybody got into this job for, to get a certain amount of attention, to be seen. But just because he's getting attention, I don't think that's going to alienate anybody. I don't think anybody will care who is getting press and who's not getting the press."

But even if Yao does not have to worry about what his teammates think, he still faces a difficult learning curve. His teammates said they plan to be patient but added he must be as well.

"I think about catching up, he has to just take his time," Francis said. "He's been through a lot ... since he was drafted in June. Our coach and our staff here will be lenient enough not to throw everything at him at once. It will be real tough, and he's a rookie, too. It's not like playing in the CBA over in China. This is definitely the best basketball in the world. I think it's going to take time to get used to the flow of the game."

But that can't happen until Yao finally arrives.

"We'll all be anxious (for him to play), but we have to remind ourselves we have to look at the big picture," Tomjanovich said. "I have nothing but positive feelings. I saw his mom, though. So it is getting exciting."

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1617284

Oct. 14, 2002, 10:42PM

-Rockets summary-

Francis to sit

Rockets guard Steve Francis will miss tonight's game against San Antonio because of tendinitis in his left ankle that has caused pain across the top of his foot.

Team trainer Keith Jones said the condition is not cause for long-term concern, and Francis said he could play if the regular season were starting.

"It is a little bit sore," Francis said. "It's better now not to rush myself to play. All games are important. I think it would be better if my foot was 100 percent taken care of. It's more of a little tweak or something. I went to the doctor. There was nothing really significantly wrong with it. There's not really a rush to play.

"It's an issue of having to do it when you don't have to. I've seen a lot of my friends go down in the preseason, Antonio McDyess and Mike Bibby, getting hurt in games when it's insignificant for them to be out there. I'm cool. If it was the regular season, or even two years ago (in the preseason), I'd be more angry.

"I could play tomorrow if I wanted to and if Coach (Rudy Tomjanovich) wanted me to. Rest is good for it. We practiced 13 days straight until we took a day off (Sunday)."

Center Kelvin Cato also will miss the game with a strained left shoulder. Guard Juaquin Hawkins was badly cut when he collided with Cuttino Mobley on Monday and also will not play.

Fan-friendly

Rockets players met with George Postolos, the team's chief operating officer, Monday to receive an update about the team's marketing, new arena and community efforts.

"At first, we were here because we had to be," forward Maurice Taylor said. "After he started talking, we started understanding why we were here and more things we could do to be more involved with the business aspect of the team. It was interesting. There was a lot to learn."

Added center Kelvin Cato: "We found out what they want to do with the fans and for the fans. They're trying to incorporate fans more into the organization."

-- JONATHAN FEIGEN