I agree it was a hard foul. Hard fouls like that happen all the time ... they're just not always called flagrant in favor of rookie players. Yes, I am a rockets fan ... been a member of clutchcity.net (the best damn rocket site on the planet) bbs since 1999. And I actually watch the games, too. It appears you haven't because that was not a "hook like in a boxing match" nor was it a "punch."
Yao's getting the veteran calls sometimes. He also gets no call or bad calls. So it's balanced. Yao as a rookie is getting the veteran calls. Why not? Yao plays like a veteran. He's calm, doesn't whine, steps up in crunchtime, orchestrating the Rockets offense, play defense and behaves cool on and off the court. Who can tell he's a rookie just by looking at the way he plays?
RIET said it best. Yao is getting the calls because he's GOOD! He's polished! He's so good, that he tricks opponents to foul him. You are acting like it's some conspiracy based only on flash and money. NO. They couldn't do that with Minute Bol or Shawn Bradley. The people KNOW that Yao is SKILLED! Like Bird, Yao earns his fouls because his moves are that GOOD! Now, it's after Yao is know as GOOD, that he will get favorable calls. But, that's after the fact. You have to prove you deserve the benefit of the doubt FIRST. Hakeem wasn't as polished as a rookie. He was erratic on offense, but a great defender. So, there's no comparing Yao's offensive talent. He's that much better than Hakeem (Yao = more IQ, less althetic ability).
You guys are acting as if I started this thread as a criticism of Yao Ming or something. Of course he's getting the calls because he's good (unlike Wang or Mengke ... see my original post). That's what's making him look like big time $$$$money$$$$ to the NBA. I simply wanted to point out that because of his value now, the NBA may be trying to protect him as they did Jordan, and this could lead to great things for Yao, the Rockets, and the NBA as a whole. However, I was also being critical of this policy of playing favorites though I understand that it makes good business sense. To sum it up, I wasn't trying to be critical of Yao. I was trying to point out the irony that the Houston Rockets (after watching Dream put up with abuse over the years) are now suddenly the beneficiaries of some NBA favoritism for a change.
Umm.. call me crazy... but MAYBE, just MAYBE, the refs like Ming because the doesn't have an attitude, has good press about his persona and actually cares when an opponent seems hurt. MAYBE all of that make refs give him the benefit of the doubt. That versus the many cocky punks that come into the NBA nowadays with attitudes...
The Dream started to "getting the calls" when he proved himself later in his career. If Hakeem had the offensive IQ when he came in, he would have received the same treatment that Yao does now. Bird and Magic got those favorable calls too. As did Jordan. The Dream got the "abuse over the years" because he didn't deserve the favorable calls for most of his career. He earned it later. Yao earned it NOW.
Are you honestly saying that foul would not have been called at times? The guy first got faked out and slammed into his own man in a violent move, literally sending O'Neal to the hospital directly in the process. Then, while his team-mate's crashing onto the floor, he stepped over O'Neal who's crashing onto the floor and desperately took a wild swing at the side of the head of the offensive player, from an angle where he could not possibly see or reach for the ball. None of those moves can really be called basketball moves, can they? You could not have possibly seen it if you honestly said that. It made all the Charles Oakley's moves look so gentle, dude. I suggest you do rewind and play, and this time with your eyes and your mind open. Now does anyone recall Shaq got so frustrated with Brad one game that he took a swing and almost landed at him when Brad's still with the Bulls?
I think that Miller's attitude was a big part of that flagrant. Miller was already pissed about putting his chops too close to Yao's elbows, earlier in the game. He was popping off to the refs beforehand. And don't forget about the previous game he played in Dallas, where both teams were talking trash. You gotta stop actions like this before they get out of hand. And the foul was uncalled for btw, a flagrant for sure. Miller was on his way down to the ground himself, and couldn't even reach Yao's elbows, let alone the ball.
I disagree Yao's gotten preferential treatment from the refs. The refs. are getting used to him too. When a big guy is on a smaller guy the refs. have to gauge things in degrees of severity. People here have said Yao's getting away with the offensive "hooking" when he makes his base-line move, but he seems to do it a lot less egregiously than just about any I've seen (I know it looks so flagrant in slo-mo). The complaints about Shaq I see are almost as understandable as this thread given the fact Yao's a rookie. But there's a huge difference. Defenders run to open space, keep their feet planted and lean into Shaq and get bowled over as often as Shaq throws a shoulder into them. It should be hard to judge, and it is. Yao's game is a textbook come to life, absolutely nothing like Shaq's. Imagine what that must look like to the refs. They have to spend hours watching stuff on tape the human eye can"t see and act on the sound of contact as much as anything (unless they have a perfect vantage). I think the refs. are watching the same thing we are, except their seeing the kidney punches and pushing that always goes on in the NBA post. I see it being more highly likely that the refs. are seeing this guy playing the game, and not the players and refs. That's what I'm seeing.
I think it kind of even out. There are call against Yao on certain game and certain game he get the call. I guess it depend on a particular refs. I think Yao had definitely gaining the respect of the refs. He doesn't show them up when they are wrong. He doesn't curse them out and he play the game the right way. I think the refs is seeing this and that why the call is balance out now compare to earlier in the season when they call him for touch foul. I don't think he got preferential treatment but just fair call. For example during the heat game there are a few time when he got push to the ground with no calls. In the Pacers game, Miller didn't go for the ball instead he go for the shoulder and the head. Yao fall hard to the floor and lying on the ground holding his face. In a situation like that the referee will call flagrant foul regardless who the player is (rookie or veteran). In order to keep the game under control it is a must call as you can see all the Rocket players on the floor were surrounding Ming and tried to protect him. Also, it hard to miss a 7 footers tried to beat on another 7 footers.
No. read it it again. I said it wouldn't have been called flagrant --- at least not in favor of most rookies. It would have been called a foul.
Dream NEVER got this much respect. Even later in his career when he supposedly earned it according to you. The game in which he took 40 shots to score 40 points without a single trip to the foul line occurred after the championship years. You telling me he wasn't fouled once on those 20 missed shots? By the way, Dream actually had more foul shots in the first 6 years of his career than he did in his 2nd 6 years (which includes the championship years) This isn't about whether a player has earned respect or not. The ref's job is to call a fair game regardless of whether he likes the players or not. Otherwise, the game wouldn't be about basketball, it'd be professional wrestling.
Just for those who want dates: 1/30/97 --- the infamous day that Dream took 40 shots in Denver, hitting 50% to score 40 .... with no trips to the foul line.
Uh, it's nice you bring up ONE game and use that a measure of the refs "bias against him." But a player gets what they earn. You say that he got more foul shots in his first 6 years? And I say DUH! He took "all the shots!" He was selfish player in his early years. He never passed the ball. A black hole. Once in the post, it would never come out. Now before the homers chime-in about it was better odds for Akeem to take the shot than pass the ball. I understand that. But I'm just bringing this up fact to refute your "he got more foul shots in his first 6 years." So, that the reason why...next... You think that the refs hated him. I say, no. He DID NOT DESERVE the fouls early in is career. He got to the foul line because he out jumped, out quickened, out rebounded them. He was active and mobile. He was such an athletic force that fouls came out of it. Later in his career he started to develop a more balanced offensive game and started to get more called based on clever offensive moves, rather than brute force. He wasn't forcing the shots as much. He had a more diverse set of offensive moves. Also, he also passed the ball MORE. So, although you say that he got more chance at the foul-line than early in his career. That was only because he shot the ball every time he got it; albeit forced. Now, Hakeem in 92-97 had to THINK HARD to get those same fouls that Yao gets easily. Why? Because Yao has a higher basketball IQ. Period. He doesn't have to THINK as hard. It come easily because it's in his nature to out think his opponent rather than out quick or out jump them. So Yao is able to work less (athletically) than Hakeem had to do. Hell, sometimes Hakeem would just force his way in and then expect a foul just because he was an All-Star. Please! That's brute force thinking, not intelligent thinking. This is the same thing that Francis has done in the past with his forced shots, ISOs and driving to the basket only to get the ball swiped. Forcing shots just because you have athletic ability isn't good enough. You have to out think your opponent too. Hakeem deserved what he got. P.S. How many times -- during a game -- do you hear players say, "And 1..." but don't get the call? Francis says it sometimes 3-5 times a game. Mobley too.
Dream actually took more shots later in his career not less and was much more active (it was his prime), blocking more shots, and passing more (which meant he even got more touches. The Houston Rockets actually became more of a one man show (with the exception of the Drexler years) when dream was in his prime. They had to rely on him more, so he got the ball more so all of his activity/production went up .... except free throw attempts. Really odd is all I have to say. And what do you mean by he didn't deserve the calls. Two or three guys hacking on him is not a foul? Please.
And guess what? A meteor just hit a planet in the space. I looked up and saw it happen. Can I prove it? No. "Hacking" is a subjective term.
I stated that Dream NEVER got the treatment he deserved from the refs and I've also provided the objective evidence to at least statistically back up what I asserted. You assert that Dream started getting the calls later in his career ... now back it up.
By the way your "objective" evidence is based on "subjective" ref calls. The difference here is what you are a homer, and you feel sorry for Dream. I don't feel sorry for Dream. I feel that based on his offensive skills during each period of his career, he got what he deserved.
Trying to discredit my objective evidence, will not in any way help you support your claim that Dream got more calls later in his career. Once again, please support your assertions with some substance.
