Might vs. Height Lakers-Rockets matchup pits Yao's stature against Shaq's muscle By John Denton FLORIDA TODAY Shaq is back, but clearly now the future of the NBA is Yao. The colossal showdown between the 340-pound O'Neal and 7-foot-5 Yao Ming is still a day away, but already it's taking on the magnitude of Godzilla versus New York. All the seats in Houston's Compaq Center have long since been sold. ESPN, which plans to actually leave LeBron James alone for a day, is practically frothing at the mouth to televise this battle nationally. Maybe the only surprise so far surrounding this heavyweight showdown is that Don King hasn't somehow tried to get a cut of the action. Seriously, Friday night's Yao-Shaq showdown has all the feel of being this generation's version of a Larry Bird-Magic Johnson matchup from the 1980s. It is the reigning king of the NBA (Shaq) against the apparent heir to his throne (Yao). It's Shaq's size against Yao's height. It's Yao's fundamentals and finesse against Shaq's power and fury. Even the usually reserved Yao has gotten into the act, professing earlier in the season that this is hardly just another game for him and the NBA. "Every problem has to be faced," Yao said through a translator on the issue of facing O'Neal. "That's going to be a very important game for me. I'm not going to be looking at it as a normal game. I'm going to look at it as a more important game." And that is certainly the case now. For weeks now, there has been a noticeable buzz surrounding this game, and more particularly, this matchup. When played the right way, basketball is a beautiful team game. But the NBA managed to recreate itself in the 1980s by promoting marquee one-on-one matchups such as this one. Adding to the intrigue of this head-on collision are the taunts O'Neal made regarding Yao during a June television interview. The Lakers center used a mock Chinese accent to say, "Tell Yao Ming, 'Ching chong yang wah ah soh.' " National talk shows have debated whether or not O'Neal's comments were racist and hate-filled for the past week. Nearly everyone would agree that Shaq is a big, immature clown who often enjoys a good laugh when in the spotlight. But at the very least his comments were insensitive and out of line. Professional golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, for instance, was taken to task for similarly joking about Tiger Woods' potential food choices a few years back at The Masters. Not surprisingly, Yao took the high road in he controversy, saying, "There are a lot of difficulties in two different cultures understanding each other" and that "I believe Shaquille O'Neal was joking with what he said, but I think a lot of Asian people don't understand that kind of joke." When asked if O'Neal owed him an apology, he said: "I think that's something he'll have to decide for himself." O'Neal will get that chance Friday when the two giants meet face to face for the first time ever. Shaq was out injured the first time Houston played L.A. -- a game in which Yao made all nine of his shots, scored 20 points and basically launched his NBA career. Things won't be so easy this time around for Yao, who has powerful tree trunks for legs but admittedly still needs plenty of work on his upper-body strength. Watch for O'Neal to try and back him down under the rim with his power and attempt to turn his body into an 89-inch accordion. Watch for O'Neal to try and block and dunk everything within sight and embarrass Yao whenever possible. But don't be surprised if Yao rarely ventures into the lane on offense. He can actually make the jumper from 18 feet out -- something he will shoot all game long if O'Neal refuses to stray from the paint. And if O'Neal does come out, Yao has the ability to gut the Lakers defense off the dribble and with his passing. Shaq's Yin to Yao's Yang makes this matchup so compelling. And at last, Shaq might finally have an equal in the post. That alone makes this showdown intriguing. It certainly has the potential to be a great one -- not only Friday, but for years to come.
Matt Goukas MSNBC.COM Yao gets his crack at Shaq For Lakers, however, a win is the top priority COMMENTARY Jan. 15 — Friday night it’s Yao Ming against Shaquille O’Neal for the first time ever — a matchup that would have taken place on Nov. 17 had Shaq not been injured. There’s much anticipation over this showdown between super centers, but given the Lakers’ dire straits, the Yao-Shaq individual battle is dead last on their list of concerns. THE STRATEGY AGAINST SHAQ Just like all teams facing the Lakers, I would think the Rockets will do a lot of double-teaming and zoning to try and keep Shaq from getting his touches and thereby try and prevent him from having a huge-scoring game. I think this would be Houston’s game plan whether or not Yao was part of the team. The Rockets are not going to leave Shaq one-on-one unless they see Yao is not going to get hurt by Shaq — and by that I mean get into foul trouble and give up easy baskets, those kinds of things. Shaq gains the upper hand in size and physical prowess. Shaq bangs around and moves bodies without even really having to try. He always has the potential to put the other team in foul trouble because scouting reports say not to let Shaq dunk or lay the ball in, so opponents end up trying to prevent that by fouling him. How well Yao realizes not to foul when it’s too late will be a key. There are times when you just have to let Shaq go — it’s foolish to foul him when he’s dunking the ball. And being the veteran, expect Shaq to get the benefit of the doubt on the officials’ calls. WHERE YAO RATES AN EDGE When the Rockets are on offense, Yao has some advantages over Shaq, most notably the fact that Yao can step out to about 17 or 18 feet and shoot the face-up jumper. Defending that shot has always been a problem for Shaq because he does not like to go out that far from the basket. Also, if Houston runs some pick-and-pop type of plays, those have also always given Shaq some trouble. Yao, who does not get double-teamed that much, has shown himself to be a good passer, where as Shaq makes many of his good passes out of being double-teamed. And with Shaq still not 100 percent after toe surgery before the season, Yao has the better mobility of the two. Keep in mind that Shaq has to be careful about picking up fouls. He can’t be that physical with Yao at either end of the floor. Certainly when Shaq is on defense, he has to watch that he doesn’t pick up a couple of cheap fouls. And at the offensive end, if Shaq tries to be too aggressive and charges in when going to the offensive glass, he also runs the risk of being called for a foolish fouls. SHAQ’S TALK HAS A PURPOSE Shaq has had some things to say to the media over his matchup with Yao. O’Neal said his words were aimed at trying to intimidate Yao before they meet on the court. O’Neal explained that if his mind games had an impact on Yao, then his cause would be helped even before the game is played. But I don’t really see this turning into a mission for Shaq. It’s just not Shaq’s nature to make it that. If anything, I think Shaq was just having some fun with the media and trying to play some head games with Yao. MATCHUP ASIDE, LAKERS NEED WIN I do think this game will get Shaq’s full attention since the Rockets are a much better team than they have been in the past. Part of that improvement is because Yao has arrived and given them a presence in the middle at both ends of the floor. So Houston is a team that is in the playoff hunt and the Lakers — after their poor start — need every win they can get. Winning the game — not dominating Yao — should be Shaq’s biggest motivation. He needs to do whatever it takes for the Lakers to defeat the Rockets. If Shaq is getting double-teamed and zoned a lot, then he has to give the ball up. Shaq doesn’t need a moral victory over a 22-year-old nearly as much as the Lakers need a win over Houston as they try to save their season.
zzzzzzzzzzzz... oh sorry, I thought the hype began two years ago along with the fall of .coms. Where have you been all these years?
From nba.com TALL TALES If you're a fan, you should be one of two places on Friday, Jan. 17: in a seat at the Compaq Center in Houston (a pair of center court seats can be yours for $2,000 on eBay) or in front of your TV. You better make it a large-screen TV. You're going to need it if you want to see Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal go at it as the Lakers visit the Rockets (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) for the first-ever meeting between the most popular center in the West and Shaq. Their meeting Friday has more subplots than a Russian novel. The Lakers have won seven of their last 10, are 17-20 as of Monday and are 2½ games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Shaq has been nothing short of stellar in those last 10 games, averaging 26.3 points and 11 rebounds per game. In those 10 games, the Big Fella has also been especially amazing from the field, shooting nearly 60 percent (99-for-166), a category in which he leads the league (57.2 percent). Then there's Yao, who banged knees with Denver's Nene Hilario on Saturday. Yao is expected to play this week. Yao is also No. 2 in the league behind Shaq in field goal percentage (54.2 percent) and No. 1 among Western Conference centers in All-Star voting. And it's not as if most basketball fans in Shanghai are stuffing the e-ballot box for Yao. Most of the voting in China mirrors the votes cast here in the States. In response to this development, Shaq has been gracious: "It happens to the best of us," O'Neal told the Houston Chronicle. "When I came in, I beat out Patrick Ewing." However, Shaq was discovered recently to be less-than-gracious about Yao when the Lakers center made some comments nearly six months ago. As many of you know, race came into play when Shaq discussed Yao. Shaq has apologized and Yao accepted the apology magnanimously. As for others' response, here's what NBA Commissioner David Stern had to say: "My reaction was, that sports once again has the opportunity to teach us about how perceived jokes or remarks that we might consider in a normal course are hurtful, harmful and irresponsible. "And I think Shaq responded appropriately, and Yao did too. It also shows the power of the Internet because the remarks were from several months ago and they got a second life, as they should have, because it gives us the opportunity to use sports to deal with sensitivity." As for sports, let's hope Shaq and Yao are good ones on Friday.
Anyone who watches basketball can see that one thing is painfully obvious: It will not be the epic batte we all see it being. Either O'Neal or Ming will be in foul trouble, it's just a matter of who's smart enough to get the other in foul trouble. Yao has the potential to make Shaq pick up quick and cheap fouls. Yao should set up 15 feet from the basket, and drive past O'Neal. Shaq's lateral movement is severely limited right now, and we should take advantage of that. If the game lingers on, we'll get sucked into the Yao vs Shaq matchup, which Shaq will win (unless there's foul trouble), and Kobe will do the rest because we'll have forgotten about him. We need to stay focused. Only Yao needs to treat this as a special matchup. Everyone else needs to just take care of business. Posey needs to try and lock up Kobe, which is seemingly impossible lately.
By STEVE ADAMEK Staff Writer-NorthJersey.Com YAO VS. SHAQ: Coach Byron Scott offered this about Friday's Yao Ming-Shaquille O'Neal matchup: "It's going to be interesting. I think Yao Ming is really coming into his own, has a lot of confidence right now, and this is probably his measuring stick. And I think Shaq is looking at a rookie who's leading all centers in [All-Star] votes, and that probably doesn't make Shaq feel too happy. I think he wants to try to prove a point that he's still the most dominant player in the West and the NBA."
NBA BASKETBALL Jan. 16, 2003 Shaq vs. Yao By D. Chip James This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Shaquille O’Neal and his Laker dynasty will finally square off against the man who may soon become his own dynasty, rookie sensation Yao Ming. Friday night on ESPN, the gloves come off and all the recent off the court trash that may have spoken becomes irrelevant as two playoff hopefuls go for a big western conference win. Los Angeles, winners of four straight going into Wednesday night’s game against New Orleans, will travel to Houston where the Rockets hold a 15-5 home record this season. Shaq and Yao are the top two field goal shooters in the NBA and perhaps the two best centers in the league, but the game could be won or lost in the backcourt. Amidst the Lakers struggles, Kobe Bryant is having the best statistical year of his career. He’s second in the league in scoring at 27.7 per game and is also top-10 in steals and assists, all while averaging an impressive 7.5 rebounds per night. Houston’s team is anchored by the play of their superstar guard Steve Francis. Francis has shown once again this year that he is one of the best all-around perimeter players in the game, averaging 23 points a night to go along with his 6.3 boards and 6.1 assists. Francis gets help in the Houston backcourt from Cuttino Mobley and his 17.8-point per game average. When either of those two need a rest or get into foul trouble, crowd favorite, lightning quick guard Moochie Norris is there to spark the Rocket offense. The Lakers will need Derek Fisher and Rick Fox to have a good games defensively to help slow down the three explosive Rocket guards. Offensively, if they can knock down a few jump shots early, it may keep the rest of the Houston defense from collapsing down on Shaq, which could open up isolations against the weaker Ming. If Shaq utilizes his strength advantage over Yao, it could be a long (and painful) night for the young rookie. However, centers that have nice outside touches and are capable passers have had past success against O’Neal - even causing problems for him defensively in the past. Think Arvydas Sabonis and Vlade Divac. While those two guys struggle to guard Shaq, they make it equally tough for Shaq on the defensive end by drawing him away from the basket with their mid-range jumpers. If Yao can do that, the still not quite in shape Shaq could struggle. Despite showing recent signs of life and winning seven of their last 10 games, as of Wednesday the Lakers are still just 4-14 on the road and a mediocre 10-11 against western conference teams. The Rockets and Lakers met earlier this year when Shaq was still out of the lineup because of injury and the result was a four point Houston win. In that game, Yao exposed LA’s weak forwards and bench play by hitting all nine of his attempted shots en route to scoring 20 points and nabbing six rebounds. On the season Ming is averaging 12.9 points per game but December was one continuous coming out party for the 22-year old. His playing time jumped to 33 minutes per game (up from 20 mpg in Nov.) and his stats inflated as well. Yao scored in double figures in all but one of the Rockets 15 games, averaging 17.1 ppg, 10.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and hitting 78 of his 90 attempted free throws. The Lakers started the year 3-9 with their big man on the bench, further solidifying Shaq’s reputation as the most dominant player in the game. He’s come back from injury supposedly out of shape and unmotivated but is still fourth in the league in scoring, first in FG percentage and tenth in blocks. Friday night has all the makings for an exciting game. Not only will the two most talked about big men in the game go head-to-head for the first time in their careers, but two of the most efficient and exciting guards will battle as well. More importantly, it’s nearing mid-season and for two teams that figure to be fighting for one of the bottom four spots in the western conference playoff race, every game counts.
Yao does not fear Shaq's big, fat elbows By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer January 16, 2003 HOUSTON (AP) -- Fearlessly and perhaps foolishly speaking about his nose as a target, Yao Ming insists he has no fear of catching an elbow from Shaquille O'Neal. Sure, O'Neal is the game's most dominant inside force, but the 7-foot-6 Yao is a pretty big deal, too. ADVERTISEMENT ``I think he has a lot of meat on his elbows, so maybe it won't hurt that much,'' the Houston Rockets' center said jokingly Thursday on the eve of the matchup he's anticipated for almost half his life. A worldwide audience of several hundred million is expected to watch Friday night when O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers play the Rockets and their rookie from China. It will be the first on-court meeting -- but not the first face-to-face encounter -- between the NBA's Next Big Thing and its biggest superstar. O'Neal was injured earlier this season when Yao shot 9-for-9 against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Yao and O'Neal spoke privately after that game, a meeting that Yao said lasted one or two minutes. He would not reveal what was discussed. ``He is always smiling and is a very happy person. I think he lives a very happy life,'' Yao said. Yao did not try to play down the significance of an event that has spawned many subtitles: Shaq Fu vs. Ming the Merciless, Shaq Daddy vs. Chairman Yao, The Big Aristotle vs. The Little Giant. Surrounded by several dozen reporters and cameramen, Yao provided some insight into one of the most anticipated matchups in recent NBA history. ``This is a very important reason that factored into my decision to come into the NBA,'' Yao said though his translator. ``The game will be a little different than a normal game.'' With a season-high five-game winning streak that has moved them within two games of .500, the three-time defending champion Lakers are playing well after struggling for much of the season. They have not yet caught up to the top eight teams in the West, but their recent success has moved them from 11th in the conference to ninth. The Rockets, meanwhile, are a season-high seven games over .500 after missing the playoffs the past three seasons. Like Yao, O'Neal has been eagerly awaiting the showdown. In a televised interview last summer, O'Neal said he might greet Yao with an elbow to test his toughness. ``I know I can take it to guys bigger than me. Playing a shot-blocker brings out the best in me, so I'm looking forward to playing him,'' O'Neal said after the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night. ``I don't have to outscore him to solidify my position in this game. Everybody knows who I am. In America, in China, Africa, they all know who I am.'' The marquee matchup is so much more than simply the first career meeting between two tall players. O'Neal is a 7-foot-1, 360-pound behemoth whose combination of brute strength and low-post talent have led the Lakers to their titles. Perhaps the most recognizable athlete in the game, O'Neal -- when playing his best -- is the most unstoppable force in the sport since Wilt Chamberlain. Yao is one of the best athletes from the world's most populated nation, a transcendent figure who is only beginning to show why he became the first foreigner selected No. 1 in the NBA draft. Yao stands about 5 inches taller than O'Neal, although O'Neal outweighs Yao by at least 60 pounds. Shaq's offensive repertoire is centered around the dunk, but he also has an array of spin moves and drop steps that make him all but automatic from inside 5 feet. Yao's game is not as power-oriented, although he has a touch from in close that is as good as or better than O'Neal's. He can do a few things that O'Neal cannot, from stepping outside to shoot turnarounds from 18-feet or face-up jumpers from a few feet farther. Yao has better hands and is a better free-throw shooter, while O'Neal has the strength to stay rooted near the basket without letting defenders push him out as they often do with Yao. The buildup to the game has taken several twists and turns, most recently with a flap over a mock Chinese accent O'Neal used in an interview last summer. Then there's the issue of All-Star voting, with Yao the leading vote-getter among Western Conference centers in the most recent figures released by the NBA. ``I don't think there's any animosity,'' Yao said. ``We're all basketball players, and we all live together on this Earth.'' When the two finally compete, Earth will get a little smaller. And if the game itself matches the hype, the planet is in for a show.
Chron: Yao/Shaq center stage http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/1740015 Taking center stage: Act I Yao finally battles Shaq, the `mountain' in his way By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Their legends, given the shrinking world of their times, spread as tall tales do, reaching from Los Angeles to Shanghai and back. The Los Angeles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal would not seem to need another challenge, and the Rockets' Yao Ming has had more than enough. But they eagerly spoke of one another, pointing to this day for months -- since before Yao had stepped into O'Neal's world or worn a Rockets uniform -- as if each knew the other could offer him something no one else could. This is how it always has been for giants. Bare-fisted brawlers could boast they could lick any man in the house, but they always found a challenger eager to measure himself. Muhammad Ali needed Joe Frazier. Bill Russell needed Wilt Chamberlain. Magic Johnson needed Larry Bird. So Yao and O'Neal, each in his own unique way, called the other out. And tonight at 8:30, they finally meet at Compaq Center. "The atmosphere is going to be unreal," Rockets guard Moochie Norris said, speaking faster and louder than ever. "It's something I've been waiting to be a part of, Yao and Shaq meeting up for the first time. I think everybody has been waiting to see that. "I want to see fireworks. It's going to be crazy. It's going to be like a championship game. It's going to be unstable. Fans, players, coaches, everybody is going to be so enthused about this happening -- the Ming Dynasty against Shaq and the Lakers. It's going to be off the chain." The three-time defending NBA champion Lakers have, of course, been a part of such silliness often. And even if the line that "a billion people in China don't care" no longer applies, 5 million in Los Angeles usually have little difficulty finding other distractions. But this is different, if only because of a chance to see O'Neal forced to pick on someone his own size and then some. This has inspired O'Neal, 30, toward rare, even for him, levels of hyperbole, ranging from his promises of violence to a misguided taunt in a Chinese dialect, for which he apologized and labeled himself an "idiot prankster." Even before Yao was drafted, O'Neal had the 7-5 rookie on his mind. "Guys are trying to make a superstar out of a guy from the Shanghai Sharks, make a phenomenon out of him already," O'Neal said in June before pledging to introduce Yao to the NBA by introducing Yao to O'Neal's elbows. "Street," O'Neal said then of what he would show Yao. "I'm going to take a 'bow to your nose and (make you) think about what I'm going to do next time down." Armed as he often has been with his different, but just as persistent, sense of humor, Yao answered on Thursday: "I think he has a lot of meat on his elbows, so maybe it won't hurt too much." On the day he was drafted, Yao answered that the 7-1 O'Neal "is a mountain in my way. I will try to conquer it by all means." They have gone on this way for months. O'Neal offered his usual bluster, part comic, part threatening and even briefly complimentary. Yao answered with his typical respectful but resolutely fearless acceptance of his greatest test. The sport's dominant force and heavyweight champion will meet its presumed new contender tonight at Compaq Center, and as it always has been with legends, there is something compelling about the possibilities. The matchup has drawn a rare media rush to Houston, including an ESPN army for the national broadcast that moved the game to its 8:30 p.m. start and brought promotions on the network for more than a week. The Organization of Chinese Americans will hold a news conference this afternoon outside Compaq Center to condemn O'Neal for mocking Yao's dialect last June. Attendance will jump from Wednesday's 10,171 to a sellout, with demand for tickets far exceeding the capacity of the NBA's smallest arena. "He keeps saying my name," O'Neal said in September, before Yao arrived in the United States to begin his NBA career. "Be careful what you wish for. You can say my name once, fine. You can say my name twice, la, la, la. If you say my name three times, it makes me angry." But Yao said O'Neal's interest in him is part of the burden he wanted. Even a comment by Lakers coach Phil Jackson -- that if they had faced each other in November (when O'Neal was hurt) O'Neal would "break him in two" -- was part of the test. "That's part of the challenge," Yao, 22, said. "This is something that I have to overcome. If I can't deal with that, I should not be a professional player in the first place. I have to know how to take that." On Thursday, when he said the lights on him were so bright they could have lighted the Westside Tennis Center gym, Yao again seemed to relish the challenge. The Rockets, pained from their fall from the championship-days status as local darlings to forgotten and ignored in the rebuilding, have yearned for nights like this. "I love having a team the world looks at," Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said. "I think it's great for the organization. I also think it's great for the city of Houston. It attracts a lot of attention for the city and business and everything else. I'd like this all the time. "I love for everybody to experience the fun and the pride and the elation that you get having a great team. You think about it. You're happy. It makes you feel good. You think you're better than you are. You love everything that goes with it." The Lakers have had other nights like this and, despite their early-season struggles, can feel certain there will be more. For the Rockets, the return to a national stage -- this time with international attention beyond any the sport has ever seen -- brings new hope. It is part of the growing legend that a player less than halfway through his first season could change so much. But as long and as much as they have looked forward to this game, the Rockets are convinced that in the retelling, the night Yao and O'Neal first met will be only a chapter of their story. "It's the best feeling in the world," Rockets president and CEO George Postolos said. "It's all about hope and excitement about the future and believing it's possible to do something great. It's one of the greatest things about sports. It can change in an instant. The anticipation is almost greater than the event itself, but it's not greater. It makes it sweeter. People have a feeling this is something special. I really believe that. "People will tell you that globally and as a news story, it already compares to the biggest stories in the NBA ever. That's a great feeling."
Washington Post: The Two Towers http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3120-2003Jan16.html By Rachel Nichols Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, January 17, 2003; Page D01 HOUSTON, Jan. 16 -- For the last three months, the education of Yao Ming has included chalk talks and film study, footwork drills and shooting instruction. There is no diagram, however, to explain Shaquille O'Neal. "I think I may need a suit of armor," the Houston Rockets rookie said when asked about Friday night's game against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, and while that may be a little too self-deprecating for someone who stands 7 feet 5, there is no doubt the first tangle between the centers will be plenty physical. Already, O'Neal has joked he will be waiting for Yao with an elbow to the face, and while Yao has sparred back that "I think he has a lot of meat on his elbows, so maybe it won't hurt that much," he realizes O'Neal will be looking to test the new kid on the block -- really, the only other kid on a block O'Neal has generally had to himself for the last five years. Yao is the first center who has even come close to threatening O'Neal's domination at the position, and while O'Neal has maintained he does not feel vulnerable, he has slowly seen some of the perks he's come to expect slip in Yao's direction instead. Next week, Yao will likely be named the Western Conference's starting center for the NBA All-Star game, a berth determined by fan voting which O'Neal has held for the better part of the last decade. A conga line of companies are dancing toward Yao with endorsement opportunities, and soon, he will star in his own video game. Through it all, O'Neal has watched with a jaded eye. Earlier this week, he said, "I don't feel I have to outscore him and outdo him to solidify my position in this game. Everyone knows who I am. In America, in China, in Africa, they all know who I am." Perhaps, although it is Yao, not O'Neal, whose stardom prompted arrangements for Friday's game to be telecast around the globe, bringing in a possible audience of several hundred million. And while O'Neal's experience, strength under the basket and 60-plus pound weight advantage are expected to give him the edge in Friday's matchup, the touch and mobility Yao has shown in his short time in the league has many wondering how long it will take him to get the upper hand. Already, his numbers are impressive. He is among the league's top five rookies in points per game (12.9), field goal percentage (53.4), rebounds per game (7.9) and blocked shots per game (2). In the only other time he's faced the Lakers, he was an even more striking 9 for 9 from the floor, although O'Neal, still recovering from toe surgery, wasn't playing that night. With O'Neal, the Lakers will be a different kind of opponent for the Rockets, especially now that they've seemingly found the rhythm that eluded them in the first two months of the season. Los Angeles (18-20) has now won eight of its last 10 games, including the last five straight, and finally appears to be a contender once again for a playoff berth. "They've got themselves in a situation where they are really focused," said Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who is looking at the game as an important overall test for his own 22-15 squad. Still, he understands that most of the attention will go to Yao and O'Neal, a notion Yao seems resigned to as well. Facing a mob of television crews this afternoon, Yao joked through an interpreter that "with this many [camera] lights around, we could probably turn off everything else and save some electricity." And while he realizes that interest has risen since comments O'Neal made in a fake Chinese accent became public last week -- O'Neal has since apologized, and Yao has downplayed the incident -- he is genuinely excited about the matchup in basketball terms, his physical safety notwithstanding. "This is a very important reason that factored into my decision to come into the NBA," he said. "The game will be a little different than a normal game." © 2003 The Washington Post Company
Trying Him On for Size Shaq vs. Rocket rookie Yao is the most anticipated matchup of big men in years. By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer At last, our Shaquille can play with someone his own size. It has been years since Shaquille O'Neal had anything like a peer, the early '90s to be exact, when he was a fledgling and Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson were in their primes, after which he got smarter and they got older. In recent years, when he ruled the NBA like a T-Rex in a meadow, O'Neal billed himself as the last real center and, for once, it was no exaggeration. Nor were any real centers looming on the horizon. A large youngster such as the Bulls' Eddy Curry might be called "Baby Shaq," but that wouldn't last past high school. As soon as Curry turned pro, it was evident he was not only smaller than Full-Grown Shaq, he didn't compare in any other way. And then, amazingly and suddenly, the 7-foot-5, 296-pound Yao Ming appeared from beneath the horizon (Western perspective), from China, which had put its first player in the NBA only two seasons before and had never produced an NBA starter. Last spring at 21, he decided to make himself eligible for the NBA draft and, for better and worse, things started happening fast: • May 1, 2002: Yao works out for NBA teams in Chicago but is deemed disappointing. General managers come wondering if he's the next O'Neal or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but, says their old general manager, Jerry West, "He's not any of those guys." The Clippers' Quentin Richardson, who attends, sniffs, "There are a lot of big guys in the league you can dunk over," adding, "We're going to be taking bets on who's going to get him." Appropriately enough, an NBA news release with a typographical error in it, lists Yao's weight as 236 pounds. • June 26, 2002: Houston drafts Yao with the first pick overall, although opinions still vary. Says Dallas owner Mark Cuban, scoffing at rumors he offered Michael Finley for Yao: "I don't think Yao Ming is as good as Shawn Bradley right now." • Oct. 30, 2002: Yao, who played all summer for the national team and reported 10 days before the season, makes his NBA debut in the opener at Indiana, going scoreless in 11 minutes. • Nov. 15: In his seventh game, Yao reaches double figures for the first time, scoring 10 points at Phoenix. • Nov. 17: Yao gets 20 against the Lakers in Staples, but O'Neal doesn't play. • Nov. 19: Turner's Charles Barkley, who has been insisting Yao won't score 20 in a game all season, is obliged to kiss a donkey that broadcast partner Kenny Smith brings to the studio. • Dec. 3: Yao has 27 points and 18 rebounds against San Antonio. Of course, that projected first meeting between Yao and Shaq would have been merely ceremonial. Yao wasn't starting and probably would have been coming in about the time O'Neal was going out. Since, however, Yao has become a starter, averaging 13 points the rest of the month, bumping it up to 17 in December with 10 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. Overall, he's averaging 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in 27 minutes, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. Yao might not be quite ready for O'Neal now, either, but on the other hand, they will actually face each other Friday night in a full-fledged event, which ESPN has been flogging for two weeks, and it won't be merely ceremonial. Two seasons from now, it might be a full-fledged rivalry. Friday night should be more like an introduction, with O'Neal out to impress, or dent, Yao, and Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich sending lots of help to protect his rookie. "We always thought Yao would be just a great player," says Dallas Coach Don Nelson, who, with his son, Donnie, rank as the Lewis and Clark of international scouting and began following Yao when he was 16. "We would have taken him No. 1 in the draft, and I think only a couple teams would have done that. We were one of them and Houston was the other, and that's about it. ... "It (the Yao-Shaq rivalry) is going to be a one-sided deal for a while, but I think eventually Yao will catch up. ... He's the next dominant center." Even for a player as huge as Yao, with such obvious gifts, intangibles decide how great, or disappointing, he becomes. This is no problem for Yao, who has shown himself to be a hard worker and a quick learner with a wonderful feel for the game. As a passer, he's already compared to the all-time greats. Says Bill Walton, now an ESPN commentator: "If you play with Yao Ming, like playing with (Arvydas) Sabonis, like playing with Vlade Divac, you have to learn to move, learn to expect and anticipate that you'll get the ball in perfect position. "I grew up in an era, my main coach, John Wooden, said, 'If you dribble once, that's enough. If you dribble twice, you're not open. If you shoot after dribbling twice, sit on bench next to me. "Now it's totally common for a player to take 15 dribbles on one possession." No one, not even admirers such as Nelson, expected Yao to develop this quickly. There were concerns the game he learned in China was too soft, that it would take time to teach him to attack the basket, if he learned at all. Ten weeks later, Yao is so Americanized, he jammed one in the face of the Hawks' Theo Ratliff last week and got a technical foul for taunting him. Said Ratliff: "They're teaching him too much down there." Of course, there's another unknown in this matchup: Where is O'Neal now? He may be more than "effective" now, but he's not quite "dominating." It has been two seasons since he was the old, explosive Shaq. Wednesday in New Orleans, he beat the Hornets' Jamal Magloire, only to see Magloire recover and block his shot from behind. That didn't used to happen. Not that O'Neal is inclined to vacate his title. He has been hurling down thunderbolts of one sort or another for months ("Tell Yao Shaq-zilla is coming!") This is a new phenomenon and a compliment to Yao, Shaq acknowledging his arrival. It didn't even happen when San Antonio's Tim Duncan broke in, but Duncan was 7-0, 240, not 7-5, 296. This might not be a fair matchup, now but, on the other hand, Shaq has never met anyone who is this good who is four inches taller than he is. Of course, one of O'Neal's thunderbolts wound up hitting him in the foot, resulting in a weeklong debate of whether his joking mock-Chinese added up to racism. There was no doubt what was right and wrong, when it rose to the status of an issue, but, as usual, the debate went national, was overblown and became silly, including days of discussion as to the sincerity of O'Neal's apology. The Houston Chronicle noted that when Shaq tried to apologize in Chinese, he got it wrong again, using Cantonese ("toy-inchee") rather than Yao's dialect, which is Mandarin ("duna-boochee.") Happily, Yao, who has endured the furor surrounding him since he arrived without strain or anxiety, laughed off O'Neal's bad joke as he had all the others, like Fortune Cookie Night in Miami, or teammate Steve Francis naming him "Dynasty." "Chinese is hard to learn," Yao said. "I had trouble with it when I was little." So O'Neal owes him one. Friday night it goes from cultural issue to basketball rivalry, where it belongs and should stay, for as long as they both shall play.
Chinese sensation takes on the Shaq Yao Ming meets the Laker star Friday night for the first time in a battle of the centers. By Mark Sappenfield | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor SAN FRANCISCO – The story line is as tantalizing as it is familiar. The glitz of West Coast style versus the homespun superstar. The broad smile of a future Laker legend against the studied seriousness of his rival. Surely, this was March 26, 1979, when a flashy, soon-to-be Los Angeles Laker named Earvin "Magic" Johnson matched up against a country boy named Larry Bird in the NCAA finals. What followed was the most-watched final in college basketball history and a new golden age for professional basketball, as the two went on to create one of the greatest personal rivalries in American team sports. Yet it is also Friday night, when Yao Ming, the wide-eyed Chinese giant who lives with his mother and was once chastised for being too humble to dunk, tips off against Shaquille O'Neal, the human wrecking ball who alternately lays out opponents and rap records. Arguably, no sport depends on personalities and rivalries more than pro basketball. For all the glory of the Michael Jordan years, the game then was a one-man show. Now, with that era past, the league is casting about for its next great novel, and Friday's game holds perhaps the greatest promise as a first chapter. The chances for a bust are many. This is Yao's rookie season, while a far more seasoned Shaq has won three consecutive championships. Still, the possibilities are limitless. Indeed, these two opposites hold the possibility of uniting continents just as Magic and Bird united races, as well as bringing prestige back to a position - center - that has nearly become extinct amid the high-flying dunks and knifing drives of the Jordan era. "We certainly hope that this develops into a great rivalry," says Bill Walton, a Hall of Fame center with the Boston Celtics and Portland Trailblazers. "Shaq is undoubtedly the king both on and off the court, but Yao has the ability to change everything." Mr. Walton is not the only one with such praise. To many, Yao will be the next big thing - and not just literally. At 7 ft., 5 in., he is shorter only than beanpole Shawn Bradley. But one look at his legs shows that he is no stick figure, and his toolbox of passes, shots, and light-limbed moves is irresistible. "He epitomizes what other countries are doing and we are not: They're really teaching kids the fundamentals of the game," says Pete Newell, whose nationally renowned Big Man Camp focuses on low-post play. Adds Walton: "Yao can bring some of the beauty back to the game. He does everything, including think." The league appears to be sold on him. It's started a Mandarin version of its website, and the Miami Heat last month gave out 8,000 fortune cookies when he came to town. His teammates need no convincing, either. Although he speaks little English and has an interpreter with him 24 hours a day - even on the bench during games and at home at night - the Houston Rockets are smitten with the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. First of all, there's his talent. In a game last month against the Dallas Mavericks - the best team in the NBA - Yao dropped in 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Steve Francis, nicknamed "Stevie Franchise" for his importance to the Rockets, has taken to calling his Chinese teammate the "Ming Dynasty." He even gave him clothes bearing the name. Then there is the man himself: The man who sent Christmas cards to every Rockets employee - even though he doesn't celebrate the holiday. The man who says his favorite thing to do is sleep. The man whose favorite meal is his mom's chicken soup. His grace is admired, his wit is dry, and his wisdom, somewhere between Confucius and Yogi Berra. After the game against Dallas, a loss, he said: "One part of the enjoyment is playing. The other part, of course, is winning. Today, I achieved half of that." Nothing about his opponent, however, is subtle. The Superman tattoo on O'Neal's left biceps is more a statement of intent than fashion. O'Neal is a mountain of flesh unlike any other in the history of the game. The most successful defense yet devised against the shaven-headed, 340-pound battering ram has been to topple over theatrically in hopes of drawing a foul. Yet his size sometimes masks his quickness and repertoire of low-post moves. "Shaq, when he retires, will go down as one of the greatest centers," says Mr. Newell. At the top of his game, none can handle Shaq. Few have even tried. In a time when O'Neal has taken to calling himself "LCL" or the "Last Center Left," Yao may be his first true challenge. Time was, centers were the most celebrated position on the court. From 1960 to 1980, 20 of the 21 league Most Valuable Players were centers. From 1984 to 2002, though, the ratio dropped to 3 of 19. With the retirement last year of Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon - and David Robinson's retirement at the end of this year - skillful centers have become dinosaurs. Which is what makes Yao so unusual - and so important. Superman needs his nemesis, and while Yao might not quite be O'Neal's Kryptonite yet, few doubt that he has the potential. "Shaq has already proven durable enough to dominate for a generation," says Walton. "But it will end at some point, and as to when that's going to happen, we'll start to get some of the answers Friday night."
Wow, did I goof on Yao January 17, 2003 BY JAY MARIOTTI SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Kissing a donkey's tail is out. So is any attempt to apologize in Mandarin, which no doubt would get me in trouble like Shaquille O'Neal. But as someone who said only a few months ago that Yao Ming had the agility of Frankenstein and looked more like the next Chuck Nevitt than The Next Big Sports Rage, I must make amends. Not only can this very tall man play basketball at a very high level, he finds himself shrinking the planet. What we assumed was our game, the quintessential rite of the American playground, has undeniably become at least the partial domain of a 7-5, 300-pound specimen who flashes graceful moves in the low post, competes as if he grew up here, makes mid-range jumpers that Jay Williams clanks, throws no-look passes, grasps intricacies and nuances better than anyone dreamed and surely will help revolutionize hoops as we know it. Whatever Yao employs as his version of "In your face, moron,'' I deserve it. As do legions of Americans who should realize by now that the rest of the world plays the game the proper way, unlike so many of our recklessly ballin' kids. "You had people jumping off his ship like rats,'' said Rudy Tomjanovich, Yao's coach with the Houston Rockets. "But I'm like, 'He's 7-6 and with that footwork? Hey, wait a minute.''' And now? "It gives me goose bumps to hear the buzz in the crowd,'' he said. "You can just hear them saying, 'Can you believe that?' He is so creative, so unique.'' All of which feeds deliciously into Yao's first major litmus test as an NBA center. On draft night last June, he had the gumption to say in his native China that he looked forward to facing O'Neal, the 7-1, 360-pound force he has admired from afar. The be-careful-what-you-wish-for meeting arrives this evening, at Houston's Compaq Center, in a collision of present and future that feels like the rumbling of history. Not long after Yao spoke fondly of O'Neal, Shaq vowed to greet him with an elbow to gauge his manhood. Thursday, swarmed by a global media mob, Yao politely said he doesn't fear elbows, blood or any other form of Shaq brutality. "He has a lot of meat on his elbows, so maybe it won't hurt that much,'' Yao said through his interpreter, revealing humor that reflects his ease with American culture. "This is a very important reason that factored into my decision to come into the NBA. The game will be a little different than a normal game.'' Conventional wisdom suggests Shaq is foaming at the mouth to make a statement, given his gradual comeback from toe surgery and the seasonlong struggles of the three-time champion Los Angeles Lakers. As a pop-culture creature, he knows the game will be watched by several hundred million worldwide, mostly in China. Crazy or not, this is being hyped as an international showdown, with Shaq defending his title as the NBA's reigning force and biggest superstar. Among headlines seen so far: Shaq Daddy vs. Chairman Yao, Shaq Fu vs. Ming the Merciless and, in a Chinese paper, The Big Aristotle vs. The Little Giant. If O'Neal brings his brute game, it just might be Yao vs. Owwww. "I know I can take it to guys bigger than me,'' Shaq said. "Playing a shot-blocker brings out the best in me, so I'm looking forward to playing him. I don't have to outscore him to solidify my position in the game. Everybody knows who I am. In America, in China, Africa, they all know who I am.'' Traditionally bored until the playoffs, Shaq can be expected to shake some rims and move the earth. Because the growth-happy NBA has opened All-Star voting to other languages, including Mandarin, O'Neal trails Yao by a whopping margin--1,015,018 to 784,920--among Western Conference centers. It isn't fair that O'Neal, winner of three league championships and as dominant an inside presence as the game has seen, won't be starting ahead of a rookie whose numbers pale. At first, Shaq handled the news well, saying of Yao's voting lead: "When I came in, I beat out Patrick Ewing. He's making history for his people.'' But then he had to go and be a bad comedian, using a mock Chinese accent to joke about Yao: "Tell Yao Ming, 'Ching chong yang wah ah soh.''' His reaction only deteriorated after a columnist for AsianWeek took issue, to which Shaq replied, "I said it jokingly, so this guy was trying to stir up something that's not there. He's just somebody who doesn't have a sense of humor, like I do.'' Wrong. The columnist was offended, as all Asian people should have been. O'Neal's apology was weak, and if not for Yao's good-natured understanding of it all, we might have had an international incident tonight. That Yao still likes Shaq shows he's more mature and diplomatic at 22 than Shaq is at 30. "He is always smiling and is a very happy person,'' Yao said. "I think he lives a very happy life. I don't think there's any animosity. We're all basketball players, and we all live together on this earth.'' There is much to like about Yao. Rather than chirp about proving skeptics wrong, he concurred, saying: "I have to say I'm a bit surprised at my progress to this point. At first, when I wasn't playing well, I also wasn't satisfied with myself.'' And when TNT's Charles Barkley told partner Kenny Smith that he would smooch a donkey's behind if Yao scored 19 points in a game this season, Yao was left to smile the first time he scored 20-plus. "He's got a great sense of humor,'' he said of Chuckles. He has met presidents. He made his first TV commericial. He is on his eighth cell phone. He has heard Michael Jordan say, "He's real,'' and Allen Iverson say, "He's a gift from God.'' He lives with his 6-3 mother and 6-7 father in a gated community, where he sleeps in a 9-foot bed built by the Rockets and rides his 10-speed bike. He loves to fish and play video games. "You just give him the 'Wassupp' and little funny things like that,'' teammate Cuttino Mobley said. "He'll pick up on it.'' And why wouldn't he? If Yao Ming needs only 2-1/2 months to learn our game and captivate our people, he should be rapping by April, just in time for the playoffs, just in time to make more history.
Props to JAY MARIOTTI for fessing up. Having heard him on the radio many times I can't believe he came clean. Anyone heard from that moron in Phoenix lately?
Marty Burns, Sports Illustrated HOUSTON -- Here in the heart of Texas, as the saying goes, they like things BIG. Whether it's the space program, Enron's inflated profits or Ken Caminiti's balloon biceps, this is a town that's unofficial motto should be "Super-Size It!" So it's no surprise that Houston is revved up over Friday's big showdown between Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal. It will be the first matchup between the 7-foot-5 Rockets rookie phenom and the 7-foot-2 Lakers superstar, and fans can hardly wait. A rare sellout crowd of more than 16,000 is expected at the Compaq Center, with millions more watching on national TV. On local sports talk radio, the Yao-Shaq matchup has been the hot topic all week -- pushing the NFL Texans' April draft right off the airwaves. So how is Yao -- the "center" of the storm -- handling the hype? As usual, he's been as level-headed as his flat-top haircut. "He has a lot of meat on his elbows," Yao joked Thursday about the prospect of going up against Shaq. "So maybe it won't hurt as much." As deftly as he blocks shots or knocks down open jumpers, Yao has managed to handle his increasing fame. Even Rockets officials say they have been surprised by how quickly the 22-year-old Shanghai native has adjusted to NBA life. While other young stars might wilt under the glare of being the No. 1 overall pick -- and the flag-bearer for his native land -- Yao has sailed along. "It's amazing," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "He's only been in this country a few months. He's had to join a new team, learn a new language. ... I don't know how he's done it. It's a miracle." Yao has become -- as the billboards around Houston proclaim -- "Something Big." In a little more than three months in the NBA, he already has become popular enough to surpass Shaq in fan voting for the All-Star Game. He recently signed his own endorsement deal for a video game and has had a film crew following him around for a future documentary. He even has his own song. Written by two local songwriters, it's played to the tune of the soccer anthem, Ole, with the words "Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming" repeated over and over. Rockets fans sing it at home games. Yao is especially popular with Chinese fans, both in the U.S. and abroad. Hundreds of Chinese-American fans turn out at road games, and Rockets games have become must-see TV in China, where as many as 280 million viewers can view the broadcasts. Amid all the hoopla, Yao has managed to do his job on and off the court while remaining polite and well liked by his teammates. He leads all rookies in scoring (12.9 points), field-goal percentage (54.3 percent) and blocks (1.94), while ranking second in rebounds (9.3). Meanwhile, he has patiently handled the enormous demands on his time that come from being an international sports star. "I really can't describe it. It completely surpasses what I imagined," Yao said about the attention he has received. "Basketball is my job. It's something I do and can adjust to quickly. The media, I'm a little bit of stranger to. So it's a little difficult to adjust." Off the court, friends say, Yao is low-key, spending his free time playing video games and talking on the cell phone to friends back home in China. He also stays close to his family. He recently bought a house in a gated community in suburban Houston, where he lives with his mother, Fang Feng Di, and his interpreter, Colin Pine. His father, Yao Zhi Yuan, visits frequently from China. Both of Yao's parents played basketball for China's national teams. Yao Zhi Yuan stands 6-foot-7, and Fang Feng Di stands 6-foot-3. Fortunately, Yao's new Houston digs feature 8-foot ceilings. As well as he has adjusted to NBA life, Yao occasionally does show signs of strain. Lately he has been giving more short answers to questions and making fewer jokes. It's as if he's getting just a bit tired of all the attention. Of course, there could be another good reason for his being a tad cranky: Shaq is coming to town. And as he can tell from the hype around town, this is something truly BIG.
Shaq vs. Yao overshadows Rockets-Lakers matchup By David DuPree USA TODAY The time has arrived for Yao Ming. Shaquille O'Neal is coming to town, and the first meeting between the NBA's dominant player and the man with perhaps the best chance to succeed him is one of the most anticipated individual matchups the NBA has had in a long time. Eleven Chinese networks will air Friday's game (9:30 a.m. Saturday in China) to more than 500 million people. Shanghai TV is hosting a viewing party. The fact that O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers, winners of five in a row, and Yao's Houston Rockets, winners of seven of their last nine, are two of the league's hottest teams has been somewhat overlooked. Common sense says O'Neal will overpower Yao as he does everyone else. But Yao has vastly improved since the season started and at times has shown a chilling all-around game, much more finesse-oriented than O'Neal's. He went 9-for-9 against the Lakers (O'Neal was out with an injury) in November and Houston won 93-89. "I think I need a suit of armor," Yao said. "It seems to me physically I may still be lacking a little bit." Not that O'Neal needs incentive, but Yao leads him in fan All-Star balloting for the starting Western Conference center spot. Said O'Neal, "I'll be ready, don't worry."
And one ticket remains unsold... It's a little baffling; it's been hard to get rid of my spare ticket to tonight's game. I've had a lot of people express interest, offer a reasonable amount of $$, and then disappear. So, one last chance for anyone interested. I have ONE ticket to tonight's matchup. Section 120, row C. This should be 3 rows behind the Rockets bench. Face value is.. $112? I paid $275 each for 4. Let me say that again: (approximately) 3 rows behind the Rockets bench. It's... 9 AM here on the West Coast (11 AM Houston time). I'm leaving for the airport in an hour to get to Houston in time for the game. So, highest offer BEFORE NOON Houston time gets the ticket... even if the offer is like 50 cents. Email'em to me: chon@tern.com Pleaseplease be serious about it, and willing to meet me at the arena an hour or so before game time to get the ticket; I'll give you a cell # for easy contact. I'll take cash at the arena... but anyone able/willing to pay Paypal before I leave gets precedence.
Amazing, no one even offered 50 cents! I'll just use the extra seat to put my family's coats. Alright alright, have a great time tonight everyone! GO ROCKETS! GO YAO!
Here and Yao By Charley Rosen Page 2 columnist By now Yao Ming has been around the league twice and NBA insiders have been able to chart his every plus and minus. And since he's on his way to becoming the West's starting center in the forthcoming All-Star game, it's time to carefully scrutinize his game. And so, on to the definitive scouting report: SIZE AND STRENGTH: At 7-foot-5 and 296 pounds, Yao is certainly a colossus. (Shawn Bradley is an inch taller, but 30 pounds lighter.) "Yao is far from being a weakling," says one NBA assistant coach, "but he's not nearly in the same class as the real powerhouse players, like Shaq and Sabonis. I think that Yao is in desperate need of some heavy-duty weight work, especially for his legs. That's because his center of gravity is so high that too many guys can get underneath him and move him off his spot." SHOOTING: Don't be fooled by the fact that Yao leads the league in field goal percentage. (Wilt Chamberlain led the league in FG percentage nine times despite being one of the worst "pure" shooters ever.) Early in the season, Yao was plugging jumpers galore -- but then the scouts spotted something of a flaw in his release and made adjustments. "He's got a little too much left hand on the ball when he sets up his shot," says another assistant, "which means his release is just a bit slow. Because he fades away on almost every jump shot, his shot is virtually unblockable -- although Golden State's Antawn Jamison did smack a TAJ in a game in Houston (on 1/4). At the same time, Yao isn't used to playing against guys who are big, long and quick enough to challenge his jumpers. The result is that he's now rushing a lot of shots, and his jump-shooting accuracy is taking a nosedive. Still, he gets plenty of dunks, which are always high-percentage shots." Yao also has difficulty unloosing a viable shot when he catches the ball on the move in crowded quarters. The solution here is for Yao to improve his jump-hook technique, or even develop a sky-hook, thereby allowing him to use his off-arm to keep opponents away from his body. Seven-foot passers last a long time in this league. Right, Arvydas? PASSING: This is the most highly evolved of his skills. He has extraordinary court sense, i.e., knowing where all the players are and where they're headed, and he's so big that most defenders are unable to block his vision. Yao's repertoire includes behind-the-back and over-the-head no-look passes, all delivered with a wonderful touch. He has also revived the long bounce-pass, a lost art in the NBA. (In many cases, bounce passes are more effective than "baseball" passes, because the ball comes up to the receiver and is easier to catch. Bounce passes are also generally more accurate and, because the ball is constantly moving through a vertical plane at ever-changing angles, more difficult to intercept. The trick is to throw the long bounce-pass hard and high enough so that the ball doesn't skid along the floor.) But he's a rookie, of course, so his timing frequently gets upset by the speed of the game. The result is that many passes are delivered just a tick too late. This is especially true of his outlet passes. However, the single most impressive aspect of Yao's passing game is his profound unselfishness. LOW-POST MOVES: When he tries to settle into a low-post position, he frequently gets pushed a step or two off the box. But his big, powerful hands make him a great receiver. He favors a TAJ, an effective shot, although his fadeaway follow-through moves him away from the boards and eliminates the possibility of rebounding his own misses. He spins slowly but tightly to either baseline or the middle, and with his long arms can effectively use both sides of the basket. He's got a nice array of "cute" flips, one-dribble reverses, and even a few duck-under moves. He can dunk lefty, but does he have a lefty layup or baby hook? In short, Yao has enough junk in his trunk to be a big-time low-post scorer. HIGH-POST MOVES: Strictly catch and shoot, which is all he needs from here. With his feet set, Yao has a wonderful touch. Yao needs a few more tricks than just size to rebound in the NBA. REBOUNDING: He has wonderfully sticky hands -- if he can touch the ball, it's his. However, his overall lack of lateral mobility does show up in his boardwork. "He's strictly a one-space rebounder," says one coach. "A phone-booth rebounder." And since he's very slow off the floor, he doesn't jump center to start a game because quick jumpers can sometimes beat him to the top. Balance is another problem, especially when he's trying to "box out" an opponent. Because the defensive player is (hopefully) positioned between the offensive player and the basket, this technique requires the defender to face the hoop and staunchly hold his ground. Lunging to initiate contact with the offensive player puts the defender off-balance, and the boxee can easily bull his way past the boxer's lead foot. Houston is hosting New Orleans (12/29/02) and there's Yao looking to seal Jamaal Magloire off the Hornets' offensive boards. Yao successfully places his body between Magloire and the basket, but keeps trying to push the Jazz's center farther out. Magloire responds by "pulling the chair" -- simply sidestepping and suddenly removing any resistance to Yao's backward thrust. The result is that Yao tumbles to the floor and Magloire has a clear shot at the glass. (Against the Warriors, Jamison turns the same trick and causes Yao to stumble.) At the other end of the court, Yao is almost totally passive when he's boxed out. DEFENSE: He's an incredible shot-blocker when the ball comes to him. Because he can't move laterally with his hands raised, Yao can't come out and challenge jump shooters. Opposing bigs try to drive into Yao's body and then spin around him, a maneuver that "shortens" his arms and makes a foul more likely than a blocked shot. Blame his high center of gravity again for Yao's inability to push post-up centers off the block. Back-picks are also difficult for Yao to handle. When the Minnesota Timberwolves repeatedly used this tactic against Yao in their 1/7 game in Houston, the Rockets' big center was thoroughly confused and ran great-circle routes around the come-from-behind contact. Also, Yao is adept at leaving his man and "showing" when a teammate gets beaten off the dribble, but he can't "recover" in time to challenge the resulting shot when the ball is kicked out to his man. However, Yao was born to play zone defense. "Put Yao at the bottom of, say, a one-three-one zone," says an Eastern Conference assistant, "then funnel all penetration toward him, and he'll be hellacious." TOUGHNESS: During a rebounding scrum against the Timberwolves, Joe Smith shoulders Yao off-balance, then knocks him to the floor with the elbow of experience. Later that same game, Yao is about to put back a missed shot when 6-10, 270-pound Marc Jackson fouls him hard across the face. Yao's response is to ignore the hit and calmly convert both free throws. Vin can't eat anymore, he's stuffed. So far Yao's taken his rookie beatings in stoic fashion. But someday somebody's really going to ring the big man's gong --then we'll see what's what. HOUSTON'S GAME PLAN: Over the years, Rudy Tomjanovich's basketball intelligence has been disrespected by most of his peers. "His teams made few adjustments," says one veteran coach, "and the ones they did make were usually ineffectual. Rudy's offenses were wild and woolly, and his scorers played with almost no restraints. For the most part, this is still the case. The big difference in Rudy, though, is his attitude on the bench. Where he used to be very emotional -- too emotional -- to the point where he'd often embarrass his players, he's now much more detached and he never gets into their faces in public. Even his adjustments are getting better." Perhaps, but coaches around the league still believe that Yao isn't being utilized properly. "What do they run for him?" asks a veteran assistant. "He sets a pick at the high post, then rolls into the pivot. Or else he'll just set up on the left box. That's about it. Yao simply isn't getting enough touches." Another assistant blames this shortcoming on the selfishness of Yao's teammates: "Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Moochie Norris are all about pumping up as many shots as possible. I call them the machine gunners. Stevie Franchise, especially, has got to realize that the Rockets aren't going anywhere unless the big guy is more involved in the offense. I think they're going to have to lose before they can win." PROGNOSIS: Yao's upside is unlimited. He's already an extremely efficient player -- he catches the ball and then quickly moves it. Nor does he have any "look-at-me-everybody" playground habits to eradicate. Also, his teammates seem to genuinely like the big fellow -- and, more importantly, the refs are already protecting him. Bottom line, Shaq isn't the "Last Center Left." It's axiomatic that big men need three years to fully comprehend the pro game. In time, Yao will undoubtedly learn to take up more space and become a better rebounder. He'll also learn the angles and pressure points of pivot position. In general, the action will "slow down" and Yao's comfort areas will likewise expand. Given his inevitable improvement, and the increasing "finessement" of the league's young centers, just how good can Yao become? Nothing less than the most dominating big man of his generation -- at least as forceful as Shaq. Where is Yao right now? An informal poll of the league's coaching staffs reveals that among the NBA's low-post players, Yao is second only to the Shaq-man, who is still way ahead of Yao in those aspects of the game that involve power, quick reactions, experience and the ability to peak at the right times. So when the Lakers and the Rockets meet for the first time this season tonight, Rudy T should be careful not to let Shaq operate one-on-one against his rookie center. My advice to Shaq is this: Enjoy it while you can, big fella.
I love reading Charley Rosen's stuff. It's like he doesn't care whether he offends people or not, he just speaks what he thinks is the truth. This has to be one of the most detailed and accurate assessment of Yao Ming's game and how he is used in Houston I have read so far.
