The Olympics is once every four years. How often does it occur in China? Maybe once in four decades, I don't know. The point is, it's MUCH MORE IMPORTANT for Yao to play for the Chinese team to represent his country than to play for a Rockets playoff! So nothing shady about him recovering just in time for his country's team because that is about 4 months away and he shouldn't risk another injury playing for the Rockets playoffs.
Overreact much? You really don't get the point of the Olympics do you? It's a chance for every country to join each other on a global showcase in peaceful manner for a few weeks. War-torn countries take a break during their civil war to cheer their fellow country men. People earning a meager living in third world conditions get to become superstars and get to be seen by millions around the world if only for a short period of time. Even if it means losing in the first heat of the 100m dash, I'm sure it means a hell of a lot to them...a fulfillment of their dreams. If you think it's humiliating or you get a good laugh out of that I don't know what to say. According to your standards the US hockey team shouldn't have even bothered putting on their skates in 1980. As for the rest of this stupid tangent...I don't care if Yao's biggest goal in life is to get some super magic sword in World of Warcraft. He can do whatever he wants. When he's working on the Rocket's clock, he's given 100%. I think most here would agree he's the hardest working guy on the team. He can do what he wants w/ his free time. It's up to Yao to decide what risks he's willing to take. I think this last injury is a sure sign that his body cannot meet everything we wants to do, no matter how bad we wants it or how hard he tries. He'll have to reevaluate his priorities after this if he wants to continue playing basketball for a long time, no matter what affiliation that entails.
Jesus! I cannot believe the xenophobic hysteria going on around here. Look it's quite simple: The 2008 Olympics will be held in Beijing, China. And the most recognized athlete in China today is Yao Ming who was to be the face of those Olympic Games. As China's finest athlete, Yao considers it to be an HONOR to compete for his country in the Olympics which should be a point of pride for us all to have such a committed athlete playing on our team. Instead, I am watching folks here engage in nonsensical squabble about the CNT and Communism. I mean, WTF??? If Kode Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard were all to decline to represent Team USA for the very reasons you folks are saying Yao should, the venom spewing from this board toward them would be overwhelming in its intensity. Look, it's unfortunate that he got hurt and all but at LEAST his injury will heal and is not career threatening. That would REALLY REALLY suck.
Totally agree with your point, but I'd care if that was Yao's biggest goal in life. I just wanted the chance to give this thread (and any all-caps titled thread) one star.
A little off topic, but a quick search on wikipedia says that our national debt is $9.2 trillion dollars! And it seems like $1 trillion of them are from China. So why are we having the attitude like we're stronger than them? But the common sentiment of Americans is that we are the most powerful country in the world and no one can do anything to us.
Well, I cannot agree with you on this matter. China has a real chance to advance to quarter finals with a healthy Yao. There are two reasons for this: 1. China has done so before. In the Athens 2004 Olympics China, coached by Del Harris, advanced to the final eight after a win over defending world champion Serbia and Montenegro. At the 2006 FIBA World Championship, China, coached by Jonas Kazlauskas also advanced to the second round with a win over Slovenia. 2. China has "home court" advantage and is No.1 Seed (host).
Well I got a little carried off and did some more reading and as a matter of fact, we are LOSING to China in terms of trading with them. Why? because we import much more of their stuff than they importing our stuff. Like according to this site, Just last year we lost $256 billion to them! And we've been losing to them since 1985. http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2007
So why do the members of US National Soccer team keep playing in the World Cup when everyone know for sure they will get their ass kicked every single time? Isn't a humiliation and isn't it again the human spirit of the competition?
Doctors here have recommended that he not play at all even through the early part of the next season. Playing during the summer is very career threatening. That's the point.
You're brainwashed to say that. Getting beat 120-60 IS an honor if you keep working hard. Simply giving up when you think you would lose is lack of competition. That's why American basketball team got beat 92-73 by Puerto Rico. Are you suggesting Tim Duncan, AI, LBJ should play Puerto Rico league instead?
I could offer some theories on this I guess. 1) Consumerism in US. People in the states in general don't believe in savings. The overall saving rate hovers around 0% to a negative percentage. At the same time, a fair number of people don't work and don't produce stuff. The net result is that you have to import from overseas. China is just the contrary, with very high saving rates. ( I am not saying high saving rate is good or bad, just the fact) 2) If you look again, US is not only losing to China. On trading balance basis, US is losing to a LOT of country. It is again a result of 1) 3) Not all products of the industries in the US are suitable for the Chinese domestic market, while the China has an export-oriented economy. What is the best product of the US? Technology. China wants to import a lot of technology but US is too concerned to facilitate the export. So on one hand, US is importing consumer products from China like crazy. On the other hand, when China want to buy advanced technology, US has all kinds of restrictions. No wonder the trade is not balanced.
Good point, Rhinology. I find it funny that sometimes the best arguments people can come up with when you don't agree with them is "You are brainwashed". What's a brainwash anyway? Aren't Americans just brainwashed by the current government? Iraq has nukes. OOPs! I didn't say that.
So what? The cause for all of the concern around here is because he can't play this season for the Rockets. What he does next season for the Rockets is a moot point right now. While he'd certainly want to play for China in the Olympics, if his doctors say otherwise, he won't be doing so. It's time that folks face a few hard facts: Fact #1: This affair is now out of the Rockets' hands. They have encouraged Yao to consult with his own set of doctors and it's my guess those will include the CNT medical staff. You can bet that if they feel that they can have him ready to play by August, they will do their damnest to make that happen. Yao is to the Chinese National Team what Jordan was to the first Dream Team so you have to expect them to want to get their top gun on the court and represent China. Remember, these Olympics are to be China's big coming out party and Yao was to be an important part of the celebration. Fact #2: Just because there is the possiblity that Yao might be able to play in the Olympics, it doesn't necessarily follow with any certainty that by doing so, he will reinjure his foot. He may be able to play with no lingering effects. OR, he may not be able to play at all. Nobody knows for sure. I repeat: NOBODY knows for sure. It will all come down to how fast and how well Yao heals. Again: N O B O D Y knows when that will happen. Fact #3: Even though our doctors have said that his playing during the summer is career threatening, that doesn't mean that it's actually so. He could play and be just fine or he could not play until October and still not be OK. This is something I'd expect the Rockets' doctors to say - they want to protect their investment. But their ability to influence what Yao does or doesn't do in international competition was always compromised from the start when they drafted an athlete from a Communist country. They knew that Yao was never free to do whatever they (Rox) wanted from the start because there was the Chinese government to deal with and they accepted this fact. Well, now they have to live with it. Venting against the CNT & the Chinese government won't change this one itty bitty bit. I suggest that rather than drive yourself crazy with suppositions, one should take a step back and let this thing play itself out.
The Chinese Team might suck, but they have more heart to win for their country than the American Team players. I remember the last Olympics some of the players (can't remember who) were complaining why they weren't paid for playing in the Olympics. Getting $15+ millions/year was not enough for them? Money is just so important.
WTH? The main concern is that China will have him play injured. The moot point is that he is injured right now. Having him heal for next season and beyond is the Rockets and Yao's main concern, but not China's. You are right about one thing, it will play out, no matter what the doctors say.
The Chinese may very well discover something both of us already know: "You can't always get what you want..."
Individual, individual, individual. Have you seriously never heard of individualist (ex: USA) vs. collectivist (ex: China) cultures? Do you really believe every person on the planet has the same values as you?
