Maybe I am too stubborn, but I still don't agree with you on CBA. The organization exists to serve the best interests of fans, to make the most out of its players, and in this world cup case, to win more games. And by calling Wang Zhizhi back to China, the CBA will make Wang miss his first opportunity to get some summer trainings here. If you have watched his games in the last season, you should know he has all the potentials and skills to be successful here if he gets some good trainning. With some good training here, he will be able to gain some muscles, more experience, and show some nice post-up games. And all this will do nothing but help himself and the Chinese Basketball as whole. I really don't see any excuse for this CBA.
Almostready, again, you've made really good points. But i feel it's really a waste of time to argue with people like michecon, etc. Not that they are not intelligent, but the way they think about things are too weird and reminds me of Chinese government officials. God please don't let people like him rule our country and people. Save him, shed some lights on him.
Easy, superpro. I think you have been in the States long enough to know that people have different opinions. I have seen numerous arguments between Chinese since the day of BBS, never seen a case where one side finally convinced the other side, whether it was Taiwan issue, Tibet issue or Da-zhi issue. I would like to use a popular Chinese saying here, how we think depends on where our butts are. Shrimpie
Thanks for your pray. hahah. You've revealed enough of your personality. I won't rule, but I'll lead China one day. Only if you really understand the country you now lived in for 5 years and the country you are from....
I love this thread. Very interesting for a barely-about-bball topic. almostReady, China's is not the only government to use patriotism to exert influence on its populace, especially these days. But most importantly, we must consider the following Please tell me that neither Wang nor Yao are planning to curl their hair. I do hope the CBA steps in before that happens.
More than willing to respond to your points. Sure, but I will admit I misspoke originally. It's not "every" US citizen that pays nearly 50% of income for Uncle Sam; just the richest and most successul. Today, the federal income tax rate for the highest bracket of earners is at 39.6%. The state income tax rate, depending on where you live, can add up-to 11% (in Montana; 9.3% in California). This doesn't include a variety of other government taxation, ranging from a sales tax that's often in the range of 6-7%, a cigarette/liquor tax, capital gains tax that is as high as 20%, an inheritance tax as high as 50%, property taxes... This means Bill Gates is also working for slave wages. And Yao Ming, once he arrives here, will also be working for slave wages as most likely 50% of his income will end up in Uncle Sam's pocket one way or another. No, I think *you* miss the essence of the point. I should ask you the same question: if 50% is "slavery policy", is 40% also slavery policy? Is 30%? 25%? 15%? Where's your fair threshold that you asserted exists for determining what slavery policy is? Why is a 1% tax fair, but a 50% tax *not* fair? Who are you to decide? In my opinion, 51%, 52%, and 60%, or even 99% are NOT necessarily slavery policy. In all of these cases, the employee in question has a right to determine if they want to work and accomodate the taxes. If Yao Ming chooses not to play in the USA, the government and the CBA doesn't force him to pay a dime. If Yao Ming chooses to play in the NBA, he will *still* be compensated beyond his wildest dreams. So, get off it. So what. They have a legal responsibility to play for the CBA when they're called back. They're not exactly the only ones that have this requirement. If I take a ROTC scholarship to attend school, I have an obligation to serve at the end of graduation. If I attend West Point, I also have an obligation to serve. When I attended graduate school, I was also told where I had to be in the summers, where I could work, and how long I had to do it. Am I a human being, or a machine owned by the CBA? No one is threatening to shoot Wang Zhizhi if he doesn't return. No one threatened to shoot me if I didn't finish my graduate school program. In both cases, if I don't choose to participate according to the rules that I agreed to, I'm punished for it. Being a human being is not about "freedom" to the degree of a total lack of responsibility. I don't know what society you want to belong in, but it doesn't and can't exist. No, they don't need to pay with their life. Don't play basketball and he's not taxed at all. Or at the very least, don't play basketball for the Chinese National Team, as he's choosing to do. Your exaggerations don't make much sense. Gee, that's interesting. It's just too bad I don't really care what your opinion of the "bastards" is; I don't know who you are, and I don't know why I would choose to believe your fantastic visions of broken CBA promises. It's just too bad you offer precisely 0 examples of a broken legal agreement in the modern era from the CBA. Where's the history? The lack of hard evidence didn't prevent you from accusing straight-out that the CBA has a history of lying or cheating... ... and now you deny that any evidence to the contrary exists here. Hypocrite. You deny the obvious fact that the Dallas Mavericks has cut all ties with him (from day 1, at the end of the NBA season... before all the recent hoopla started), obviously because that organization at least felt he was taking actions that violated an agreement. You deny the fact that Wang Zhizhi has felt it necessary to actually go into hiding, hiding his identity from cell-phone and fax-machine communities. You deny the fact that Wang Zhizhi has yet to make a simple statement to the media and the public as to what actually transpired, what his conditions for return are, what the terms of his original agreement were.... *anything* beyond the fact that he wants to work on his game in the United States, and that he wants to make NBA training camp. Well, no $hit those are the things he *wants* to happen, so what is he betraying in order to get what he wants? So, there's the truth. First, you don't even care if he lied and cheated. What else is there to say? Your morals find that acceptable, fine. Perhaps you think it's even ok to borrow money from me at a moment of need, and then choose not to return it later because you find it inconvenient. Whatever. I don't think that's acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. And the consequences of this decision by Wang Zhizhi is simply a decision by the CBA to not associate with him; in my mind, that's a pretty fortunate conclusion for the guy.
From what I gather in this discussion. Yao is paying up to half his salary to play on the NT. I find that hard to believe from the interviews I've seen with the Sharks GM. I remember him saying that they should get paid back for the investment they made in him. Does Yao Ming still have a contract with the Sharks. I thought it was over. If he doesn't still have a contract with the sharks and still have to pay the CBA, then I would call it extortion.
What's all the hoopla about? =). Wang, (Maybe) Bateer, and Ming will all make alot of money! Even after the US government's take and CBA's take. The sum will probably be more than what many of us will make in a lifetime. That's life. Cheers!
Since Yao worths more than 350000 dollars, which is the most compensation the Rockets can offer, Yao is buying out his contract or agreement with the CBA or the Sharks with his own money on his own will. He has a choice of playing in CBA or NBA. He has nothing to lose to go but the CBA has a lot to lose! He pays CBA in the future for losing his obligated service, the free instruction and nutrition he received in the sports system, and the risks for losing CBA's attractiveness and revenue with his absence. Do the CBA have the right to get more compensation than a measly 350000 dollars for losing their superstar? Yes. How can they get it? doh. Does Yao Ming care about money? He said he's here for playing the game and money doesn't matter. Where is the oppression and extortion? Is it that difficult to understand it's reasonable for the CBA to take a portion of Yao's salary as they are losing their BIGGEST STAR and there's no other way for them to be reasonably compensated? How do you know that Yao isn't willing to give out his money to help his homeland developing basketball when he clearly stated he loves basketball more than money?
Just as an aside, sales tax, liquor tax, or any other tax that involves purchasing something will be proportionately lower as the amount of money that you have in the bank exceeds the amount of money you spend (i.e. when you're rich). Therefore, all of that added up will only equate to 1-2% (or less) of a multi-millionaire's taxation. Next, Bill Gates hasn't spent a dime of income taxes in years, due to creative money management (tax shelters, huge charitable contributions, etc.). I'd wager that most NBA players have tax attorneys that reduce their yearly taxation by large percentages also. As for the actual topic . . . Ming, pay your government whatever taxes are required, try to screw the CBA and your team as much as possible, and get your @$$ over here and work on becoming an all-star
-There are still at least two more games for the Coach to stink the place up starting tomorrow against Turkey. Places 9-12 Sep 06, 2002 51 - 13:30h - Conseco Fielhouse Turkey vs. China 52 - 11:00h - Conseco Fielhouse Angola vs. Russia Sep 07, 2002 Game for 11th Place 53 - Time tbd - Conseco Fielhouse Loser Game 51 vs. Loser Game 52 Game for 9th Place 54 - Time tbd - Conseco Fielhouse Winner Game 51 vs. Winner Game 52
Well, if the CBA bears any responsibility for China's play and coaching in this tournament they have certainly earned a lot of contempt from American hoop-heads. Rudy T said he couldn't even figure out what the team was trying to do. The coaching decision to bench Yao for the entire 2nd quarter when the team needed to win by 40 to move on will leave a lasting impression of this team until the 2008 Olympics. I don't want to offend any Chinese people here, but if the Chinese government is serious about wanting to be in contention for a medal in 2008 they need to get some coaches (American or European) to go over their and give their blunt and honest impressions of Chinese tactics and basketball philosophies. I don't like to see anyone break their agreements and I was really sweating the whole Wang Zhi Zhi situation (and how it colud impact Yao), but after watching the Chinese National Team, I can't blame him at all from not wanting to train in this system. I'm glad he and Yao still want to play for China, but after a season in the NBA Yao could easily feel the same way about staying in the U.S. to train and play next summer. The world plays basketball to win, it seems that this Chinese team reveres seniority, obediance and discipline far too much to excel at this game. Rudy said basketball is like Jazz and there's a lot of truth to that. Improvization and freedom are necessary elements to play this game at a high level. I know that Chinese basketball is still in it's infancy, but any high school coach in America could have done better with this team. Panda, I've enjoyed many of your posts, but your assertions that NBA players are at the mercy of their teams and owners is completely wrong. In fact basketball is the only major sport in America where the players ARE the league. NBA players occasionally get their coaches fired, and they often get their coaches in trouble with GMs or the media.
BTW, Wang has already gained 15 lb of weigth, most of which is of cource muscle. We should be able to see a different Wang ZhiZhi if he gets signed by a different team.
I suggest you Wang-lover, no-need-to-practice guys to read this article about the thoughts on US national team plan. http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/aldridge_david/1427992.html
