I think this article called out Yao in an indirect way ... This is Yao's team, it's Yao's responsibility to be the leader. He has the power to force anyone out (including the coach) if they do not listen to him. Stop being a nice guy and avoiding the tough situations.
See kids these are the times when Basketball was Basketball.. Now a days you have 90% of the players screaming/yelling/crying that they got fouled.. I love the NBA back then it was about heart and tenacity.. We have to many sissy's playing the game today. Loved the old rules and hate the new ones..
IMO this was and still is McGrady's team to lead. Obviously, he hasn't lived up to the expectations, but when he is healthy and playing with confidence and desire, he's still the best player of this team. Without a focused McGrady, this ship is rudderless. And we're running out of time to right this ship.
This is Yao team but he does not have leader qualities he is to nice and soft spoken. T-Wack should be leading the team but he slacks so much and plays with no emotion he dont look like a role model in the court.
Rafer the leader? But he said that they have got to be led. I agree. I appreciate that he will do anything to gel this team together (for heaven's sake!) even if he will...(swallow)...be the captain. I just posted in another thread exhaustively so to not be redundant for everyone, here's my take: I believe that the team is waiting for T-Mac to lead them. But first of all, he need's to follow the team and what they need from him. What they need from him is to be that guy who cannot be stopped. He needs to be one of the firestarters of this team. Here are their roles according to my opinion emphasizing on the big 3: a) Yao- Post player. Destroys everyone within his territory. I'm referring to you Big Cactus; b) Ron- Stopper and Slasher. Dismantles the defense before it going to Yao for the finish. Guards also the offensive threats of the other team; c) Tracy- Scorer, Passer, Slasher, Captain Ball. Ignites the team and makes them better. Then takes over in the end and puts a dagger or slams the ball home! I will give up on this team if Tracy, Yao and Ron give up on it first. But if others say that they are done or this team is going nowhere, screw them because I will go down with this ship!
Yao is the leader, people just don't want to see it. He leads by example like all great leaders do. He isn't a vocal leader yet due to his poorish grasp of the language and that's unfortunate. He fires that chinese team right to the moon when time calls it. Rafer is true in saying that people dont want to be led and since he proclaims to be a leader, he too must be unwilling to be led. He himself can't be a leader when he can't hit his shots and he is not valuable to this team as others. He is the weakest link so he will have tough time regarding that. Yao is CHINESE and his mates being African AMERICANs dont want to be led by him. Even European AMERICANs cant lead a team full of african AMERICANs. That's the sad truth. Well how do you decide a leader? I find it amusing that people talk about this issue at all, to begin with. Everyone in that team is a fully grown man. No one can say "I'll lead you guys, follow me." and expect to be followed. Leaders lead by example and leaders know what to say when to say. They know how to bring the best out of those around him. They will sacrifice themselves for the team, play through pain and joy. They will shine in darkest hours and always be there when the team needs you the most. Now some people are so clueless they compare teams with packs of wolves. You dont need a snarling and howling alpha-male here. Granted there are lots of bravado in this game and humiliating your fellow competitors gets approval. Hence, blind leads the blind and crooks lead the crooks. But step aside and look at all those great leaders of their time; Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Gandhi, Churchill, Licoln, Mandela... and understand why they were - who they were. Art of leading isn't that different, be it for a cause or a war or a nba season.
Like I've said before, leaders are born, not made. You can watch a pop warner game with 8yr olds and spot the leader. Just like Otis Williams with the Temptations, leaders make it happen and understand everyone won't like you. Yao should be the leader, but is he willing to accept the fact a couple of teammates are not going to like him? That's part of being a leader.
I am a hockey fan turned basketball fan in the early 2000's.. so I have a background in a sport where there is accountability for pu**ies. I was a bandwagon fan during the Hakeem era, but wasnt really around as a die-hard. Basically, today's game is what I know - and I still hate it. I root for my city and I enjoy watching - but I hate today's NBA game. Big thanks to Manu Ginobili and the Spurs, Anderson Varejao, The Utah Jazz, and 2006 Dwayne Wade. I believe the extended playoff appearances by each of them in the past 10 years have helped in making the game what we know and hate. Is my opinion extreme? Maybe. But I'm waiting to be persuaded otherwise.
Puhleaze. This is so politically correct that I'm afraid the next step is calling Adelman "Adelperson".
Ignorants are people like you who close their eyes and surrender. It sounds harsh and unreasonable but that is the truth. Yao just has to keep doing what he is doing and maybe try even harder for the team if possible. It is possible for him to earn respect but Im really not sure he likes all the constant bad vibes. Still I think he should focus on winning more than leading. The latter will come in time.
The Rockets fired their leader. Any team that has Yao and/or Tracy as players needs to have strong vets that don't need to be led around them or have to have a leader as a coach. Coaches like JVG, SVG, Scott Skiles, Avery Johnson, Larry Brown, and Pop can lead a team from the bench. Some are better at it then others but they all do it. JVG understood that Tracy and Yao weren't leaders and he didn't surround them with young players because he would have to be the one to lead them. The players that were drafted while he had control were taken more based on personality rather then skill. Guys like Novak and Head weren't the most talented players on the board when the Rockets had their chance to pick, but they also weren't guys that needed much leadership and played limited roles in a very rigid system controlled from the bench. Now the team has changed it's core. Guys like Scola, Landry, Brooks, and Ron are now a vital part of the team. The only one of those players that can play consistent basketball without needing a leader is Scola due to his non-NBA experience. But when you start to add strong personalities to a team it starts to break down in the hard times. Everything is fine when times are good, but leadership stands out when times are the hardest and a voices is needed to guide you through the dark. This team doesn't have that and that's why the tough times don't seem to want to end.
What about Dikembe Mutombo? He obviously isn't in Houston to play reserve center. I look up to him because he earned the most titles in the league but the problem is that maybe Deke isn't vocal as he is passionate about it. Another thing that Deke will not last too long, he's already in one handed retired. You see the teams, every team has a leader. Lakers - Kobe Bryant Cavaliers - LeBron James Celtics - Kevin Garnett Nuggets - Chauncey Billups Magic - Dwight Howard Teams like Rockets that don't have defined leader are mostly on other sides of leaderboards. Teams like Rockets, Jazz maybe, Suns and 76ers. So it needs to be solved.
