That is total hogwash. Can you imagine the backlash against Yao if he said he didn't want to play because he was "tired"? The negativity would be overwhelming. The good news is: he ain't gonna sit out if voted in. So to argue about it is pointless.
he doesn't have to defect. he can just say no to the chinese NT and make up some excuses, injury for example. and that doesn't constitute defect.
Has anybody been a 7'5" giant before? So how can you know what type of physical condition Yao is enduring right now? I would think that a giant is naturally more inclined to get tired quicker than a smaller person, regardless of age. His legs along must weigh 90lbs each! That's a lot of beef to run up and down the court.
I hope he is selected (appears to be a lock now) and that Shaq plays as well. It would be great for the League, the Rockets and Yao. Steve could barely walk on to the court last year (he had a BAD migraine) but played anyway. It's not only an honor for Yao, his teammates, and the Rockets... it's an honor for China. An All Star in his rookie season. How great is that?? Pretty awesome. Be sure to keep voting. We want Steve to be there. Not a time to be complacent and let Nash slip ahead of him. Cuban will probably hire a phone-bank to get the votes pouring in. It ain't over 'til it's over. Yao clearly needs rest, and I hope his country let's him have it when the season is over (and for several seasons after that), but this isn't something he should miss. He'll never forget it.
Apparently, the established test is a baseline-to-baseline race with Mark Eaton. Understandably, the test has become easier and easier to pass as Eaton ages, but occasionally, a rookie will still flunk, as Eaton somehow out-"runs" him. In the event of a tie between the rookie and Eaton, doctors ask to access video game scores of the rookie for the entire season to date. Usually a quick drop in those scores shows the rookie "wall," or "the beautiful wall," to reference the Chinese term. (Is this some sort of Buddhist thing, where hitting a wall is beautiful? It's over my head at any rate).
The test would be DoC: How do you feel Yao? I am tired Doc. Ok, you pass the test. Rookie Wall. Seriously, I don't think there is any "medical tests" that would define that he is hitting the rookie wall. They ususally check you for anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, mono, etc. to see if you have any medical conditions that explain your fatigue. When all these tests came back negative then they attribute it to playing too much basketball.
