If it weren't for the Chinese money, when would've Yao left the Rockets?

I don't know if Rockets would be the better or worse team without Yao in the past few years.

I am pretty sure Yao would not be the 1st overall pick in the 2002 draft class being a skinny tall, non NCAA- nor Euro League-challenged, white or black basketballer.

 

Fair question, although given the fact that Yao can go through stretches where he's absolutely unstoppable, I'd like to think the decision to stick with him throughout all these years has been more basketball related than business motivated. Especially since having a dominant big is such a prerequisite for winning a championship.

Of course, being a cash cow and having a unique hold over such a large market is a pretty nice sweetener on top of all that. I'd have to do some digging around, but I'm curious how much Chinese-influenced sales and ratings were affected by Yao sitting out this past season. Forgive me if this has been touched upon already, but it would be interesting to see how that market and their following compared to years past where he actually played.

 

He wouldn't have been traded at all. I'm not being homerish at all. When he signed his contract I believe he just came off his best year, or a really good year. Fact of the matter is we couldn't trade him at any time and get equal value in return after the injury plague hit.

After this contract though he would be gone for sure (unless this 24 minutes thing works and we can get a good playoff run). I think not as a trade but we wouldn't have resigned because someone would've overbid for him and I don't think w/out the financial benefits it is worth messing up your salary cap space to keep him.

 

It's really hard to say, since Yao's market value is also tied to his cash cowness. I'm not sure we could get a return that is worthwhile.

However, given that he's not the best fit for RA's system and the injury concerns, I would be surprised if he would be on the market. Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised if Morey is starting to field offers given injury concerns even though he is a cash cow.

But is it possible that we would have looked to trade Yao for a Bosh, or Ray Allen, or Garnett, or some other big name that has been moved in the past few years? I definitely think so. Yao would be well liked, but Alexander could have improved the team without negatively effecting the bottom line.

That's not to say that Yao hasn't been worth it in a basketball sense, but given his playing style and injuries, he's not the best all-star fit for this team.

 

Poor Tracy, he would not have been mistreated by Morey if black Americans had any kind of money.

 

Yeah right, eight games out of playoffs sure is no different from a 2nd round in playoffs.

The performances of guys like Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer must have really impressed the Rockets' recruiting heads then, uh?

Or are you suggesting the Rockets and NBA were infiltrated by Chicom?

 

It's probably part of the equation, but not most of it. Yao represents everything that the NBA wants every player to be, and his skills are without question.

I also wanted him re-signed, if the price was right, but the cap on his minutes could be disastrous on team chemistry. Since this has never been done before, it's impossible to say how it will work out, but it's certainly going to be Rick's greatest coaching challenge. How could it not be?

 

Yao is unique, I would love to see the number quantified about how much he does bring in, in terms of Chinese revenues. I heard those billboard deals at the games are worth 600K a year and the Rox must have at least 5 Chinese sponsors so that's at least 3M right there.

His teammates should thank Yao as well, highest concentration of Chinese shoe deals in the league, even a rookie like Patterson got a shoe deal.

Despite all the money he brings in, if he couldn't play the Rox would have dumped him like NJ did Yi.

 

I think if it weren't for Chinese Democracy, Yao would already be gone.

 

If it wasn't for the Chinese govt. then Yao would have been kicking it during the summers and ALL these injuries wouldn't have happened.
But just as with the no trade clause it was written into the contract.

Les has been a great owner, but has made a mint through his "Chinese Connection". We as fans have had to really suck it up between the preventable foot injuries and the Tracy saga.

As far as when we should have dealt Yao ....after the second injury when he was the best player in the League when he came back. Guys were bouncing off him as he played that second half.Yao was like a bull in a China shop with attitude.

It's been like a Greek tragedy .... so refreshing to get to know Yao as he's a special human being and hoopster.... but as a Rockets fan I'm ready to move forward without all the strings ......

 

It's already been refuted, but I'll add my own thoughts to this quote. Yao Ming got drafted #1 because he's 7'6 with skills. It wouldn't have matter if he was from Mars.

In fact, it would've been MUCH easier to draft and sign someone else... don't forget we had to negotiate with a strident, anti-west communist government that has a bad human-rights record when we drafted him. It's not like we called his name and he just jumped on a plane to America and signed a contract.

 

I think they would have taken Amare instead

 

Unless he was Jewish, like Amare, and could get a big contract from New York.

 

is he fasting today?

 

Yao was chosen by Rudy T himself.

He's the last of the Mohicans.

 

Most likely yes. Any player with a 17 millon player option on his contract will take it if they are coming from an inactive season.
That same player would be untradeable because no team will offer anything significant for a player that hasn´t played a single game in a whole year.

The reason Yao is untouchable is the same reason he is also tradeable, even if he hasn´t played a single game, that talks you about how important he is for the (or any) organization, on a off the court.

 

Post edited, i am pretty sleepy right now.

 

If it weren't for the Chinese.....we wouldn't have Chinese food in the US.