Its Official: Yao and Francis to Start in All Star Game!

Hey, Phil, they also put the ballots in American-ese and Yao won in those votes, too.

If I were Adelman, I'd play Yao 47 minutes.

 

If I were Adelman, I'd play into double overtime and never take Yao out of the game

 

Its all good that Yao is gonna start.

But he doesn't deserve to be the starter. He shouldn't even go to the game. His stats don't support him.

I guess we can all give up the "Houston don't get respect" or "Houston don't get the press that other teams get" complaints we have had since God knows when.

Still, Yao gets to start over Shaq? I am not for that.

 

Why should he not even go to the game? What Western Conference Center deserves it more other than Shaq?

Divac? Olowokandi?
Give me a break. Yao's stats are right in line with those guys.

He may not deserve to start but he deserves to be there.

 

Yao DESERVES to start because he won the through the NBA sanctioned process. In life we are trained to follow the LAW not reject it because it does not suit us or "make sense".

Just like in baseball where every team has to be represented at the "Mid Summer Classic" (whether a certain player "deserves it or not"), we have to respect the laws of the org. and quit whining .

Oh by the way, If Yao was not sellected for the ASG he would been sellect for the Rook-Soph game. NBA prohibits her players from turning down norminations or invitations to those games just because "you are tired". You need a doctors report as in a real injury to skip the 'prestigious' weekend. Also I don't believe that a 4 four days rest (during the ASG) will do Yao any good; Yao will need a full off season to completely recharge his battery. Right now he just has to fight on and get over this "wall" - he just needs to catch his 2nd or 3rd and keep on going like energizer bunny.

 

I don't think SF trust YM very much so far.
after YM and SF both appreared in all star at west conference, SF said:
"I don't think he understands (the historical context of being voted into the starting lineup)," the 6-3 Francis said of Yao. "I don't think he does. As much as Colin (Pine, Yao's interpreter) can try to tell him and people that he knows tell him, I don't think he understands. But hopefully as the years go by, he'll understand."

of course YM does understand, did he really know nothing about NBA before last october? where did he learn the dream shake? why is he so exciting before game against shaq? SF doesn't trust YM's english as well as his offensive ability in the court.

 

What make Steve think that Yao does not understand? I guess he knows something I don't. Maybe it is because Yao never get overwhelmed by anything. Maybe because did not react the same way he reacted upon hearing similar news last year?

Hmmmm..... as I am typing images of RUSH HOUR 2 comes to mind - the scene where Chris Tucker immediately assumed that Jackie Chan did not understand English or what is "going on".

The ASG game (of any sport) is indeed a prestigious event - one can be easily awed by the magnitude of the whole bruhaha and it may take Yao a few years to fully appreciate it. I don't he will be overly awed because he has been in much bigger events e.g. the Olympics, Asian Games (and the basketball finale in particular), etc.

It will be interesting to see his take of it all post mortem.