I'm afraid year after year of tough 82 games schedule and playoffs and then playing tournments for China in the summer is going to kill Ming. NBA players get a break in the summer for a reason, they need rest. They play pickup games and summer league, but nothing like the competition Ming will play. Ming will be going "all-out" all year playing for the Rockets and then his national team. I might be wrong. But he also plays a though position which can reap havic on the body. It would be like Mike Piazza catching ALL year without a break, his knees would fall apart. I just hope Ming takes care of his body and takes much needed siestas when he gets them.
I do not believe that there will be tourneys every year. I was under the impression that he would be released for only FIBA sanctioned events ( which I thought only happen every couple of years ). Does anybody know for sure?
this year is supposed to be his worst year for competing. The rockets have said after this season they should have him for trainging camps. They have also talked about as more asian players come to the league their tournaments will be held at different times not to conflict.
I'm not concerned about conflicts with him in the NBA season. I'm concerned about him tiring with so much play. But that is good news if this is going to be his toughest year of competition.
Please don't say that But I do think he will tire out, I'd think all the extra playing time would keep him fit
In fact, most Chinese players started considering retirement when they reached the age of 30! Although (I think) there is still one 37-year-old player playing in the Chinese Div-IA League(CBA), he didn't play for the national team. Sphere is right! Just look at two of those veteran players who are on their national team every year: Hu Weidong and Liu Yudong. Hu Weidong is a 2-time CBA MVP. He is only 31 years old and he already started showing signs of slowing down (due to injuries) two years ago. Hu is definitely not the same player he was two years ago, where he even got the chance to play in the NBA. Liu Yudong, 33, is CBA's 2001-02 Season MVP. He had seriously injured his legs many years ago, and never fully recovered from the injury since then. Ironically he never missed a game (including CBA and international tournaments) for the last three years and still averaged 36.4 points and 8.5 rebounds a game last season (which made him the MVP)!! Both are in the current Chinese national team training camp, although Liu is allowed to skip practice and exhibition games. The Chinese Basketball Association was trying to get too much from their players. They want their best players to compete in every international tournament, regardless of how important it is! To me, the important ones are the Olympic games, World Championships, and the Asian Championships (which is the qualifying games for the first two), but how about Asian Games, East Asian Games, World University Games? They should just leave the younger players to take care of those least important tournaments... When will the Chinese Basketball Association wake up?
Yes Yao Ming's career could be short.....or not. Life is short, enjoy it while you can. We barely drafted the guy, and already we should worry ?
Thank you, Doctor Sphere. Let the freakin' guy play just ONE freakin' game in a Rockets uniform before coming out with predictions of injuries and such....puhleeeeeze!! os
And he didn't even mention the part about the guy's height. He is a good candidate for foot or knee injuries. Also heart problems. Even so, I think we can get 10 years out of him at least which would make him well worth it.
I think Yao is gonna suffer too many concussions from the low doorways in Houston. It's a well known fact that is what started the downfall of Ralph Sampson. os
Thing is, I don't see Rudy playing Yao more than 24 minutes a game for his first year, and, in less "stressful" years, no more than 28-30 minutes per game. Whatever it takes to make sure we have the guy around awhile.
I'm not too worried about the injury thing because if it happens it happens. No real way to control it. I am concerned about the fatigue factor thou. We've all heard about players hitting the rookie wall but this guy is going year round. There is also the possiblity of burn out if he continues playing basketball at this intensity for the whole year. Hopefully next year he will be able to take a couple months off and just play light basketball and do some weight training.
Ming will only play maybe 25 or 30 minutes a night. We still have Fato on the team and no one maybe the Knicks will take him
in 3-4 years, I think Ming will say to China....in the words of Fred Durzt, "I am limping with the bizkit and it is my way or the highway!!!" so, I am not concerned about what happens after that point. I think he will back off some events and only play in the biggies that the US players participate in...not the CBA events.
I might not like the work ethic of Cato as a professional basketball player. But I wouldn't insult the guy like that. His name is Cato, not Fato.
