Was this posted? I couldnt' find it. Good read regardless. Yao Ming settling in just fine, now it's NBA's turn to adjust BY MARK BABINECK Associated Press Jan. 9, 2003 6:30 p.m. HOUSTON (AP)— Yao Ming was in no man's land. Trapped directly under his own basket and draped by Indiana Pacers, it was a prime situation for a rookie mistake. Then Yao did something very un-rookielike. He juked one way, then the other, throwing Brad Miller off balance just enough to glide his 7-foot-6 (2.28-meter) frame around the opposing center and drop the ball into the hoop. The move, one of several highlight-reel moments for Yao that night, sent coach Rudy Tomjanovich leaping into the air, beaming like a proud dad. "Yao has done some things on the floor that the reaction in the crowd has been kind of a buzz," Tomjanovich said. "I don't know what they're saying - maybe `Did you see that?' - but the same thing was created by Hakeem (Olajuwon). That is something that I felt, Yao has got his own special way, like Dream did." Less than halfway into his first season in NBA, Yao appears to be settling in just fine. The 22-year-old center from China already has shown why the Rockets risked having to cut through so much trans-Pacific red tape to make him the No. 1 overall pick in the last draft. Combining extraordinary height with a forward's grace and a guard's touch, Yao has the second-best field goal percentage in the league and is among the top 20 in rebounding and blocked shots. In 33 games, his 64 blocks already surpass the team-high of 53 by last year's center Kelvin Cato. And the Rockets have nine more wins than after 33 games last season, although the return to health of forwards Maurice Taylor and Glen Rice and the play of guard Steve Francis also has helped. Yao, though, is the one capturing imaginations and winning over those who thought he was just another project. His popularity has skyrocketed, with songs and Web sites devoted to him. As of the latest All-Star vote totals, he was leading all centers, albeit having Internet ballots available in Mandarin helps his cause. Should Yao hold the lead through the weekend, when balloting ends, he would become only the fifth rookie center in NBA history to start an All-Star game and the 16th rookie overall. Starters will be announced Jan. 23. While Yao already is considered the NBA's next big thing, he and the Rockets still have to prove they can handle the current big thing: Shaquille O'Neal. Their highly anticipated first meeting comes Friday in Houston. Those who have gotten to know Yao expect him to take the clash of the titans in a very long stride, just as he's done with everything else in his whirlwind adventure the last few months. Yao has gone straight from playing in the China Basketball Association to the World Championships to Rockets training camp after signing in October. That led to the grind of an 82-game regular season, far longer - and more strenuous - than he's accustomed. His late arrival in Houston put him behind in learning the playbook, forcing him to learn as he goes. Tomjanovich described it as "trying to keep up with a moving train," all while learning a new language, new league and new country. "I'm amazed by the guy," said Tomjanovich, who knows a thing or two about great centers, having played alongside Elvin Hayes and Moses Malone and having coached Olajuwon. Interpreter Colin Pine has had the best view of Yao's transition. Pine is Yao's roommate and near-constant companion, virtually a 5-foot-10 shadow whose tasks include helping with language and transportation. Pine drives; Yao doesn't, and driving is a must in Houston. Pine said even Yao admits he's adjusted better than he expected. "He's got such a strong personality," Pine said. "He deals with things so well it makes it easier than it would be for a lot of people." Yao started slowly, going scoreless in his debut and having just 30 points after six games. His first breakout performance came Nov. 17 in Los Angeles against the Shaq-less Lakers. Yao had 20 points while making all nine of his field goal attempts. "He can play. He's no slouch," said O'Neal, who watched from the bench, acknowledging coach Phil Jackson's prediction that O'Neal could "break (Yao) in two" probably wasn't accurate. Two games later, Yao scored 30 points in a loss to then-unbeaten Dallas. On Dec. 3, he began a stretch of 15 straight games in double digits by scoring 27 against the San Antonio Spurs inside tandem of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. Yao's young career reached an interesting crossroads Dec. 18, when the Rockets played Indiana for the first time since his lame opener. This time, he steamrollered the Pacers with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and a litany of jaw-dropping shots, blocks and passes. "He's the complete package," said Pacers coach Isiah Thomas, himself a Hall of Fame player. "No weaknesses." The biggest thing Yao needs to work on is conditioning. He gets fatigued at times, which is understandable considering how his basketball seasons have overlapped, although he says he's gotten used to the rigors of the NBA after being reared under finesse-oriented international rules. Then there's the culture change and settling into a country he'd never visited until last year. It's been made easier by a thriving Chinese community, which this season includes his mother. And he's branched out in the melting pot that is Houston. "I've met a lot of people from many different cultures," Yao said. "You can eat lots of different kinds of food here." How about the official state cuisine, Tex-Mex? "It's not bad," he said. "But I wouldn't make it something I ate all the time." He's also getting introduced to capitalism. Having already signed with Nike in China, Yao has added deals with a video game maker and Apple Computer. A new television commercial shows him hawking laptops with the diminutive actor who plays Mini-Me in the "Austin Powers" movies. He's also inspired the song "It's a Ming Thing," which borrows the tune of the soccer-fan anthem "Ole, Ole, Ole." The infectious chorus, which repeats his name over and over, was made by local fans-turned-musicians and has gotten airplay across the country and all the way back to Shanghai. But the biggest compliment paid to Yao comes on the court, as foes have tailored their game plans around trying to stop him and Francis. "I think opponents are starting to be more familiar with my play, so I have to adjust to that," Yao said after an 11-point night earlier this month against Golden State. He scored just nine in the next game. His teammates are trying to get the knack for it, too. While the Rockets have been fortunate over their 37 seasons to have marquee centers like Hayes, Malone, Ralph Sampson and Olajuwon prowling the lane, the current players haven't had a dominant big man in his prime since they've been in Houston. At least, not until now. "When you've got a guy like Yao Ming, who has unbelievable skills on the offensive end, you've got to feed him the ball," Rice said. "When we get the ball to him, great things happen, but sometimes we get away from that." Tomjanovich notes that the great things aren't always Yao putting the ball into the basket. His ability to draw defenses, then pass to the open man, is part of what makes his game so solid - and he's doing it at such a young age. "He gets guys layups," Tomjanovich said. "God almighty, how many guys get people layups? A layup is like finding a diamond, and this guy is getting guys layups in the tough parts of a game. "A true measure of a great player is, does he make it easier for (teammates)? He's a rookie, and he already does."
