Nike's bid: Second bid for Yao=Lebron James+2/3*Kobe

This article is too long for me to translate entirely. Here is a rough summary.

When Yao first arrived in Houston this year, instead of heading home, he went to the Hospital directly. When Yao got out of the car, he saw the short bold guy on the hospital front steps. JVG smiled at him, and Yao smiled back. JVG said, “You must be tired after the trip. We need you back badly.” He pat Yao’s shoulder and left.

Rockets arrived at Portland the night before the first preseason game. In the Rudy T system, players just need to be show up at 4pm next day. They could spend time freely until then. Then JVG said, “Have a good night. Get up tomorrow at eight. We will have breakfast together, as well as lunch.” Yao is used to such a strict management style. But it was a shock to most other Rockets players. Last season, Francis was spotted at a nightclub late at night, before a game against Memphis. Francis didn’t play that game. Rudy T’s gave the reason was a back pain.

After last season, Dawson had dinner with Yao. He told Yao that Yao played well in the rookie year. His numbers went down near the end of the season, but it was not his fault. Rockets management is very satisfied with his performance. However, Rockets didn’t do a good job utilizing Yao up to his full potential. Next seasons, things will change. Dawson asked Yao three personal questions: 1) Which two teammates that you dislike most? 2) Which two teammates that you like most? 3) What do you think about JVG if Rudy T won’t return coaching. Yao didn’t give any straight answer to the three questions. Dawson then said that he knew Yao wouldn’t say. However, we must make some change, for you and for the Rockets team. This is the reason that we use the #1 pick on you last year.

Yao decided to switch from Nike to Reebok two days before the start of the Asion Basketball Championship. It was a tough decision. Yao had good relationship with Nike from the beginning. Nike signed Yao’s first contract at 120,000 Chinese Yuan ($15,000) per year. Yao said if Nike and Reebok’s bid difference is within $5 million, he would chose Nike. In the first stage, Nike almost won the contract. According to a source familiar with the negotiation, Nike was very close. The contract was done and was OK with Yao. However, they found one line in the contract that was not OK. They were not sure it was intentional or a blunder. Yao’s agent Zhang Mingji said, “I must say that Nike was very professional through out the contract negotiation. However, they made one bad blunder in the end.” It was a tough decision for Yao. He said, “It is not a problem about money. You (Nike) can give me less money. However, you must be honest.” After Yao decided to go with Reebok, Nike offered a second bid, the contract worth about one Lebron plus 2/3 Kobe. It would be the highest even shoe contract ever. Reebok’s offer is only 40% of Nike’s second offer. Also, Reebok’s contract has a clause requiring Yao to appear at least in 3 all-star games in 7 years. Reebok also has the option to extend beyond the first 7 years of the initial contract. Nike’s offer doesn’t include any such clause. Nike wanted to keep Yao with whatever price. But it was too late. Yao’s agent Zhang Mingji later said, “I admire Yao’s attitude towards money. If I were Yao, I would have chosen Nike. There is just too much money involved.”

 

You really shouldn't make this up. Or you should've mentioned that you were joking. I don't think this is funny.

The article implied that Yao would nerver answer this kind of questions.

 

heyheyhey, be careful....Yao didn't say nothing about the questions.

 

I didn't know Van Gundy could reach Yao's shoulder!

 

At least, he/she should clearly indicate that it was a joke and made up.
This site is highly regard and a joke like that can be taken seriously as a fact.

 

I think he jumped.

 

A complete lie is not dangeous, watch for one that mixed with truth.

 

Yeah, I use an arcane algorithm to evaluate players. The algorithm draws from nonlinear regressions, conjoint anaysis and so on; can't say too much, otherwise CD will get some ideas.


Shrim-"I wish I can edit"-pie

 

I don't know whether this report is 100% true, but I can tell you one thing, this guy Yang Yi really IS Yao's buddy. I verified this with my friend who was a former NT player, knows both of them well.

GM may not get advice on players/coaches from players, but they usually talk to their stars before making any drastic moves, just to show some respect? I remember an early report that CD called Yao in China to tell him that JVG would be hired before it became public.


--daoshi

 

Translation:

Yao Ming has returned again to Houston.

He still remembers the restless time he had here last year. Now, he's no longer a rookie, but he's still greeted by jubilent fans in the airport.

His translator Colin Pine came to pick him up. Yao Ming didn't go home, but instead immediately landed at a downtown Houston hospital. Every player returning to the team just go there for an examination. Pine stopped the car, Yao Ming stepped out, and saw the balding short guy.

The short guy came up, staring with his big eyes. He smiles gracefully at Yao Ming, which Yao returns.

He said, "travelling's difficult, but we're anxiously waiting for you to join us."

He patted Yao Ming's shoulder, turned, climbed into his car, and drove away into the distance with a puff of smoke.

...

That balding short guy was Houston's new coach Jeff Van Gundy. He was well-known during his time in New York, and now he's come to Houston, replacing Rudy T. after 12-years at the helm.

Van Gundy arrived in Houston a few months before Yao. By the time Yao returned, Van Gundy had already set up his home. He emptied Rudy T's former office, moving into a smaller office right on the hallway, saying that the new location makes it easier to concentrate. Rudy T's original office was on the second floor of the Rockets practice facility (Westside? Tennis Club?), and although it can't be considered luxurious, but was still an impressive space. Once, Yao Ming climbed up to the second floor, pushed open the door, and hanging on the wall was the old, but still treasured, picture of the 1994-1995 champions.

Van Gundy brought a new coaching staff, with everyone having some link to his old Knicks group. Of the original coaching staff, some had gone on to find jobs in other cities, and some were still waiting for a chance at home. The only coach that was retained in the brain trust is Webber (?). He was the true assistant coach before, always coming out before games to encourage the guys. Now, he doesn't have the same say. At away games, he carries bags, quietly following at the end of the convoy of players.

Van Gundy rarely smiles, his lower lip often over-lapping his upper lip, deep-set eyes like that of a hawk. The people in Houston had, over the past ten plus years, already become accustomed to the easy-going nature of Rudy T. The Rockets long-time tv broadcaster Warner used to lean on the news conference table in order to ask Rudy T questions... Rudy would give him a big smile, and then say.. "it's you again, my friend." But now, no more. With Van Gundy sitting behind the table, the similarly balding Warner just hands over his microphone.

And Mobley maybe losing his patience. He said one sentence to the reporters: "I miss Rudy." From that point on in the pre-season games, Van Gundy let him sit on the bench for 4 straight games, with the reason that his left buttock hurts (really!?). Under Rudy T., "Cat" had played 42 minutes.

So even if Van Gundy just gives a small smile, the folks under him feel extremely flattered. After practice, power forward Maurice Taylor told reports: "Van Gundy smiled today." But Yao Ming says: "I didn't realize that, wasn't his face always stern?" Yao might be the only one that didn't feel threatened after the dramatic cleansing and change during the offseason. I joked with him over the phone.. "maybe you're the only one that Van Gundy couldn't find anything to smile about?"

Dawson's 3 questions

Another day, Yao Ming sat in front of his locker in the Rockets changing room. After the previous day's game, Van Gundy had just gotten done cursing out Francis for playing too independently, and the city of Houston was convulsing discussing this issue. The locker-room was filled with American reporters surrounding Francis. Yao Ming used the Chinese that none of them understand to say: "at this time, I absolutely can not say anything."

Of course he can't, because he absolutely doesn't need to say anything. This Houston Rockets team was in the processing of becoming another "Yao Ming's team". Letting Yao Ming become the center and leader of the offensive, letting him handle the ball 50 times a game like Olajuwon, letting the offense go through his hands, these met Van Gundy's personality and were his objectives.

Portland was their first preseason away game. The night before the game, the team movied into a Portland area hotel. Following Rudy T's rules, players must congregate by 4 PM the afternoon of the game, and this being the night before the game, was a chance to enter town and have some fun. Even if they returned late, or even in the morning, they at least could sleep until the afternoon and still won't miss their game. After everyone got their room cares, just as they were planning to go out and play, Van Gundy stood in front of everyone and gave a short speech.

He said: "I hope all of you will get plenty of rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, all of you need to be up by 8 AM, and we will have breakfast together. And then we will have lunch together."

This is the management technique Yao Ming had liked since childhood, almost as if he had designed it himself. But the Americans had never seen this, and they looked at each other in disbelief, but they knew they had to bite their tongue and accept this. Last season, Francis was discovered at a Houston-area nightclub by team staff late at night... and the second day, when the Rockets were due to play the Grizzlies, his legs began to soften and he didn't feel ready to play. The very patient Rudy T. could only tell everyone that Francis had a hip injury. But these days were over. On Van Gundy's namelist, forwards and guards are piled together. He says: "everyone needs to meet my requirements. Any 5 people that meet these requirements, then I will use these 5 players on the court."

Another way of saying this would be: "anyone who doesn't do what is required of them, will sit, will get out."

Yao Ming thought of the end of last season, a couple days before he was due to return to Shanghai, the Rockets general manager, the white-haired big-bellied Dawson invited him to eat together.

After the big black assistant coach Smith had been named interim coach while Rudy T relinquished power due to cancer, Yao Ming's performance near the end of the season had weakened dramatically. At the table, Dawson said to Yao: "You had a very good performance for a rookie year. You had problems near the end, but that's not your fault. The Rockets management's very satisfied with you, you're a good kid that makes everyone likes you."

After eating a couple bites of steak, the old guy then said: "But from the point of view of this past season's strategy, the Rockets aren't satisfied with your role, you haven't shown all that you can do. Next season, we plan to make some changes for you."

He asked Dawson 3 questiosn. The first was: "who are the two teammates that you dislike the most." The second was: "who are the two teammates that you like the most." The third was: "If Rudy T doesn't return to the head coaching position, how do you feel about Jeff Van Gundy?" Yao Ming then was just like he is now, slyly holding his pleasure silent.. (ok better translation job needed on this sentence.)

Dawson said, holding his big belly with his hands: "I know you won't say anything, just like you. But we must go out there and make some changes, since doing something for you is also doing something for the Rocket organization. This is the reason we drafted you first in summer of 2002."

Now, a lot of these changes have been slowly showing themselves.

When Yao Ming wears his new Rockets jersey, the two stripes make him seem especially tall. He exits the elegant new changing room, passes the long hallway, and stands on the court of the brand-new Toyota Center. This isn't the Compaq center any more, this will become his world.

(part 2 to come.. maybe much later.. someone else feel free to add on)

 

My major question is: What little clause of the contract made Yao so angry?

 

According to the translation I find it interesting that Dawson brought up JVG's name to Yao BEFORE he left for China. This was in early May I believe, a full month before the Rockets even started negotiating with anyone to be coach. Makes one believe that JVG was the Rockets choice all along and that Larry Brown was 2nd on the list?

 

No, I don't think so because at that time, they don't know Larry Brown would resign from 76er.

 

Great read...thanks for the translation heech.

 

"Nike reserves the right to make future payments in the form of sports sneakers of equal value."

 

That little tid-bit about Francis missing a game because he was partying the previous night...that's VERY interesting considering we missed the playoffs by ONE game.

Did we win that game? What was the reason they gave for him issing the game, and can we confirm it?


I'd really hate to think we missed the playoffs because Francis had a hangover.

 

Oh, this is funny, kinds of like military style.

It is easy to check out whether Rox beat Grizzlies or not last season in both home games and how much Steve played!

 

We played Grizzlies four times last year and here is the boxscore:

12/13/02 LOSS - 109-114
Rockets @ Grizzlies Francis (29pts) Ming (15rbs)

1/27/03 WIN - 100-95 Rockets @ Grizzlies Francis (22pts) Ming (10rbs)

2/22/03 WIN - 93-82 Grizzlies @ Rockets Mobley (29pts) Griffin (10rbs)

4/15/03 WIN - 97-86 Grizzlies @ Rockets Francis (19pts) Posey (15rbs)

Francis missed 2/22/03 game against Grizzlies due to injuries , but it was a win so it didn't really matter.

 

That crazy Yang yi.

Was he the one who said Lakers would go undefeated last year?

Also said that Warren Sapp was indeed a sap and wouldn't last against the Raiders?

Also predicted that Mariners would win the world series and that NY was washed up.

Also said that Anna Kornikova was have a break out year last year and finlly stop with all his sex kitten antics?

Well, we can see that he was clearly wrong.