Yeah, there were no punches thrown. Looking at the video it appears that what happened was that Mason was probably not appreciating Yao on his back, but didn't realize Yao was just trying to get the ball. I don't think this was a "fight" - more of a heated play with a bunch of people concerned that a fight would erupt and thus taking action. However; anyone who left the bench should be suspended because those are the rules - and if you don't enforce them now, there's no point in having them.
"So the question is, who in the Rockets would standup for Yao in the future?" that way of thinking is totally wrong. to answer your question, NOBODY should have to stand up for yao in the future. the guy is seven and a half feet tall, over three hundred pounds! he should stand up for himself. anybody that thinks differently isn't a man. the reason these incidents happen to yao is because he hasn't stood up for himself. its his own fault. untill yao retaliates when an opposing player does him wrong, he will continually get punked over and over. the message around the league is clear, "punk yao all you want, nothing will happen to you"
The whole league also knows that SHAQ the MDC is a wuss because he never reacts to violent defenders except in one case against Brad Miller. In the game between the Lakers and Heats last year, Shaq never threw Kobe to the floor and intentionally hurt Kobe even though Kobe tried to drive on Shaq. I suppose most of your guys who are in Shaq's situation would love to throw down Kobe and end Kobe's career on that night. After all, Kobe made the Lakers trade Shaq. How can you not retaliate?
I'd like to see a player go after Yao without any protection and make Yao have to put up. I think it would do a lot of good for Yao to go through that and throw the guy to the floor. I liked Howard's attitude though. He's not gonna put up with no garbage out there. No wonder Van Gundy likes him.
You don't want Yao to retaliate because he is too big and he could hurt people really bad. Remember Shaq's retaliation against Brad Miller? He missed Brad's head. If Shaq hit Brad's head, Brad could be DEAD. Fortunately, except that instance, Shaq plays the game the right way. Did Barkeley throw Shaq down once? What's Shaq's reaction? I think Yao's soft label is because that Yao shoots lots of jumpers instead of dunking the ball.
This is what you have wanted to happen: Mason swings his punch toward Yao's head. Yao bearehugs Mason, swings Mason's body and throws it toward the stand. Mason lands on the floor 10 yard away and gets what he has asked for and has his neck dislocated. David Stern aoounces that Yao is suspended indefinitely. Rockets' suddenly have a bright picture for the season.
the correct thing to do is not to get in a fight, but give a couple of "hard fouls" to send the message, don't f$#k with me.
I wish T-mac was there so he can mess him up! and while he gets "suspended" he can rehabilitate his back
I'm not buying the big argument. It makes no difference if all he does is cry for Mommy. If Mason threw haymakers at Yao, I have no doubt Yao would turtle up. He's a classic pushover. Hell, I'd take a woman like Gasol in a throwdown with Yao. I'm guessing 75% of the NBA could make Yao their prison wife. Dan Dickau is licking his chops.
But that one fight w/ Miller pretty much taught the rest of the league not to mess with Shaq. All Yao has taught the league is that he's a huge creampuff. The message to the NBA is clear. It's ok to punk Yao continuously because there will be NO repercussions whatsoever. In fact, it could help you win the game because Yao will be an emotional wreck and too busy thinking of ways to write "I'm sorry my face hurt your fist" letters to the opposing team, rather than get fired up to play basketball. Yao is the world's largest tampon. PS: It's not about sportsmanship. It's about being a man. No one will respect Yao's sportsmanship if he can't even defend himself (See how Josh Howard took Yao out of that playoff game vs the Mavs.) Is it a cultural thing? Who knows. Maybe some YOFs can shed light on why they agree that Yao should be a giant vagina versus him growing a pair of long overdue balls.
Didn't Yao perform wonderfully against the Suns when Stoudemire tried to show him up and Steve then pushed him. In the Wizards game when Haywood gave Yao a hard foul that made him fall from mid air straight onto his back. Yao just got up and then had one of his best games of the season. It's strange to see this argument. Yao is being victimized for doing the right thing, all of you guys are lambasting him because he can show restraint. No one cares that it was the other guy sucker punching him.
1. Mason never moved toward Yao until the ref standing behind him and Juwan Howard started to grab him / push him forward. 2. Mason then ripped his arm away from Juwan's grasp and it looked somewhat like a punch at Yao's head, but to me it clearly wasn't. 3. Yes, Mason was immature and out of line when he threw Yao off his back, but that does not mean that he punched or intended to punch Yao, and he didn't.
The other guy wouldn't have attempted a sucker punch if it was Big Z or Shaq. That's the problem. Since it was Yao, I'm surprised the other guy didn't just burn Yao's restaurant down to boot. As for your reference to the Suns game where Stevie pushed Amare, Yao didn't have that great of a game. Don't confuse it with last season's game. And Brendan's near flagrant on Yao wasn't something done out of malice. Yao, being an emotionally sensitive, borderline metrosexual guy knew this and forgave Haywood before Yao even hit the ground. On the other hand, when someone intentionally gets into Yao's face (ala Big Z, Howard, and Mason) Yao gets his feelings hurt and responds by writing in his pink Barbie diary.
If you say he forgave Haywoods foul so freely, then why did he respond the way he did, having a big quarter, and subsequently a big game. He took that foul to heart. As for that suns game, Yao dropped 29 and 19 on Stoudemire and held him to 7-26 shooting.
Still trying. Save your defending for Nason, Bason, Rason, .... who will punch Yao in the future. Please.
