Do you ever get the feeling that people want to see Yao Ming fail? Ever since he joined the league, he's been the target of derision and ridicule. When he was drafted first, he was booed by the crowd. Players bet on who could dunk on him first. Steve Francis even admitted he didn't want to draft him. Sports pundits predicted me would be the worst first draft pick ever. ESPN ridiculed him during his first few games, and they were beyond incredular when he started to succeed. They wanted him to fail. Sometimes I even get the sense even some of his teammates don't want to pass him the ball (maybe this last bit is a stretch). Obviously, part of it just might be petty jealousy, but I think there's something more to tit. I really think that Yao Ming, by being a successful Asian player, is a threat to the American basketball establishment. He is from a different paradigm. Trained in Chinese sports schools, he didn't do it like most players in the NBA. He didn't play on the playgrounds. He didn't play college ball. If Yao becomes one of the best players in teh NBA, then the American basketball establishment has to accept that perhaps the Chinese basketball paradigm has some merit. Perhaps the way the Americans have been doing it for decades isn't the only and best way to do things. Naturally, people who are members of the American basketball establishment (sportswriters, coachs, players) do not want to reliquish their position of superiority so they try to make Yao look bad and fail. This may sound farfetched but the same thing happened to European players when they first entered the league. Likewise, something similar happened to Billy Beane when he challenged the baseball establishment. They tried to crucify him. I'm not saying that everyone wants him to fail. But I get the sense that a lot of people in basketball aren't rooting for him.
But yet, he's on the Cover of SI (twice by my measure, despite his limited NBA accomplishments), ESPN mag multiple times, and is a National TV fixture, as well as a marketing darling. Is there resentment and jealousy? sure - but a lot of NBA/basketball/sports people are investing a lot of money in his success.
i hope that yao becomes even more integral in the future marketing plans of the NBA, maybe the trickle down effect will occur and the refs would finally start giving yao the respect, or atleast consistent calls from the refs, that he deserves.
Kinda makes you think of Drago in Rocky 4, doesn't it. New age fighter trained with leading edge equipment. Think of this. If the thugs in the NBA are so damned good playing their street ball, why don't you see it by the total amount of their rings? Players that understand basketball fundamentally and understand the true team concept and that the needs of the many out weight the needs of the 1 and that the sum of the total is larger that the sum of the individuals. Do I need to keep going on this one?
and SLAM. That alone is pretty telling as far as street cred. Initially, I believe there was a lot of ridicule and disbelief that he would be anything but a bust. Today, however, Yao is slightly overrated among the average American if anything. When the media, etc start acting like vultures and look for someone to fall, you tend to see numerous commentary pieces deriding the player. Latest example of that would be Carmelo. The closest person to that on our team is McGrady (especially if you're from Orlando). Evan
I think the opposite is true. The NBA/Press/American public is doing everything it can to make Yao a superstar despite his not living up to that potential yet. He is featured on TV ads, magazine covers and other NBA cities even have an oriental culture night when he's in town. The American Basketball Establishment has embraced Yao -- the only thing stopping him from being the biggest name in the NBA is himself
To be honest with you, I do think many people want to see Yao fail for different reasons. For some, they probably dont' like to see an Asian play superb basketball in a league dominated by African-Americans. for others, it's just pure jealousy. Yao's got so many endorsements. He's voted all-star center twice. He''s got tremendous amont of publicity. Why him? He's just 7'6 stiff and a guy who doesn't speak much English.
More and more American hoopsters are foregoing college, so I don't see that being a factor. I also don't recall any other Chinese basketball players succeeding in the NBA. Yao is the first to have any impact. Chinese basketball has a long way to go before they have any chance at becoming a superior team on the global scale. I don't think anyone is openly anti-Yao. They're just being the ever pessimistic media. They did the same thing with Lebron, except he has so far lived up to the hype. The American basketball establishment should be more worried about other world powers stealing their thunder because it is happening moreso every year.
We can only wish...that way the refs will finally start giving him the right call instead of getting a foul everytime he tries to be aggressive.. I believe Yao's success is gained mostly by his success in overcoming the culture barrier not neccessarly what he does on the court. A lot of the magazine articles I've read on Yao was mostly about his transition from China to the US and how he adapt or fit with the American cultures and language. People take this the wrong way, and thats why he is considered overatted by many.
I think you are right. One must distinguish between the guys in the ivory towers and the ones down doing the dirty work. The corporate guys like David Stern, head of ESPN, etc. love Yao. Then you've got everyone else. Just because Yao is on the cover of SI does not mean Rick O'Reilly likes Yao. It's the top level decisionmaker of Time Warner who wants to put Yao on there. There's a lot of player hating at the lower levels.
I wouldn't say the NBA wants Yao Ming to fail. For the most part, players and GMs around the league have nothing but good things to say about him. ESPN on the other hand seem to enjoy downplaying Yao's accomplishments more than they do any other player. I can't count how many times ESPN has broadcasted highlights where Yao gets dunked on, but failed to mention that he scored 35+ points in the same game. They always say stuff like, "SERVING UP A FACIAL TO YAO MING..... but rockets win the game." Then they show a box score for 2 seconds with "Yao: 35 points 11 rebounds" on it. ESPN is all about highlights and flashy plays. They fail to show other aspects of the game, which is why guys like Yao and Duncan are underappreciated by younger generations. Eh...Just my $0.02
I remember a few people thought Rudy didn't like Yao and that's why he didn't start him at first. I thought it was BS then and I think the thought of the American Basketball Establishment out to get him because they don't want someone from China to be good is BS too. The "ABE" doesn't mind if someone from Canada, Spain, Russia, Nigeria........to be good but someone from China is where they draw the line?
I get the feeling people love Yao. But that is my impression. Idon't think too many people want him to fail. Now when the rockets start seizing the western conference reigns for 10 years you'll have plenty of haters.
Well, there's another aspect to that. When a player dunks on any old stiff, you usually don't see it on sportscenter. But in the 90s, if anyone put it down on top of Dike or Zo, you knew it was going to be on the highlights. Consider the most well-remember dunks that people use to define players. Kevin Johnson on Dream Scottie Pippen on Ewing Baron Davis on Kevin Garnett Shaq on the Admiral It's backwards thinking, but it is a statement of respect that they make a big deal out of dunks on Yao. PS - don't forget the highlights of the Hawks game, when SC showed Yao's return serve dunk on Childress. They give him his due. Evan
This is an country of immigrants, old or new. What you say might exist everywhere on this planet. I dont think there are people here actually rooting against Yao just because of his ethnicity. Name another palyer who had more National media coverage in his firs year besides Yao and LeBron. PEOPLE‚k‚n‚u‚d YAO HERE[\b] God, I hate everything has to do with this racial thing.
Somtimes hatred and jealousy can be a good thing! People often hate something that they fear. I have faith in Yao since the beginning, he will shine so bright, noone can stop Yao except Yao himself.
Thugs in the NBA, I think you do need to continue to explain that one because I wasn't aware the entire league was made up of criminals.
This thread is completely Bogus. Everyone wanted him to fail, so He was the # one pick in the Draft. Everyone wants him to fail, and that is why the Rockets have more Nationally televised games than any other team this year. I guess the fall of Yao Ming is a ratings rocket. Give me a damn break!! I am willing to bet that the person who started this thread is Asian and is pulling the race card. Please prove me wrong so you can shut me up. If I am right, then you have to see where I am coming from.
Touche touche.... It's exciting to see the larger man get dunked on by the smaller player, even if the former gave a dominant performance. My beef with Sportscenter is that they rarely give credit to a dominant performance when it involves turn-around jumpers, hook shots, and other relics of "old-style" basketball.
I've followed NBA for a long time, my observation is that the media & players & refs don't treat the foreign players the same way. I guess it's the rookie thing, or job security worries.
