Biased against Yao. For example, those reporters and commentators on ESPN and TNT made excuses for Shaq when he's dominated by Yao, saying Shaq was not 100%. But when Yao had to play on one foot, what did they say?
I think they just didn't believe an Asian 7'6 guy can be that dominant. Barkley made bad comments about Yao on draft night even before he saw Yao play. That's called bias. And now they just don't want to admint they were wrong, they were baised. It's hard to change, isn't it?
These analysts had the free will to predict what they wanted. And when you make predictions before Yao has stepped foot in a regular season game, that's 'hype' too. I don't know why you're apologizing for them. Discussion? Involving opinions? It's a message board. Or maybe we should all just list statistical analysis?
Why do you think it has to do with him being Asian? A lot of YOF's probably didn't follow basketball before Yao was drafted. Before Yao, there was another 7'something guy that was hyped to be a transformer of the game and everyone expected wonderful things from him. Oh, he was white - and he quickly became the laughing stock of the NBA. He got better with age too - and even became a contributer - but he never got respect. And he was white. His name was Shawn Bradley. I think a lot of people want to play the race card because it's much easier to accept that everyone is a racist rather then try to understand how impressions and biases get made. When Yao came along, he was a super tall guy no one had ever seen play - another "Shawn Bradley". He was tall, lanky (underweight) and fouled out a lot. He was all potential, and in the beginning, he didn't look very good either. So that was the first impression - "Oh, he's just another Shawn Bradley". It had nothing to do with his race. If he was from Africa people would have said the same thing. So get off the race card - because it's tiring to hear people play it over and over....it's simply insulting to the rest of us who have to hear. It's all in your head, a manifestation of your own insecurities and chips on your own shoulder. If anything, Yao Ming's background works for him - as people give him credit for having to make a difficult adjustment. And frankly, someone who is 7'6" should be judged by a higher standard - no pun intended!
LOL, I hate to keep picking apart what you said but you are such an easy target. First of all, I don't have opinion about what Kenny Smith and Chuck has said. I understand part of their job is to make 'unique' comment in order to provoke discussion among the viewers. I personally have no problem with them. But I just find what you said in your post so hypocratic. You contradicted what you have said in one paragraph with something else you said in the next paragraph. First you accused the so-called YOFs taking critcism against Yao personally. So you rolled eyes at them and keep whinning about it in your posts. You cannot get over it. Then you turned around and said it's just the opinion of Kenny Smith and Barkley and we should get over it. Are you trying to tell us that one group of people can have their own opinion so we should get over it but there is another group of people who doesnt have the right to have their own opinion so you can't get over it? Are you the one who has the divine right to decide who can have an opinion and who cannot? Who do you think you are? You are too easy. And hypocrites are always easy.
So you thinnk calling Yao a bust by TV commentators and newspaper reporters before they even watch Yao play is not bias? Can you tell me what it is please? When Yao is 7'6 and they think he must be like Bradley, isn't that bias? Actually when Bradley was drafted by 76ers, not many people thought he'd be a bust. But that's not the case for Yao. Can you tell me what it is please? Barkley said something like: "Yao would soon find out the big brothers here are much stronger and quicker than what he had faced back in China..blah blah blah..." Agian, At that time, he didn't even see Yao play, what's wrong with I'm saying Barkley just didn't believe an Asian 7'6 guy can be that dominant? Is it race card or is it a fact? You tell me please.
Are you sure if he's from Africa people would have said the same thing? Then why nobody called D12 "another Kwame" when he's drafted? Why Yao gets more criticism than Kwame when he's done a whole lot better ? Why guys like Curry got called baby Shaq instead of baby Pig Miller?
kwame and curry got a lot of criticism. you just don't pay attention to thier teams like you do for yao and the rockets. the problem is yao gets the same criticism as busts do. that's what pisses me off. no matter what he does, people say it's not enough. before last season they said "he should be 20-10, he's too passive" last season they said "he's getting 20-10, but he doesn't dominate a game." this seaqson they say "26-10-2 is great, but not dominant. he doesn't make his teammates better." ppl will never be happy with yao.
I know they got criticism. But in their first 3 years, the amount of their combined criticism was less than Yao got in one year, depite Yao did better than them combined on the court.
I need to explain your own post? You said Yao was hyped. Luffy replied there was mostly negative hype. He cited quotes. Instead of recognizing Luffy's point and the negative hype, you dismissed the quotes and implied there was no other conclusion by saying the analysts were only negative as a kneejerk reaction to the preceding positive hype and because Bradley was a previous bust. I don't want to get into a discussion over semantics. We can just agree to disagree.
The funny thing is: Those people who called Yao "Asian Bradley" are the ones who are not satisfied with Yao's 26/10. Since when Shawn Bradley sets such a high standards? And they are the same people who kissed Amare's butt whenever possible when Amare averaged 26/9 on a much fast-paced team with Steve Nash feeding him for easy dunks all day long. Can I say those people have double standards? Or they are biased against Yao?
People are biased against Yao because Yao came in reminding them of an over-hyped seven footer who had never played college and was supposed to revolutionize the league, was taken at a high pick, and made a lot of people look like fools, including a ton of sportswriters. His name was Shawn Bradley. And sadly, first impressions rarely ever truly die. The fact that he is Asian means nothing. If Yao looked and acted like shaq, the media would have loved him.
You're right. He can win rings, get 40/15 every night, and people will still not want to give him the credit he deserves. Why? Because there is still something about him that reminds people of Shawn Bradley. I suspect it's because he looks thin for his height. Anyway, we just have to live with it as Rockets fans. Hakeem never got his due - it's not like this is new for Rockets fans.
Shawn Bradley never played college ball? LOL ... someone from BYU on this board may want to teach NewYorker a thing or two. Maybe never mind, NewYorker will either claim what he said was meant to be a "hyperbole", or retreat to self-denial with statement like "Does it matter?", or act like you insulted him by putting you on ignore. He will then continue his next round of BS. Sometimes one has to wonder if NewYorker truly enjoys being a clown.
How do you make a statementt that "Asian means nothing” is a fact? maybe it means nothing not to you, but how can you garuentee it means nothing to those sportswriters and Barkleys? Bradley played in BYU. Why didn't they compare Yao with Sabonis, a guy dominated on international level, without college experience, very tall and doesn't speak English. Sabonis had more similarity with Yao than Bradley. Why did they choose Bradley over Sabonis? And Many sportswriter said if lucky Yao could be a Rik Smits. They wrote this down before Yao played one NBA game. Don't tell me it's all Bradley factor, because you can't explain why Yao still gets more criticism than other player after he played better than most of them.
