What are Yao's commitments to China and its National Team?

I'm not surprised.

 

This thread makes me sad.

heech, thank you for a couple very articulate posts. I don't think I could add anything that you haven't already stated.

 

LOL. This must be a joke.

Read every word the Martian Man said. LOL. What did he ever do to deserve such a thing.

 

You know what? Yao has a very well paid job so I wouldn't ask him to simply quit. :- ) Neither did China government. All they asked was to get him play for his country, which Yao takes as HONOR. Yes, he complained about not getting enough rest, (and I totally agree that he needs rest and no need for him to take those stupid exhibition games), but, can you show me where EVER HE SHOWED HIS COMPLAINTS ABOUT PLAYING FOR HIS COUNTRY?

Yao is a player I truly respect because he plays with heart, honors his commitment and serves his country when called, just like stars like Jino/TD, not like NBA stars like Shaq/Kobe/KG/BWallace ..... all they care is about their money, and individual interests.

If they are called to serve millitary duty in iraq, will they do it??? NOT EVEN YOU! BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING INTERESTING ABOUT SERVING THE COUNTRY IN YOUR MIND.

You are the worst fan that I have seen on this site. First giving stupid "never achieve 13/8" quote, then "yao is not playing with heart", now this??? You are just a pure joke.

 

Its amazing that people voluntarily join the military or do charity.

You obviously haven't been to China anytime soon.

First off if you actually bothered to read my post you would notice I never said what I PERCIEVED was in Yao's interest only that I believe Yao would play for the CNT voluntarily if they told him because he believes in honor and country even if he would prefer to rest.

Think about it this way most soldiers would prefer to stay home than go to war yet they do, not only because they are legally compelled to but also because they recognize duty. From everything that I've heard about Yao that seems to be the case with him.

If you ask me what I think is his best interest. I think he should stay here, rest and condition himself than go play in the Asian games.

See above and think before you presume.

 

Lighten up, Francis!

In my far too long-winded post, the only thing that seems to have grabbed your attention is the mention of your mother/education/background, which made the most brief of unimportant cameos. No wonder people some time have to resort to calling each other names to get their point across; logic simply doesn't get it done.

Let me sharpen the point as much as possible: Yao's priorities in the off-season are his own to set, and he doesn't care what you or I think. And furthermore, you don't *really* care what's best for Yao; you care what's best for the Houston Rockets.

Some of you (especially guys that live in, say, New York) are arguing Yao "has no choice" about going back, unless he doesn't want to see his family again. As someone who has spoken with his dad, his mom, and his dad's former teammate (who now helps manage the Yao's Family Restaurant)... bull$hit.

Look, I know you don't pay attention to international basketball (thus not knowing USA basketball got whooped at both the World Basketball Championships in 2002, and the Olympics in 2004)... but if you had, you would've heard Yao repeatedly say, after his first-round victory in the 2004 Olympics, that it was the proudest and happiest moment of his life. He *explicitly* said that that moment was far happier than anything he's ever experienced, and likely to experience in the NBA.

We all work jobs for money and fame. Some of us live for more.

 

Well said Langal.

I just realized something is New Yorker the poster who was calling Yao a role player and questioning whether he's any good?

 

The thing is that I don't mind Yao going to play for the CNT, I want him to get rest. He's played the whole year, olympics and all! He can go to China and train over there but whats the point in playing meaningless games in which the CNT could probably win on their own without Yao.

Who's their biggest competition? that portland guy? come on!

Falsone is probably going to go over there with Yao to work on his training like he did last year so the weight training is going to be there, but the NBA level playing probably won't be there.

The offseason is a time to learn new things, get tougher, come back strong and we've had Yao go to China and come back before the season started and he's pretty fine but DAMN!

I think Yao could definitely improve physically and mentally if he stays in the U.S. and works with an NBA staff and players but going to China is better than doing nothing..I'd rather not have him play any meaningless games (limit his minutes or something) and hurt himself.

Ignore the NewYork guy

 

Bottom line is....Yao needs to stay here and relax! But we all know that will never be, and even when they redo the contract, the Commie China will never give any ok for summers off. China will host 2008, and their national team has a spot no matter what, so can someone tell the commies this!!!!

 

Hmm, actually in the 2003 Asian games. China had a NBA Yao,(where Ha hasn't played NBA bball yet)
the game was played IN CHINA,
but the Chinese NT barely beat Korea in the finals. Yao played the WHOLE game, scoring 40 plus points.
AND the Korean team was missing several of their best players because of injuries.
so...

Er.. as far as that goes. When a nation is hosting a tournament, it gives them MORE reasons to be prepared.

If say England is hosting the football world cup. Do you think the England national team won't do anyting till the tournament, or will they play more warm up games and train longer and harder ???

 

I didn't make anything disparaging about China or the Chinese...

As a matter of fact, I have a deep and great respect for Chinese culture. That is ironic considering the disdain many Chinese show America by posting about American superficiality and individualism - and lack of honor.

However, i think the chinese gov't is pretty vile. MANY Chinese hate the U.S. gov't, why can't you let us criticize your gov't without taking it personally?

The hypocrisy is astounding. Maybe you know nothing about America!

 

I'm talking about the Chinese gov't and power figures, not the people. It's not my fault you jump to conclusions.

 

No offense, but i doubt you have the class to hang with Yao's parents

I pay attention to international basketball because I am a fan of the game...and international basketball sucks. Yeah, great, an international team can beat a bunch of 2nd tier NBA stars who practiced together like 5 times in what really is a meaningless game. What's at stake? What's really at stake? When the dream team won, who cared? I didn't....why - because it means nothing! NOTHING! Do you really think Argentina is better at basketball then the U.S.? Do you really think that? Are you insane?

 

Actually I have served my country. Not for pride, not for nationalism, but because it was the right thing to do. Boy don't you feel foolish for jumping to conclusions now? You see, you act like I am saying honor means nothing....which is not the case. I'm saying it's bull$hit to call Yao playing in the Asian games about honor. It's not....and by me calling it out, it doesn't mean i don't know what honor is or lack it....it means i think he's being used and coerced. I don't think Yao is without honor...but c'mon, going back to play in a meaningless tournament isn't about honor...it isn't about national pride! Yao said he wants to stay here.

YAO SAID HE WANTS TO STAY HERE. But he's not, he's going back because he's afraid - AFRAID of what happens if he disobeys. You call that honor? You call that national pride?

I call it sad.

Yao playing in the asia games isn't serving his country, it's serving the interests of the greedy and selfish.

 

Thank you, thats all that there is to it. Yao obviously doesn't think its national pride to go back, he's publicly stated many times he doesn't wanna go back this summer. Like I said, if he doesn't stick up for himself on this, he'll never do anything on the court. If he goes back to China for the summer, he will return the same guy he was last year, 19 and 8. If he doesn't go and take s astand, he might be 20 and 10 just from finally being a ****ing man

 

Hey NEWYORKER, props to you man, I too am served our country, 4 years in the AirForce. Sometimes I get the feeling that if your're not American you can say any damn thing about America and get away with it , where if you said anything about other people, you are branded as an ugly American, eventhough some of those same people are the worst human rights violators in our civilized world. But hey, don't let facts get in the way!

As far as Yao , I just happened to love the guy, I think he has the rights to get better and show the whole world what he is capable of, but he's certainly can't do a G*d damn thing about it if you commie bastards continue to run his azz straight to the ground!

 

Sort of like you did about presuming I WANTED Yao to play in China even though my own opinion is he shold stay here.

Not really when you've made such stereotypical ugly American statements like

You sound like a Cold Warrior Gordon Gecko.

FYI I'm an American born and raised in Houston.

Good for you and surprising for someone who said:

For that matter why is you serving your country the right thing to do and its not the right thing for Yao?

 

I don't think you're an ugly American for criticizing the PRC. Heck I'm a race traitor to most Chinese from the PRC because I believe invading Tibet was wrong, they need more democracy and worst of all I don't think Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. Now if this thread focussed on those things this would really get ugly.

Being an ugly American is making ridiculous statements that its all about money and Yao should stay here because its all about the money and personal glory. Its also making juvenile statements regarding the international competition that International teams couldn't compete with college teams or even highschool teams. Especially when the US National team composed of almost all NBA players have been embarrassed badly in the last World Championships and Olympics to teams with few NBA players.

Again I'm with you that Yao is better off staying here and resting but at the same time why is so hard understanding that the Chinese have a lot of pride in Yao and want him to be representing China?

The feeling how often terms like "commie bastards" come up in this thread that most of the criticism here is as much about getting digs at the PRC rather than what's good for Yao.

Again I got nothing against criticizing the PRC but if that's the point of this thread lets move it to the D & D.

 

I am against nationalism and all that because I've seen it's ugliest form....and that it separates people and leads to great evil....you'd think the Chinese would agree to this considering what Japanese Nationalism did to them and the world. That's the end result of national pride...

Serving your country isn't about going off and fighting some war - true, it can be many things but it's definitely not about playing a basketball game either. Serving your country is about making it a better place and a safer place, and that can be teaching a kid how to read or pointing a gun at an invader. Basketball is a game, and to equate it with those other things is a massive insult to the millions of people around the world who make true sacrafices.

You call me an ugly American....well, that's fine. It doesn't matter where you grew up and blah blah blah, you can still harbor predjucies and so forth...maybe you should read "Blink" and education yourself a little on your own personal "ugliness"

Yao going back to play is just stupid. It accomplishes nothing. Honor? That's just a card being played as P.R....what it's really about is control. The Chinese gov't wants to make Yao a symbol of their version of China. They don't give a damn about Yao being excellent....Yao is useful because the more popular he becomes, the more the can politically capitalize off of him. That's power baby, and that's why I say it's all about power.

You response to that is to call me names and attack the messenger. I suggest you think before you spew.

 

Geez did this thread get out of hand...let's just settle this once and fore all...

You Americans have huge gargantuan penis and I have one teenty tiny penis