I am not sure if this was posted else where but on Fox new tonight they just said that Yao got his license. Be on the look out for Yao on the road.
Feigen also mentioned it in this article. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1814494 March 11, 2003, 9:22PM Rockets say they take no one lightly By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle <b>Play in traffic long enough and eventually you figure out that it's dangerous -- particularly now that Yao Ming is a licensed driver. </b> Somehow, the Rockets could not pick up on the obvious perils the first time they played and lost to the Clippers (tonight's opponent at Compaq Center) or the second time. They couldn't quite get it after they played and lost to the Bulls (Friday's opponent at Compaq) or Heat, or when they were beaten by the Cavaliers or Grizzlies. But this time -- after all the occasions they seemed to have learned their painful lessons but did not -- they insist they really do respect a struggling opponent. This time, they understand that the Clippers have beaten them twice. This time, they have promised again, will be different. Sure the Clippers lost to the Hawks, but then so have the Rockets. The Clippers are without Elton Brand. But the Heat played without Eddie Jones the night they beat the Rockets. With just 20 games left in the regular season, the chase for a playoff spot is urgent enough that the Rockets said there is no temptation to look ahead to Sunday's visit by the Suns. They beat the Suns twice in three meetings. But they played the Clippers and Bulls a total of three times, losing all three. "We're not going to creep up on anybody at this point," Rockets guard Steve Francis said. "Beginning (today) it's a must-win situation. We can make a push and it starts Wednesday. "(With) Elton or not, it's been tough for us the last couple of years against them. We play well against a lot of other teams. But it seems when we play the Clippers, something goes wrong. We just want to try to continue something we started. This is the time if you have injuries, if you have anything, you have to suck it up now. These two games right now at home are real important before we play Phoenix. "We're going to really, really focus on playing this team. This is a team we probably can beat. But if we don't play the right way, it probably won't happen. We've lost to both of these teams this year. We've lost to Chicago. And LA, we lost to twice. I can honestly say, these are games we really have to win." That should help, but the Rockets' failings against the NBA's weakest teams -- they escaped Denver with a win -- have become so familiar and frequent, that some specific shortcomings must have been established. To Glen Rice, the problem has been a lack of respect for every opponent. The Rockets generally play hard. But Rice said intensity has been missing. "I think it's a lack of respect for the other team, not giving them the respect that they deserve," Rice said. "We have to understand they're in the NBA, they're good. Their records may be wrong at times. But they can beat you. It has happened to us. We should never downplay a team. "You never see a team go out a step or two slow when they're playing the Lakers or Dallas or teams like that, unless they just get blown out because the team is on top of their game that night. But when we play the lower teams, teams that don't have such a good record, you look at the record and think they're a poor team and they're not." But Maurice Taylor said there has been respect for other teams, arguing that the problem has been how the Rockets handle the pressure of being expected to win. Taylor said the Rockets have played with intensity, but perhaps too much tension. "When we play the Lakers or some of the top teams, we're like, `OK, everybody is against us, nobody thinks we can beat these guys,' " Taylor said. "We have to have that same killer instinct against teams like these, teams we should fare well against. "We respect them. But we're playing not to lose, instead of to win. We get out there and ... play so tight and teams like the Clippers and Chicago come in and play so loose, like they got nothing to lose. When we get in games like that, we want to win so bad, we don't want to let it slip through our fingers (and) we play not to lose. We have to play like we're going to win, like we think we're going to win." Rudy Tomjanovich seemed to lend support, to a degree, to that theory. Tomjanovich cited the Rockets' free-throw shooting in the worst losses. They made 66.7 percent of their free throws in the first loss to the Clippers and 65 percent in the second loss. They made 48.1 percent in Atlanta, 68.4 percent in Chicago and 65 percent in the loss to the Heat. Something else also must have been missing. "We played hard," Tomjanovich said. "We got to the free-throw line ... and we shot 60 percent. What's going on there? Our guys said, `I got to make this. We've got to win this game?' I don't know. "We addressed the respect factor. But we also talked about just going out and playing with a standard." But given the Rockets' string of failures, the answer is probably that they have had shown opponents a lack of respect and played with a lack of toughness. "I think it's like coach said. It's focus," Francis said. "It's not being mentally tough enough to withstand not being in the underdog situation. We've been good in the underdog position. But once we're predicted to win, things don't work out for us." Either way, they no longer deny there has been a problem. But instead of being fooled into thinking of themselves as superior and therefore destined to beat poor teams, they seem to understand they can only be considered superior after they do. "It has to be a matter of pride," Rice said. "If we're going to look at ourselves as one of the better teams in the league, we have to go out there and take care of business. We have to beat the teams we're supposed to beat."
yao is a modest man, and ill bet he gets a modest car, like a ford escort or something. than he will "pimp" it out with some fresh ground effects, solid gold rims, a spoiler and some fringe hanging from the ceiling.
Training wheels Rockets center Yao Ming finally earned his driver's license Monday, inspiring teammates to kid him about his driving skills, or alleged lack of skills, now that he can take the wheel by himself. "That only means he (is allowed to) drive," forward Maurice Taylor said. "That doesn't mean his driving skills are up to par, yet. Driving is a hard thing. It doesn't happen overnight. We saw what happened in the parking lot not too long ago (when Yao backed his Toyota Sequoia into a parked car at Westside Tennis Club in January). "We were like, `Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh -- he hit it.' It was of those, `Oh no, he's about to hit it. Oh, he did hit it.' It was funny, though. You can tell how scared he was." -- JONATHAN FEIGEN http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1814530
Just got my license on Valentine's Day. The whole program for me took just about two months and now just waiting for the car. Figure I'll be a little nervous once I get it, but I shall learn and drive around safe in the city. Yao should also learn his driving skills not only in the streets, but on the courts to.
With an opened sun roof, Yao's road vision will be unbelieveable. He will have a huge upside to be a great driver. Soulsong999
From Houston Chronicle: Training wheels Rockets center Yao Ming finally earned his driver's license Monday, inspiring teammates to kid him about his driving skills, or alleged lack of skills, now that he can take the wheel by himself. "That only means he (is allowed to) drive," forward Maurice Taylor said. "That doesn't mean his driving skills are up to par, yet. Driving is a hard thing. It doesn't happen overnight. We saw what happened in the parking lot not too long ago (when Yao backed his Toyota Sequoia into a parked car at Westside Tennis Club in January). "We were like, `Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh -- he hit it.' It was of those, `Oh no, he's about to hit it. Oh, he did hit it.' It was funny, though. You can tell how scared he was." -- JONATHAN FEIGEN
What program? It took me 8 hours ( 2 hours' practice a day with one friend) to prepare for the road test. I bought a used car on the same day I got my license. Then I hit the road, local and highway..... Many safe years passed, I GOT into an Accident last week. I guess I should not read magazine or think about money or BBall any more when I am driving. Be careful, YAO......
It took me 2 hours' (preparation time) to pass the written part; but it took me 4 times to pass the road test. The parallel parking is just too tough! Do they still do that there? Houston 's traffic is dangerous, for example, the entry for Calhoun to I-45 (or I-59?) to meant to kill.
actually, there is no better place to learn to drive than in h-town. if yao can survive on those roads, he can make it anywhere.
I hate those damn SUVs. But, if anyone can make a valid argument that he needs a vehicle that big, it's Yao.
