Sina reported that the Shanghai sports officials went to Houston to ask for permission from the Rockets. The Rockets declined their inquiry of Yao's availability in the tenth domestic games for three reasons: 1. The agreement between the Rockets and Chinese Basketball includes only Yao's obligation to the National Team, not any Chinese local team 2. The conflict between the Chinese games and the NBA preseason schedule. 3. The risk of Yao getting injured. If the report is true, Yao's obligation is between the national government and the Rockets. It doesn't involve the local government of China. The Rockets organization has the right to say no to the local officials, and so does Yao.
UPDATE: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/26/content_3407000.htm Yao Ming committed to Rockets to miss Chinese National Games BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese center Yao Ming will miss the 10th Chinese National Games for his commitment to the Houston Rockets in the 2005-06 preseason games. "I don't think I can play in the National Games. My contract (with the Rockets) doesn't allow me though I really want to play (in the Games)," Yao said on Friday. According to a sports official from Shanghai, Yao's native city, the Shanghai basketball team and Shanghai Sports Bureau had contacted the Rockets recently on the release of Yao for the Games representing the Shanghai team. Li Qiuping, head coach of Shanghai Sharks, travelled to Houston last week after a workout camp of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league in Ohio to discuss the issue, but he failed to keep Yao until the Games, which is to set off on October 12 in Jiangsu Province. The Rockets want Yao to come back to the United States after the Asian Basketball Championships, which is slated from August 8-16 in Qatar, to join the team competing in the preseason games. Reports said the Rockets need Yao to help newcomers, power forward Stromile Swift and point guard Derek Anderson, whom they added to the squad during the summer, to get acquainted with the team as soon as possible. Yao has to play for the Chinese national team in the world championships, Asian Championships and the Olympic Games, but is not asked to play in the National Games, according to his contract wth the Chinese Basketball Association. The Rockets will kick off their preseason games against the Philladelphia 76ers on October 11. Enditem
Well, there's little point in Yao playing in the National games. The whole reason he came to the NBA is because he had nothing left to prove with the Sharks. I'm sure the Sharks and CBA could have made a nice chunk of change by touring Yao around for a few games, and I certainly don't begrudge China's fans the chance to see their boy in the flesh, but heading back to Houston and getting the Rockets off to a great start with a solid camp is better for Yao himself in both the short and long terms.
I have a solution. All Houston rockets are given Chinese citizenship and then compete in the National Games. They will make money. We get to play and practice together. And there you go. This advice is free for one hour, and then I charge per usage at $1.10 per minute.
Actually Yao has said that he wanted to play for the National Games because he has never won it--the Sharks lost in the finals last time to Wang Zhizhi and the Army team. Majority of the Chinese fans actually rather he not to play because it is really a meaningless event, except for the officials who want to get promoted. It is said the buyout Yao paid was $8mil. But the ownership has already squandered it all on its soccer team.
I see; so the National Games are a seperate entity from the CBA championship? I'm sure Yao would be happy to play in the games if the schedule was a tad more convenient. You say most Chinese fans consider the games a meaningless event, but I'm sure they'd still pack the arena to see Yao play. In any case, my point remains that Yao has nothing left to prove within the world of Chinese basketball. Global basketball, on the other hand...
See, now that's what I figured. There's a lot of misinformation about Yao's earnings. You hear this 50% figure get thrown around a lot, and that the CBA will get 50% of all his earnings. But the way I've read it from various articles is that it was a strict buyout amount, just like any other foreign player under contract. But it's just that Yao's buyout was much more than the average foreign player. $8 million is approx 50% of the value of Yao's rookie deal, so that may be where the confusion sets in.
Actually it was the Rockets who refused to reales him for that event. So technically, Yao did not quit or reject the National Games invitation rather the choice was made for him by CD and JVG.
For those of you who still don't get it (if any), Yao is not quitting the national team but is rather not playing for the Shanghai Sharks.
and he actually said, in one of the interviews with the chinese media, that if it was up to him he'd play. it could be purely for pr purpose, but as loyal as we all know how yao is i wouldn't be surprised if he really meant it. shanghai is his hometown after all.
