It takes the foe to cause a stir at Magic games Mike Bianchi January 9, 2003 Is this a basketball arena or a midnight ride on the Orient Express? I'm watching a troupe dressed up as purple and yellow dragons dancing to the constant pounding of a Far Eastern drum beat. There are bayonet-wielding martial-arts performers doing a samurai dance at halftime. And concourse vendors are even serving lo mein, egg rolls and sushi. Nevermind that sushi is a Japanese food. That's a mere culinary technicality here on "East vs. Far East Night" at TD Waterhouse Centre. My only question: Who picked the menu -- Fuzzy Zoeller? Oh, but it was all in good fun, and the Magic did get the stamp of approval from the city's Asian Chamber of Commerce. Team officials didn't want this to turn out like Yao Ming's debut in Miami, where "Chinese" fortune cookies were passed out to the crowd, much to the confusion of Yao. The 7-foot-5 rookie center from China was rightfully mystified. Fortune cookies, after all, were invented in New York. And speaking of fortunes, here's what the Magic's would say if Coach Doc Rivers cracked a cookie this morning: "Do something to get this town pumped up. Now!" Yao's debut here Wednesday night ignited an energy that hasn't been felt at TD Waterhouse Centre since Michael or Shaq were last in town. That's the good of it -- and the bad of it. "Right now, the buzz is for our opponents," Rivers admitted before his team's uninspiring 91-81 loss to Yao's Houston Rockets. "Hopefully, when we start winning, the buzz will be for us." Obviously, Yao's Orlando unveiling was a happening, a chance to witness the most innovative thing to hit the NBA since Chris Webber's grand-jury testimony. Funniest sight of the night: Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong guarding Yao. For one brief moment, Armstrong knew what it felt like to be Taiwan. At one point in the first half, Yao executed a little baby hook in the lane and was fouled by Shawn Kemp. As the ref's whistle blew, Yao said in perfect English, "And one!" Chinese philosopher Confucius once said, "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop." Obviously, Confucius has seen Kemp in action. Yao finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and three Magic big men stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Yao played like Far Eastern conqueror Genghis Khan; the Magic looked more like Chaka Khan. While Yao represented something new and exciting, it's becoming obvious that the Magic's story is growing old and tired to fans. A focus group of less than 10,000 -- a franchise low -- showed up for Monday's game against the Knicks. How many times have fans endured this scenario over the past three seasons: Grant Hill is hurt; T-Mac is carrying the team on his aching back; and the Magic are hovering around .500. Hill didn't play again Wednesday night -- for the sixth consecutive game. And now it's only a matter of time before we stop asking, "When is Grant going to play again?" and start asking, "Is Grant going to play again?" Hill just shakes his head when asked whether this all seems like that old Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day. "At least at the end of the movie, there was a happy story," Hill said. "Bill Murray fell in love, started playing the piano and learned how to speak French." Hopefully, that's how the story will end up for Grant Hill. Although after watching Wednesday's game, Hill should forgo the French and start brushing up on his Chinese. Mike Bianchi can be reached at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5395. Copyright © 2003, Orlando Sentinel http://www.orlandosentinel.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=orl-sptbianchi09010903jan09
