what is yao talking about. First he says that you always have to aim for the stars and they must aim high this season, then says 3-4 years for a ring. kinda self contradicting. why does yao not think we have a chance this year when many impartial experts have claimed that we could be a dangerous contender.
great read. I am sure that a championship in 3-4 yrs is YAO underpromising with a chance of overdelivering on a "sooner" ring quest. Spoiler Nothing to see here, move on
there's no question in my mind that yao thinks the rockets can contend this year. he's just being cautious.
Thank you Pryuen! You are a most devoted Fan! We who do not have your ability appreciate your eforts.
Agreed. I think Yao just doesn't want to see headlines on two continents saying "Yao predicts ring in two years"
Yao is the man!!! We are just separated by the official score keeping desk!! That is good stuff!! and the whole story about improving karma and decreasing injuries by changing hotels... LOL that is priceless
Yao only spent 1 year with Rudy and he considers him the most influential person in his NBA career. Rudy's the man. Never underestimate the Heart of a Champion!
maybe it's a cultural thing. or maybe it's a yao ming thing. or maybe i'm completely off base. either way, i'm not real happy with the "3-4 years until a ring" thing. didn't yao get the memo from the rox higher-ups? how is that the organization is touting the "win now" mantra, yet yao is saying "3-4 years"? ugh. it's probably just his self-depracating nature, but i'm not a real big fan of that. expect big things and you just might achieve it. expect little things and you just might achieve it!
Yao has to say that, otherwise espn would run headlines saying Yao guarantees championship this year.
Great Article! You da man pryuen! After reading the Dime article and this article, I see the similarities in Yao and TMac's personalities. Neither has gone out on a limb and set unrealistic expectations. I am definetly a big fan of the way they express themselves and humility.
Thanks for your efforts pruyen. Great article. I agree w/ Luffy, Yao guaranteeing a championship this year would be foolish. I think anyone who makes guarantees for wins/championships are idiots. Artest did it on Quite Frankly, I believe. Wouldn't you find that pompous?
The championship in 3-4 years I think is very realistic from Yao's perspective. I'd bet Yao has seen more roster turnover going into his 5th season than as anyone who was on a team that has been usually expected to make the playoffs. Most championship teams have a core of players that have been together for a couple of years and then made strides to ultimately win a championship. Right now T-Mac and Yao have really only played a little over a season & 1/2 together and everyone else less than that (excepting JHo). Things could really come together quickly for this team, but championship chemistry is forged over seasons without starting from scratch with 3 or 4 new rotaion guys every year. Nice read. Thanks pryuen.
It is MORE than 1 year that Rudy T has been working with Yao Ming. He spotted Yao Ming in the 2000 Syndey Olympics....and then worked hard to get Yao Ming drafted to the Rockets. He flied to Shanghai to work out the details of Yao Ming's joining. And Yao Ming mentioned a lot of time in various occasions, that Rudy T was like a father to him, nurturing and taking good care of him during his rookie season.
