1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

"Yao will be awesome", a veteran who has played in Asia

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by timm, Oct 5, 2002.

Tags:
  1. timm

    timm Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2001
    Messages:
    499
    Likes Received:
    1
    "Yao will be awesome"......for Rockets, NBA and Basketball in China.

    I take my 6 - year old to his School T-Ball practice every Satruday. I chat with all the guys who are on staff there....being a sports journalist many moons ago, and an avid Rockets fan. I have grown close many of the staff there over last month or so since I ran an annual retreat for them (Interestingly getting people to suck up what I serve as a management consultant is financially far more rewarding than what I did when I was covering sports !!!!).

    This morning I was chatting with the guy who co-ordinates the total School Sports program. He is an American in his 30s (should be about 6'-9" tall). Since I knew that he had previously played basketball (didn't know where, what level), I wanted to know more about what he thought about Yao.

    Because he did not want to be officially quoted, I cannot reveal his name. He played NCAA with a tier 1 college in CA in the late eighties. His dream was to play NBA but couldn't get drafted. He then went international..playing mostly in Asia for nearly a decade. He played both forward positions and sometimes center (though he does not remotely look hulked like Antonio Davis or certainly not like own MoT). He said, he has played with the best in Asia. I suspect if he had not married an ethnic Chinese lady, he would found his way back into NBA.

    He retired from professional basketball and been with my son's school since last summer!!!

    He has played with many guys from China (via the Club tournaments). He said Wang Zhi Zhi was the biggest force in China untill 2 years ago ( a la Shaq). Since then Yao has emerged as a great guy.


    He thinks Yao has height, and is aware of that for him to be successful he must use it to his advantage (not just be a stiff). More important than hieght is that he has offensive skills of a shooting forward (well, he might exagerate a bit here). Many people have these two attributes. These, he said, are necessary but not sufficient.

    But most importantly he has 3 other attributes that will make him superstar

    First Yao is a learner. He has seen Yao improve by leaps and bounds every summer for last 5-6 years. He believes being a learner will allow Yao to get even better with NBA coaching (both physical and basketball skillwise). He thinks Yao constantly is in search of seeing, experimenting and getting better.

    Second, Yao is a true team player. He says most American kids want to get to highlight reels, get an endorsement and then hang around. Yao is the complete opposite. Yao sees himself as a team player first. He will focus on improving his personal skills in those areas which help the team most. He has now become a good passer, not because he was naturally great at it, but worked on it realizing his passing would nullify the impact of double-triple teaming and hence his team would be better off.

    Third Yao is disciplined and committed to very high standards Because Yao is never fully satisfied with himself or his team even when his team is winning. He is looking to improve. And he does this by setting his personal example. Once he finds that he needs to something, he is also very disciplied to get it done _ a qualitry that most of the players do not have in the same measure.

    He said, "I have seen a lot of guys play basketball. many are now in the NBA. I have seen them grow and play when they were not in the NBA, so I know what their learning curve looked like. He has also seen Yao develop in the last 5 years. He is willing to bet that barring a major injury, Yao will be up there with the best of best impact players.

    HE also said that Yao will make a lot of money with a BIllion consumers rooting for him outside of Houston. HE will also give NBA a new push..........in Asia at least.

    Finally he ended by saying that Yao will probably struggle in the first year with language and physical nature of NBA (plus travel). Plus the rookie wall might be earlier than others. But he predicts Yao will be a top star within next 2-3 years.
     
    #1 timm, Oct 5, 2002
  2. SuperKev

    SuperKev Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 1999
    Messages:
    1,760
    Likes Received:
    732
    The preceeding advertisement brought to you by Carlton Sheets...
     
    #2 SuperKev, Oct 5, 2002
  3. Yetti

    Yetti Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2002
    Messages:
    9,589
    Likes Received:
    529
    Super Kev: Such a stupid comment for such an honest commentary!We expect better from you.
     
    #3 Yetti, Oct 5, 2002
  4. timm

    timm Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2001
    Messages:
    499
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks Yetti and indeed SuperKev. I guess now that there's much Yai news, this must be getting to overkill.
     
    #4 timm, Oct 5, 2002
  5. Truth

    Truth Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2002
    Messages:
    1,094
    Likes Received:
    1
    Mr. Timm, what paper did you write for? I'm 15 now and want to be a sports journalist when I'm a workin' man. What classes should I take? What do they generally get paid?
     
    #5 Truth, Oct 5, 2002
  6. Relativist

    Relativist Member

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2000
    Messages:
    3,517
    Likes Received:
    241
    very nice read, timm. Thanks.
     
    #6 Relativist, Oct 5, 2002
  7. ccc

    ccc Member

    Joined:
    Jul 31, 2002
    Messages:
    105
    Likes Received:
    0
    Glad to hear good things about Ming from a guy who had played against him!

    Thanks timm!
     
    #7 ccc, Oct 5, 2002
  8. Achebe

    Achebe Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 1999
    Messages:
    6,237
    Likes Received:
    3
    rock on!
     
    #8 Achebe, Oct 5, 2002
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2002
  9. coke

    coke Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2002
    Messages:
    153
    Likes Received:
    0
    you just wrote a great paper of yao....:)
     
    #9 coke, Oct 5, 2002
  10. DavidS

    DavidS Member

    Joined:
    May 17, 2000
    Messages:
    8,605
    Likes Received:
    0

    Truth,

    Start thinking about writing for your high school paper; concentrate on the
    school teams - get interviews with player/coaches, that's a good start. Then
    ...get involved in journalism clubs. When it gets close to graduation from HS,
    you can stop by your local college and have a "tour." Some times colleges will
    come by your HS and handout info... You also talk to your guidance counselor in
    HS and they will point you in the right direction.

    As far as what classes for sports journalism...Well, journalism and communication
    are majors that you should consider. But, don't get hung up on majors/classes...

    I know some chemistry majors with PHD that write books, and
    I know some History majors who have become writers. As long as you get
    that degree it kind of gives you the qualification to "put up with a lot of crap!"
    If you can put up with the mid-terms, classes, studies, sleepless nights,
    and finals, then you should be able to put up with the "working world."

    Once you get out of college, you just have to find somewhere to start...
    Start small, then work your way up -- college paper/website, beat reporter,
    local district papers, radio news, etc...

    You are not going to get that "dream job" at Sports Illustrated right away.
    Even getting hired for the Houston Chronicle would be very difficult, much
    less the New York Times sports division.

    So, you'll just have to send out the resume and see who bites.

    One favor though, please don't become a sensationalist writer (Enquirer).
    Be an authoritative journalist. Good luck. :)
     
    #10 DavidS, Oct 6, 2002
  11. Truth

    Truth Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2002
    Messages:
    1,094
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks for all the advice. I'll make sure I look into everything you said. I won't aim for my "dream job" right away, I guess I can settle for being a little person for a while.:D But when I'm finished I will be a beat writer for the Houston Rockets. Any other team would be uncivilized.:D
     
    #11 Truth, Oct 6, 2002
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2002
  12. GATER

    GATER Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2000
    Messages:
    8,325
    Likes Received:
    78
    Truth -
    Journalism is not my chosen field but I think there is one more thing worth considering - develop a well-rounded understanding of the rest of the world (the non-sports world).

    While it's true that having access to and developing rapport with athletes is very important, having a good understanding of business and law woudn't hurt. For example, you will frequently see an article about a potential trade written by a supposedly experienced writer get ripped to pieces here at CC.net because the writer is clueless about the NBA salary cap.

    Athletes have other interests as well...I recall that Magic wanted to tour (hangout backstage) with Micheal Jackson. A little knowledge in this area would work wonders. Most writers think to ask Magic about his battles with Bird, not many would think to ask if he was ever in the recording studio with Jackson.

    Since sports is a business, you will need to be able to relate to managers, agents and owners as well. This group oftens has diverse and eclectic interests. A genuine interest in or some knowlege of Les Alexanders favorites would open some doors. Know what else (if anthything) made Roone Arledge tick.

    Lastly, if it hasn't already been mentioned - make sure to approach writing as a craft. Your personal use words will be one of the most distinguishing factors you are able to use.

    Good luck.
     
    #12 GATER, Oct 6, 2002
  13. Truth

    Truth Member

    Joined:
    May 27, 2002
    Messages:
    1,094
    Likes Received:
    1
    Thanks for your advice as well. I see what you're saying, it's good to know a little about a lot, instead of a lot about little. Unlike I a lot of my friends, my T.V is on CNN pretty frequently, so I do keep up with the happenings of the world. I'm only 15, so BET and ESPN still rule in my room! Hey, Maybe CD is into Hip-Hop too? ;)
     
    #13 Truth, Oct 6, 2002
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)

Share This Page

Style
ClutchFans Dark

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Rockets Content

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now