It was reported that the reason he isnt playing against the traveling NBA team is because they didnt want him sweating into the wound and risking infection....sounds weird to me but thats what they said.. Therefore, he isnt doing anything physical..I would call that rest time. No physical activity= rest
Yao is an impressive person. He has done lots of promo work for the chinese govt this summer along with national team obligations. He also has sponsors to do work for. I think he is just cut from a different mold. He just goes and goes. That being said, I wish he could get a vacation. Guess he gets by listening to his I-pod and playing games on his power mac. That does help ya relax.
just a reminder, being back to the native country and familar environment for as long as possible for such a dreadful season IS a recharge of batteries... I surely don't want Yao stay year round in U.S. until he is fully accustomed to the culture here. --and judge from the lack of private times he has, I'll bet he'll take a while to really feeling comfortable about everyday life in U.S. -- at least, it took me 5 years to really not miss china that much after I arrived canada.
Don't feel alone. I have a friend, a native Texan, who's been living north of Nelson, B.C. for the last 20 years. When the snow gets to the roof of his house (no joke!) he yearns for those Texas winters when it can get 80 degrees in January. I'm sure it does Yao a world of good to be in his hometown with his lady... I just hope he's spending a VERY large part of it relaxing with her and his friends.
Just because Yao arrived here last October 20th that means he's going to do the same here? Don't the Asian Games finish early October? if Preseason runs between 8 and 20, I'm positive yao will be here before the season, and will be able to participate in some Preseason games. I'll do some research on the exact dates of the Asian Games, but if you already have the info, I'd appreciate it if you'd post it.
From w w w.abc-basketball.c o m/competitions.htm 3. 22nd Asian Championship for Men in Haerbin, China from September 3 - 12 He's done on september 12th. Sounds to me like he'll be here for ALL of training camp, right?
see, when i first did the search at the beginning of the offseason..they were originally slated for the beginning of August..and then someone posted that they had been moved to Sept...and then soon afterwards, a link was posted showing the current beginning of Oct that everyone now believes. I dont know what to think now..
for all those who are angry about Yao's being in China, what do you want him to do? Do you want him to be in Houston, hanging out with Cato and Tylor, eating junk food, and playing video games 12 hours a day? There is no organized training here for the whole summer, and training on your own depends on your commitment not your location. Yao is doing the weight lifting there, so stop worring. What is wrong with his playing easy basketball 3-4 hours a day with a bunch of other guys? Don't we all want Cato, Tylor, Moochie etc to get their asses on a court everyday during summers?
From asia-basket Asian Championship Delayed, Still To Be Held in China July 23, 2003 - by Arthur Volbert The Asian Men's Basketball Championship, which was supposed to start on September 3, will now be held from September 23 through October 3 in Harbin, China. The winner will earn Asia's lone spot in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Many had thought that the Championship might be moved from Harbin, in Heilongiang Province, because of the SARS epidemic. But the epidemic is now considered under control so the event was delayed rather than moved. The new dates may conflict with the opening of NBA training camps, which would affect Yao Ming, Mengke Bateer, and Wang Zhizhi if he rejoins the team. But the first NBA exhibition game currently scheduled is on October 5 between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz in Mexico City. The regular season usually begins at the tail end of October. So the Chinese NBA players can still get the benefit of the main part of training camp and will certainly be in basketball shape when they get there.
Thanks W&S...that doesnt seem too bad. A week or two of easy games... fyi... in the last Asian Championships in 2001, China played 3 games..according to the same site (asia-basket.com) China went 3-0. So if the Asian Championships are over by Oct 3rd (per w&s last report above) and our training camp starts about the same time... no problems... Yao will have a full month before the start of te season to get into the system.. I can deal with that..
"easy games?" International ball allows rougher play than the NBA. Guys may not be as large, strong, or physically skilled, but there are fewer rules keeping play orderly. Further, teams can play games every day for four consecutive days. Further, China is trying to come back against teams that defeated them last fall. Best case scenario, it takes a week from the end of the Asian games to the time he shows up in town. That includes a dreadful amount of time cramped in an airplane. China to Houston isn't exactly a three-hour tour. He still misses all of camp. He still doesn't get into the new system until "live" preseason action. The remainder of that 18 or so days (hardly "a full month") is not only spent trying to catch up, but also filled travel only slightly friendlier than the regular season. The long-term prospects are just as troubling. The Olympics are next year. There are another set of Asian games the year after that. If the Rox ever make the playoffs, the minimal time off he had this season is eliminated. Burn-out, both physical and mental becomes a very real possibility.
if you check the asia basketball page...and check the listings for the last Asian Championships...China played 3...yes that is 3 games. spaced out over a week and a half or so.. You dont think he can make it back to town quicker than a week? It doesnt take a week to get here...he isnt on a slow boat from China..He knows he needs to get back quick, I dont see him dawdling around wrapping up things and taking his time to get back...he knows he needs all the time he can get to work into the system again. I'm not sure about how much camp he misses...I dont kow the dates...do you? If so, post em..I'd like to know. I wont say that it doesn't trouble me that he has to keep running back and forth every year...but what are we to do? trade him? Encourage him to not do it? Neither is a good option. besides...Oct 3rd is the last day...tourney is held in China..If he is smart, he'll have his stuff packed and ready to leave before they go to the tourney... One day to get back to home...2-3 days to get to Houston...that puts him here on the 8th or so.. season doesnt start till beginning of Nov...so ok...a little less than a month. but still...JVG's system aint gonna be Rocket science...he can and will be ready to play and up to speed on the system by opening day. I would bet on that.
3 games? Try seven in the space of 10 or so days. Asian games, October 2002: China def. Kuwait China def. Hong Kong China def. Chinese Taipei China def. Japan China def. Philippines China def. Kazakhstan China loss. S. Korea. "Training camp" ran the first ten days of October last year. Most teams (including the Rockets) do "camp" through the first preseason game, then a couple more days beyond that.
edc You make it sound like you know vital information but the sad truth is that you freaking don't. How did you realize that cChina NT is "work" or "all work"? Stereotype or first hand information or Mrs Cleo? Where did you get the 2 or 3 straight Yao's "non-stp" basketball activities? What you read from a US beat writer or what told you personally? Please stick to what you know and good at and let the qualified insiders and journalist take care of the "serious" stuff.
those are the Asian Games...not the Asian Championships...different tourney altogether.. Go look at www.asia-basket.com and track down the last Asian Chapionships in 2001(they are held every 2 years) China went 3-0...that is 3 games... try again bud... EDIT: nevermind...I didnt want you to get confused again... here is the direct link to the page at asia-basket that coveres the last Asian Chapionships in 2001..http://www.asia-basket.com/events/ac/ac01.asp right hand side of the page says..
Yao Ming *said* the current CNT coach was a taskmaster. I have no reason to disbelieve him. Regardless, the point is not the relative difficulty of CNT training, but that (for YM) *any* organized basketball is work. Even the average worker in the US gets 3-4 weeks off in addition to holidays that professional atheletes do not get. Where did I get "2 or three years?" Just looking at the dates, two years are accounted for. The Rockets season, bookended by last year and this year's CNT work is eighteen months. The 2001-02 Shanghai Sharks season lead directly into CNT training, making it two years. Another way to get the figure is that when he arrived in Houston, YM said he had been "going without a break for over a year." That was a year ago, and we know the only time off in the interim he had was the couple of weeks after the NBA season ended. Incidentally, I have no problem with YM playing for the national team and doing what he feels is "his duty." However, I wish the Rockets would work with the CNT officials to try and get some agreement closer to what FIBA rules say. Have him join the CNT a month before events. Joining them in June for a tournament that starts in mid-September (much less the delayed date of early October) is overkill and what I view as possibly detrimental.
Could you please, do us a favor, check your eye sight, please, please? If www.asia-basket.com is the website you went, http://www.asia-basket.com/events/ac/ac01.asp is the 2001 Asia championship, please search for China, and check how many games China played. Please please, put your glasses on, then come back and tell us how many games China played.
Rockets2k, Be careful when you interpret the news. Look CAREFULLY: Group 1: China 3-0 ... ... ... China played 3 games in the GROUP stages. After that, there're the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. That's 6 games (China WILL reach finals).
what da hell? Then why dont they put the final standings on there instead of some funky group crap? Considering how little news they have on there, Im lucky I mis-interpreted it as much as I did. thanks for setting me straight..appreciate it.
