Showing posts with label yao ming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yao ming. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Roy Vey!
It was only five seasons ago that Brandon Roy was named the ROY (that's Rookie of the Year). Now Brandon is done. The three-time all-star is hanging up his baggy shorts at the young age of 27 -in what should be his prime - due to knee ailments. The Blazer did go out in a blaze of glory. After barely playing in the second game of the team's opening round playoff series against Dallas, Roy scored 16 points in 23 minutes off the bench to help the Trail Blazers win. He followed-up in game 4 by pouring in 18 points in the fourth quarter to mount a come-from-behind, two-point victory that tied the series. Portland lost to the eventual NBA champs, but Roy was able to wow the hometown fans twice in what would wind up being his final two home games. The city of Portland is famous for its roses. Like the delicate flower, Roy's career was beautiful, but far too fleeting. As for what to do in early retirement, instead of whining about his maladies, he could open a winery, following in the fractured footsteps of the injury-ravaged Yao Ming (Bordeaux is a cure for boredom). Out of a rose comes rosé.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Apocalypse Yao
It was fitting that around the same time NASA shuttered its space shuttle program, the largest Rocket of all chose to ground himself for good. After fighting a losing battle with innumerable injuries, Yao made the difficult decision to retire, several months shy of his 30th birthday*. As one of the tallest to ever play in the NBA, he reached heights fellow giants Shawn Bradley, Gheorghe Muresan and the late Manute Bol never did (to be fair, he was more well-prepared through extensive training than any of those men - and also more talented).
Yao didn't make anyone in Houston forget Hakeem Olajuwon (Yao wasn't "The Dream," more of a favorable fantasy), but he held his own against his peers in the pivot. He could've wound up a punchline, but because of his persistence, became a perennial All-Star - although some of his selections were the result of popularity more than performance (to counter the perception that it was the fans inflating his worth, he was named to the All-NBA team 5 times, which is voted on by members of the media, but never the first team). Big men with raw potential enter the league every year; Yao was the rare center who fulfilled his. His footwork ensured he was more than a footnote in NBA history, like Wang Zhizhi.
If any aspect of his career was disappointing, besides the seemingly infinite injuries and the lack of postseason success (Yao only made the second round of the playoffs once), it was where he elected to deliver the news of his retirement: in China. The Rockets GM was the only person present and he had to ask permission to attend the press conference. Maybe Yao did that because he made a larger impression there than he did here. After all, he introduced the league to millions of Chinese, in the process growing the game globally more than any player before him (and probably more than any single person in the future can, unless we see an Indian-born baller). We're certain the relative ease of his transition has influenced players to ponder going overseas during the lockout, even if they're unfamiliar with the culture and language. Maybe he felt an obligation to his own people (he's already bought his old team, the Shanghai Sharks, to save them from folding) to say goodbye in front of them. Or maybe the shy seven-footer was once again avoiding the American spotlight that he has ducked as best he could since 2002 (still, he relented enough to co-author an autobiography and agree to a documentary).
It took a player with an enormous wingspan to stretch across continents and pull in new fans to basketball, which he did with his play, not his personality. Yao was determined to be a star, not a sideshow. For his role as an ambassador, Yao deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Yao Ming, just like a piece of art from the actual Ming dynasty, was fragile, priceless and a sight to behold.
*This depresses us to no end, being very close to our 30th birthday as well. The only way we'd be headed downhill faster is if we were on skis.
Yao didn't make anyone in Houston forget Hakeem Olajuwon (Yao wasn't "The Dream," more of a favorable fantasy), but he held his own against his peers in the pivot. He could've wound up a punchline, but because of his persistence, became a perennial All-Star - although some of his selections were the result of popularity more than performance (to counter the perception that it was the fans inflating his worth, he was named to the All-NBA team 5 times, which is voted on by members of the media, but never the first team). Big men with raw potential enter the league every year; Yao was the rare center who fulfilled his. His footwork ensured he was more than a footnote in NBA history, like Wang Zhizhi.
If any aspect of his career was disappointing, besides the seemingly infinite injuries and the lack of postseason success (Yao only made the second round of the playoffs once), it was where he elected to deliver the news of his retirement: in China. The Rockets GM was the only person present and he had to ask permission to attend the press conference. Maybe Yao did that because he made a larger impression there than he did here. After all, he introduced the league to millions of Chinese, in the process growing the game globally more than any player before him (and probably more than any single person in the future can, unless we see an Indian-born baller). We're certain the relative ease of his transition has influenced players to ponder going overseas during the lockout, even if they're unfamiliar with the culture and language. Maybe he felt an obligation to his own people (he's already bought his old team, the Shanghai Sharks, to save them from folding) to say goodbye in front of them. Or maybe the shy seven-footer was once again avoiding the American spotlight that he has ducked as best he could since 2002 (still, he relented enough to co-author an autobiography and agree to a documentary).
It took a player with an enormous wingspan to stretch across continents and pull in new fans to basketball, which he did with his play, not his personality. Yao was determined to be a star, not a sideshow. For his role as an ambassador, Yao deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Yao Ming, just like a piece of art from the actual Ming dynasty, was fragile, priceless and a sight to behold.
*This depresses us to no end, being very close to our 30th birthday as well. The only way we'd be headed downhill faster is if we were on skis.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Yao's Better Half
Imagine every day you go to work, which is only for half of the year, is a half-day. And you don't have to work on consecutive days. And you'll be paid over $16 million for this light labor. Such is the relaxed schedule for Yao Ming, as the Houston Rockets announced they will play him no more than 24 minutes per outing this coming season. And Yao will sit on the second night of back-to-back games. The team might as well build a special bench to accommodate his 7'6" frame. Maybe it can recline, so he can truly rest his brittle bones. Yao missed all of last season and the Rockets finished 2 games above .500.
The Rockets created this plan in order to protect the injury-prone Yao, but by enacting this rigid rule it seems more like they are babying him. In order to make an impact, Yao will have to transform into one of the most efficient players in the league and be able to do a lot in a little time. That may not be realistic. Big men typically need time to establish a rhythm during a game and Yao is no exception. We doubt those 24 minutes will be played consecutively, meaning his flow will be worse than Kevin Federline's. The bottom line is a man who averaged nearly 20 and 10 in '08-'09 is being reduced to a role player by his team. If the Rockets intend to barely use Yao, it's time to consider trading him.
The Rockets created this plan in order to protect the injury-prone Yao, but by enacting this rigid rule it seems more like they are babying him. In order to make an impact, Yao will have to transform into one of the most efficient players in the league and be able to do a lot in a little time. That may not be realistic. Big men typically need time to establish a rhythm during a game and Yao is no exception. We doubt those 24 minutes will be played consecutively, meaning his flow will be worse than Kevin Federline's. The bottom line is a man who averaged nearly 20 and 10 in '08-'09 is being reduced to a role player by his team. If the Rockets intend to barely use Yao, it's time to consider trading him.
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