Here’s a translation of a Titan Sports (China) article that Raymond translated. I must say there have been credibility issues before in what Titan publishes, so take it with a grain of salt. However, it’s a little concerning that former head coach Jeff Van Gundy had Yao’s minutes down to a science (35 per game), whereas Rick Adelman has a higher limit, or doesn’t have one at all. Remember that one game earlier this season when Yao played all but 1 minute in the first half, all while Yao wasn’t feeling well? Incredible.

I’m just glad Carl Landry is coming on. That should give Adelman another reason to allow Yao to get more rest, along with having Luis Scola and Dikembe Mutombo to sub for him.

Raymond has done a great job translating an interview that Basketball Pioneers conducted with Yao about the Rockets’ record, his more fiery attitude this season, and more. Click here for the translation. Thanks, Raymond!

Raymond has translated another interesting article, this time from Basketball Pioneers about Yao taking on more of a leadership role with the Rockets. Thanks, Raymond!

Raymond has done a great job translating this short article from Titan Sports about how Yao and his teammates expect Tracy McGrady to fit in with the Rockets’ improved offense, not the other way around. Keep in mind that I can’t vouch for the accuracy of some of Yao’s reported statements. Raymond is just translating what is being reported over in China by a writer living in Houston who is assigned to cover Yao and the Rockets.

Raymond has done a great job of translating this interview with Yao after the Rockets win against the Raptors where he was suffering terribly from the flu. Yao is such a gamer. It’s truly inspirational how selfless he is.

When you read the translation, think about how sick Yao must have felt. Then think about this: as sick as he was during this game, why in the world did Rick Adelman pick this game to play him the most amount of minutes in his entire NBA career in the first half: 23 out of 24 minutes!?

How could he have done that when Yao was at his weakest and sickest, and doesn’t even play him that kind of minutes when he’s healthy? You know Yao is such a pro, he wasn’t going to complain. But I just don’t think Adelman knows all that’s going on sometimes, as seen by how slow he was in giving more playing time to Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola.

For the second straight game, Yao stepped up after a lackluster game by the Rockets. Here’s what he said after the Philly debacle last night.

“When you are soft yourself, everything will feel tough. It’s not because they are so tough. It’s because of how soft we are.

“It’s weird that we changed that quick. I never had that feeling. I feel like they traded me to another team, a new team I’ve never been on before.”

Yao has called out his Chinese national teammates before, but this is really the first time he has done it with his American teammates. I really think that Yao can be a leader, but it takes a disaster like this one to get him there.

I like this article in today’s Chronicle about what Yao thinks needs to happen for his teammates to hit more of the shots they have been missing:

“Come early in the morning before practice. Maybe stay for a half-hour and take a couple hundred shots, like I do every day.

“Before the (last) game, I saw a lot of players doing this. I think we need more.”

Yao isn’t afraid to call it like he sees it. I like it. Keep it going, Yao. You’re a leader now.

In case you missed it in the discussion forum, Raymond has translated an interview that Yao gave recently after the Rockets win against Denver on Saturday night. I recommend it, and you can read it here.

Thanks Raymond!

Our Raymond has translated an interview from Titan Sports of Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian before tonight’s big game in Houston between the two Chinese countrymen.

In the photo below, Yao is seen picking up Yi on Thursday night at the Houston Four Seasons to go to dinner.

The interview questions were asked separately of both players, and they meshed the responses into one article.

I don’t know about you, but through Yi’s responses, he doesn’t have near the personality that Yao does. He’s kind of a dud in how he answers the questions. That’s not good in building his persona here in the U.S. Here’s the translation:

Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian have never donned different jerseys and confronted each other in any regular basketball competition. But now the time has come for that to materialize. November 10, 2007. Houston Rockets versus Milwaukee Bucks. Those experiences of playing against each other in team scrimmages of the national team suddenly become meaningless, because this is going to be a NBA regular season game, a genuine match-up. So right before the clash of the titans, Titan Sports conducted the following interview by asking the same questions to the 2 of them (at different locations).

Yi Jianlian: (After pondering for a long while) Long time no see.

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Our Raymond has done another great job translating an interview that Titan Sports did with Yao Ming after the Laker game, and before the Utah game. Here it is…

In the midst of the Salt Lake City night, looking out at an ice-cold and listless city from the window of his hotel room, the grief and bitterness of 6 months earlier suddenly rushed and welled into Yao Ming’s heart.

He manipulated the TV remote control in his hand, and there he saw a diminutive and bald commentator still with a pair of black eye sockets on the TV screen. Jeff Van Gundy, the man who single-handedly trained and pushed him to become the #1 center in the NBA had gone back to become a TV sports commentator. And the Houston Rockets have also said goodbye to his era of defensive-minded, rigid and mechanical style of play.

25 points and 12 rebounds: these are all career new-high for Yao Ming in an NBA season opener. Moreover, it was his very first win in season openers played away from home. But the only feeling Yao Ming had was…..it was sheer luck.

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