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 Yao mingles with athletes from many nations at the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics on Sunday, 8/29. It was a semi-successful experience in Athens for Yao (read the Summary below). |
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as of August 30th |
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MONDAY, 8/30/04 - With the Olympics now over, it's time to recap Yao's experience in Athens.
Yao performed well individually by leading the Chinese in scoring and rebounding, and finishing third overall in Olympic scoring (20.7 points per game) and tops in rebounds (9.3). His main goal of getting the Chinese into the final round of 8 teams was accomplished. After struggling against every opponent except New Zealand, the Chinese took a 1-3 record into their match against the heavily-favored Serbia & Montenegro team, and needed to win it to advance into the next round of 8 teams. To make matters more serious, if the Chinese didn't win and advance, Yao would have to honor a commitment he made before the Olympics that he would not shave for 6 months! In a miraculous game that will always be remembered, Yao and his teammates came through and defeated Serbia & Montenegro 67-66! Yao recognized the significance of this achievement for the Chinese basketball program afterwards through the following statement: "It's a day of great joy...This win is a treasure for the future generation of Chinese Basketball players. It was the fruit of our labours. We just didn't want to pack and go that early." During some of the Chinese team's losses, Yao showed a side many of us had not seen before. He was clearly the team's leader, and much more vocal with his teammates than he demonstrates in Houston. We now know for sure he has leadership skills, as mentioned by Rockets' strength coach Anthony Falsone, who stated the following after helping train Yao in China this off-season: "He was a great example for them. Yao is a totally different personality over there (in China) than he is here (in Houston) as far as a teammate goes. He’s a great teammate here but a quiet leader. I think the language barrier and the fact that he was a player coming in to an already established organization – Yao will lead by example here and not say much. Over there, Yao’s the guy. He’s a veteran. He’s directing the young players during timeouts and during games if they’re behind a few points. Coach Harris (Chinese national team coach for the Olympics) comes in and gives instruction and Yao lets the players know what they need to be doing. He’s the leader saying, "Come on. Let’s go. You do this, you do this, you do this," of course respecting the coach, but he really takes control." He may even criticize his teammates, as well as accepting responsibility for his own poor play, which was evidenced by the following statements he made after an 83-58 loss against Spain. "I feel so disappointed. I lost all of my hope for this team. I didn't expect to play so bad. We changed our skin but we are the same, just like the World Championships in Indianapolis two years ago...I didn't play well either..." There were several moments during that game he was ranting on the bench very upset about the effort being put forth. I believe showing this kind of anger is a good characteristic that team leaders sometimes need to show to rally the troops. This display of emotion from Yao is an encouraging development for Rocket fans since Houston didn't show much heart in many games over the past few seasons with Steve Francis being the unofficial team leader. With Francis and Cuttino Mobley being traded to Orlando this off-season, Yao will have even higher seniority in Houston, and I expect you'll see him being more vocal than ever. Games ambassador We were pleasantly surprised that Yao stuck around an extra day after his last game versus Spain to attend the Closing Ceremonies. At first, I thought it was a cool gesture since many NBA professional athletes (like the USA basketball team) had already left town. However, since Beijing hosts the Games in 2008, I would think the Chinese delegation encouraged him to attend because of the photo and interview opportunities to promote those Games. NBC showed him several times in the crowd, and even interviewed him -- in English! Yao's English is getting better, and by 2008 should be very good. What's next? Now things calm down for Yao, who no longer has to train with the Chinese team before the Rockets training camp starts in about a month. During camp, he will be returning to China to play pre-season games against the Sacramento Kings on October 14th and 17th. In the meantime, Yao can take a breather, focus on improving his conditioning, and add more muscle. Falsone, who has been impressed with Yao's physical development this summer, states that the off-season is really the only time you can add more bulk (read these interesting articles on Rockets.com here and here). |
SATURDAY, 8/28/04 Yao throws one down Saturday against Spain on his way to scoring 14 points (7-of-11 FGs) and grabbing 7 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as the Chinese lost 92-76. The defeat placed China in 8th place in the Olympics. Click here for a game summary. Click here for more photos. |
THURSDAY, 8/26/04 Despite a valiant effort where Yao scored 29 points (8-of-14 FGs, 13-of-15 FTs) and grabbed 11 rebounds, he dejectedly hangs his head after the Chinese lost 95-75 to Lithuania on Thursday, 8/26. The loss drops China out of medal contention in the Olympics. Click here for more photos. Click here for the game summary. |
MONDAY, 8/23/04 Yao erupts with elation as his Chinese team stuns the world with a major upset victory over Serbia & Montenegro 67-66 on Monday in Athens. In a do-or-die situation, the Chinese trailed 63-57 with a little over 3:30 remaining in the game, but rallied for the comeback win to advance to the next round of the Olympics. Yao was a monster, playing all 40 minutes of the game and leading all scorers with 27 points (9-of-12 FGs, 9-of-10 FTs) and 13 rebounds. Click here to see the boxscore. For more photos from the game, click here and here. For a game report, click here. |
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MONDAY, 8/23/04 - Before Monday's game against Serbia & Montenegro, it hadn't been a pretty 8 days in Athens for Yao and his Chinese teammates. They had been smoked in all of their games at the Olympics (except one, a victory over New Zealing), and were limping into their match-up against the highly favored S&M team (winners of the 2002 World Championships) with a 1-3 record. No one thought China could win it and save themselves from being eliminated from the Olympics in this game. However, before the game, coach Del Harris urged his team to fight like a caged animal and give it all that they had.
Apparently, the players finally listened to their coach. In a game as memorable as any played by the Chinese, Yao put his team on his back and scored 27 points (9-of-12 from the field, 9-of-10 from the line) and played all 40 minutes of the game to pull out a 67-66 victory! Also amazing was that the Chinese were trailing 63-57 with only 3:30 remaining in the match, but went on a 10-0 run to pull the game out down the stretch. For a game report, click here. Yao recognized the value of coach Del Harris with the following quote after the game: "Today is indeed a day of great joy for us. Coach Harris has taught us the lesson of life. You should never give up no matter the circumstances." Harris, who said this victory was the best win he ever had in his 45-year career, had kind words for his players after the game: "I've never coached a group of players I have more respect for, the way they work and the way they are as people." Unfortunately for fans of Yao and the Chinese national team in the United States, NBC blew it by NOT broadcasting the game on any of their multiple networks. As a last resort, Yao fans had to follow the game over Internet scoreboard updates and by following the YaoMingMania.com discussion forum where a huge number of fans monitored the game [click here for the game thread]. Even though they have saved themselves and will play another couple of games, China's task doesn't get any easier since they next play the undefeated Lithuanians, which beat the USA team on Saturday. So their chances of winning a medal are not good at all. But overall, the victory Monday over Serbia & Montenegro will be a big psychological lift for the Chinese basketball program, which came into the Olympics with the goal of advancing to the final round of 8 teams. That possibility looked very remote over China's first three defeats of the Games as they looked outclassed, and everyone was questioning their athleticism, heart and talent. They still have a long way to go before they can think of winning a medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. But for the moment, there is relief….especially for Yao, who made a vow he would not shave for 6 months if his team didn't advance to the final round of 8 teams. Now Yao and his fans don't have to worry about seeing such an unbearable sight. |
SATURDAY, 8/21/04 Yao charges into an Italian player on Saturday 8/21 in Athens, and things got worse for the Chinese as they were thoroughly beaten by Italy 89-52. Yao scored 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting in 28 minutes of action. Altogether, the Chinese shot 26% from the field. Click here for the complete boxscore. For more photos from the game, click here. For the game story, click here. (Photo courtesy AP). |
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FRIDAY, 8/20/04 - Yao and the Chinese national team play Italy in their fourth game of the Olympics on Saturday against Italy. The Chinese, 1-2 in Olympic play, need a win desperately to have a chance to stay in contention for the medal round.
Yao has been under some controversy lately for some statements he allegedly made about his teammates after their first loss, but then was refuted by the Chinese team captain (see 8/18 story below). After they lost to Argentina 82-57 on Thursday, he elaborated on why his team may be struggling. "(Head coach) Del (Harris) made some plans in our defense against Argentina, such as changing from one-on-one to zone or from one-on-one to zone half way in the defense." "I think those are very good plans, and I was told to do similar things when playing in the NBA with the Rockets. However, such plans seemed to be hard for the Chinese team to execute because of various reasons. It was very noisy in the game, and it was hard for the players to concentrate on the 'commander' in court." "I think it also has to do with the team's general ability to execute the coach's plans. Maybe the ability of the Chinese team was not as good as the coach has expected." Sounds like Yao is saying what he feels, but not so much that he could be perceived as being inflammatory or offensive to his teammates--especially after the 'bruhaha' a few days ago.
SUNDAY, 8/15/04 - Yao and his Chinese national team played Spain in their first game of the Olympic Games on Sunday, and it wasn't very pretty. Spain spanked the Chinese 83-58. Here are some of my observations from the game... Down 42-30 by halftime, Yao had 8 points (3-for-7 shooting from the field, 2-for-2 from the line) and 4 rebounds, and was surrounded every time he caught the ball in the paint. Yao was vocal and encouraging with his teammates, more than you would see with the Rockets. He is clearly the team leader. The pace of the game was very frenetic, which tired Yao (and other players). Yao was doing his normal bending over with his hands on his knees during breaks. Even CNBC commentator Doug Collins was really getting on him for his lack of conditioning. Yao collected his third foul midway in the third quarter. But he helped his team cut the deficit to 8 points, 48-40, before checking out of the game for a break. However, with Yao out of the game, the Spaniards grew the lead to 18 points at the end of the third quarter, thanks to multiple turnovers by the Chinese. After the lead ballooned to 26 points late in the fourth quarter, Yao was very upset, yelling at coach Del Harris about something. He later fouled out on a bogus blocking call against Pau Gasol. Watching the game from the bench, Yao was very upset while conversing with the head of the Chinese Basketball Association (Li Yuanwei) about something regarding the game. China eventually lost the game 83-58. At the end of the game when both teams were shaking hands, Yao said something that made Spain's Pau Gasol laugh, and a few seconds later Gasol came back with a smile on his face and said something funny to him. We wonder what Yao said that was so funny when he was obviously disappointed after China's poor performance? Obviously, the Chinese have a lot of regrouping to do after such a disappointing game. Yao was disheartened after the game as evidenced by the following comment: "I feel so disappointed. I lost all of my hope for this team. I didn't expect to play so bad. We changed our skin but we are the same, just like the World Championships in Indianapolis two years ago." "I didn't play well either. I am thinking about retiring from the national team. Not now, but soon I will. In Indianapolis I was the youngest player, now I am an elder, but still there is no hope for us." Looks like Yao may be trying to do whatever he can to motivate himself and his teammates to get it in gear before these Olympic Games turns into a disaster. |
FRIDAY, 8/13/04 On Friday, 8/13/04, Yao has the honor of being the flag-bearer for the Chinese delegation in the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Athens. Click here and here for more photos of Yao in the Opening Ceremonies. On Sunday, Yao and his teammates lost 83-58 to Spain in their first match of the Games. |
THURSDAY, 8/12/04 Shortly after arriving in Athens on Thursday, 8/12/04, Yao and his Chinese national team coach Del Harris enjoy a light moment during their first practice in Athens. On Friday, Yao will be the Chinese delegation's flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. On Sunday, China plays Spain in their first match of the Games. For more photos from Thursday's practice, click here. |
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TUESDAY, 8/10/04 - With the Olympics right around the corner, we cannot wait for the start! Yao Ming will arguably be the most watched athlete participating since he is the national treasure for the most populated country in the world AND one of the leading stars in the one of the world's most popular sports leagues (the NBA). You can listen to what one Houston sportswriter says about how Yao will be one of the main focal points of the Olympic Games by clicking here.
During the Olympics, I will try to keep an eye on the TV listings to see when Yao will play. So far, in the US you can watch Yao play the following days. Sunday, August 15th - China vs. Spain - 7:00 AM Eastern - CNBC (cable) Thursday, August 19th - China vs. Argentina - 1:00P PM Eastern - MSNBC (cable) It's going to be interesting! TUESDAY, 8/3/04
THURSDAY, 7/29/04 - I wanted to take time out and acknowledge the great Yao Ming discussions taking place in the Discussion Forum. In particular, one person has been doing exceptional work in the forum for almost two years now -- especially during the NBA off-season while Yao is in China and it's difficult for people in the States to see what's going on. Our good friend Raymond, a.k.a. "pryuen," keeps us up-to-date with Yao happenings, writes great descriptions of those activities, translates articles written in Chinese into English, and posts photos of Yao from Chinese Web sites. Just to show how active Raymond is on the forum, he is quickly approaching his 10,000th post! That's a record! And he just doesn't post meaningless short messages to rack up the numbers. His messages and descriptions are very relevant to the discussions taking place. There are other folks in the forum making great contributions, but I wanted to single out Raymond because of the "10k" milestone he is about to achieve. Thanks again, Raymond, for all your great work!
SUNDAY, 7/18/04 - Yao and his Chinese teammates just completed their participation in a four-team tournament in Urumqi, Xinjiang. In Thursday's victory over Brazil where Yao scored 30 points and had 11 rebounds (in just 23 minutes of action), Yao sprained his ankle at the end of the third quarter, so he didn't play the rest of the game. The ankle sprain is not considered serious, but just to be safe, Yao did not play in Friday's game against Croatia either. His teammates won that game 95-84, though, and completed the tournament undefeated. After a workout Saturday morning, the team flew back to Beijing. Pryuen (a.k.a. "Raymond), a huge YaoMingManiac in China, summed up the tournament and Yao's performance best with the following quote: "Even though the 3 Canadian, Brazillian and Croatian national teams are lesser teams without their key players (in fact they could just be their junior national teams), Yao Ming's performance is STILL great despite the fact he just recovered from his toe injury. "In this 4-Nations Tournament, other than the match with Canada in Beijing (sidelined by his toe injury), and the match with Croatia in Urumqi (sidelined by a twisted ankle), Yao Ming was playing a total of 91 minutes (i.e. less than 23 mpg), but scoring a total of 110 points (i.e. 27.5 ppg) and snatching a total of 28 rebounds (i.e. 7 rpg). "The reason for lower-than-expected rebound totals is understandable; he has to take care of his newly recovered toe nail. Therefore his performance is close to a 20/10 player and is to be commended." Thanks for the observations, pryuen! MONDAY, 7/5/04 - So now that a few days has elapsed since the big trade for Tracy McGrady went down, I have had a chance to think about what I think will happen with T-Mac and Yao joining forces. Obviously, it will be much easier for the Rockets to score points compared to last year's painful offensive struggles. T-Mac can really fill it up. The threat that T-Mac poses for defenses will free things up for Yao down low, and Yao will score more points as a result. On the surface, comparisons of T-Mac/Yao to Shaq/Kobe really aren't a good thing. Shaq and Kobe never really played well with each other. They didn't have set plays they ran with each other, like the pick-and-roll. They weren't the "Batman and Robin" that Shaq sometimes claimed they were because they hardly passed the ball to each other. They mainly gave each other a break. If Shaq went to the bench or got tired, Kobe would take over. When Kobe decided not to hog the ball, Shaq took over. Not exactly a symbiotic relationship as evidenced by what we saw in the last NBA finals, nor in this off-season. Having watched a lot of Lakers games over the years, it wasn't great team basketball to watch, and I hope T-Mac and Yao don't play ball like they did. I simply think the Lakers were overrated as a team. Don't forget that they were down 15 points in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Portland Trailblazers in 2000, but they miraculously came back and eventually won the championship. Then a couple of years later, if Robert Horry hadn't hit a 3-point prayer at the buzzer against Sacramento, the Lakers' championship hopes probably would have been over. Not exactly a dynasty of a team. So constructing a new version of Shaq/Kobe with Yao/T-Mac doesn't come close to guaranteeing a championship. I am really looking forward to seeing Yao passing from the post to T-Mac cutting through the lane for layups and dunks. T-Mac is several inches taller than Francis and Mobley with a much longer wingspan to boot, so it will be easy for Yao to use his own 7'5" reach to connect with him. T-Mac also is a better passer than Francis, so look for Yao to get better opportunities to score once T-Mac penetrates, draws the defense to him, and dishes off to Yao for dunks and open jumpers. I just hope that Houston doesn't rely on T-Mac and Yao to score 60% of their points like the Lakers did (it seems) for Shaq and Kobe Finally, since coach Jeff Van Gundy wants T-Mac to focus on defense more, it will be very difficult for scoring guards and forwards to get past T-Mac AND Yao when they try to get to the hoop. WEDNESDAY, 6/30/04 - It's about time -- Tracy McGrady is coming to Houston to join Yao and make a run for a ring! Steve Francis leaves Houston at probably the best time for both himself and the Rockets. That's all I'll say for now since I haven't been the biggest Francis fan the past few years. Also coming to Houston is power forward Juwan Howard, who averages about 17 points a game. That might be the part of this trade that really makes a difference. Tyronn Lue isn't a bad point guard, either. When the dust settles, I'll have more to say about this trade. In the meantime, check out what others are saying in the YaoMingMania.com discussion forum. SATURDAY, 6/26/04 - As I write this, the proposed trade of Steve Francis (and other Rockets) for Tracy McGrady (and other Orlando Magic players) has still not happened. I have been waiting all week for this thing to happen, but it's still pending. I don't know about you, but I think what Magic General Manager John Weisbrod has been doing is classless. Everyone thought this trade was going to happen Monday or Tuesday very quickly after it was acknowledged the Rockets and Magic were talking. But then all of a sudden the Magic started getting "buyer's remorse" and admitted they were entertaining offers from other teams, in essence using the Rockets to see if they could get something better. In the meantime, the players involved in this deal have been left twisting in the wind. Even worse, if the deal doesn't happen, the Rockets will be left with players (Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato) with scarred egos and bad attitudes toward the team -- and I wouldn't blame them. Trade talks can be very sensitive subjects for the players involved, and the fact these talks were made public -- and we still don't have a deal -- is very surprising. Weisbrod doesn't have to worry about hurting McGrady's feelings because T-Mac is the one who asked to be traded. The only Magic players who may be hurt are Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gains. But when you're on a team that finished with the worst record in the league, you shouldn't be surprised if your name comes up in trade discussions. I haven't heard any of the media jump on Weisbrod for his tactic of using the Rockets to try to get a better deal. [Editor's note: later in Sunday's Houston Chronicle, they finally wrote an article stating exactly what I'm stating here, even using some of the same phrases. Perhaps they read this column and felt compelled to agree?] The media might think it's a customary thing, but I don't think it's that common for a deal to be left hanging for so long without the deal being completed, or a denial that nothing is happening at all. Of course, you won't hear Rockets' General Manager Carroll Dawson say anything bad about Weisbrod because he doesn't want to endanger the deal by making the Magic look bad. But I'll say it, which I'm doing now. I can understand the Magic not wanting to make an announcement Thursday because that was the day of the NBA Draft, and Orlando had the first pick. I can also understand not making an announcement on Friday because that was the day that #1 pick Dwight Howard would appear in Orlando for the media blitz. Howard should have his day in the sun without the Francis trade taking away from it. But I was fully expecting Friday night for this trade to be consummated. Instead, I read this morning (Saturday) that Weisbrod, who met with Francis in Orlando on Friday, saying, "It (meeting with Francis) doesn't put us any closer to anything being final." What!? My interpretation of what Weisbrod meant to say: "We are still entertaining offers." Can you imagine if Francis, who is a fairly sensitive guy, had to play in Houston after all of this? As talented as Francis is athletically, we would have a pyschological head case on our hands that would be very difficult to overcome. There is a part of me that hopes he would respond the same way Robert Horry did in the 1994-95 season. You may remember the Rockets had dealt Horry to Detroit for Sean Elliott, but Elliott then failed his physical because of a liver ailment. Horry, who had already flown to Detroit, had to return to Houston with a very bruised psyche. But it seemed to be a wake-up call for Horry, who played a lot better after the trade, and helped the Rockets win a championship. Unfortunately, I don't think Francis is that kind of player. He has known for a few years that many people in Houston have wanted him traded. However, the Rockets had stuck with him and gave him the impression he was going to be a Rocket at least for at least a year or two more. All of that trust is now gone. About the trade I'm hesitant to analyze the proposed trade much until it happens. However, I am in favor of it, but perhaps not as much as you might think. I have never been in favor of building a team around two players (Yao and McGrady) at the expense of not having good role players to fill the other spots. I worry about the void that will be created at point guard. Tyronn Lue is too small to really defend against the bigger PGs in the league. I think the Rockets would miss Cuttino Mobley because of his quickness and talent for defending other big guards, but T-Mac is talented enough to make Mobley's departure worth it. Although I'm not the biggest Kelvin Cato fan because of his pathetic offense, he brought rebounding and defense to the table. I don't know if Juwan Howard is the Rockets' answer at power forward, but it may be worth the gamble. We won't know until Weisbrod makes up his mind. Back to Weisbrod and the Magic: this is a terrible way for a team to do business. If Orlando backs out of these trade talks, you can bet not many NBA teams will be comfortable doing deals with Weisbrod for fear he will pull this same kind of stunt again. No wonder the Magic were the worst team in the league last year and McGrady wants to leave. WEDNESDAY, 6/16/04
SATURDAY, 6/12/04 - The last few days have been very busy for Yao! Earlier this week he ran the final leg of the Olympic torch run in Beijing. The next day, he was appointed a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics and spent some time with some special athletes (as pictured below).  For more details on the story, click here. Then later he was involved in the taping of a TV variety show for the Special Olympics. For more photos from the Special Olympics announcement and related activities, click here. Then earlier today, he opened "Yao's House" in Shanghai, the biggest basketball park in China (click here for more photos). And on June 20th, he arrives in Dallas to join the Chinese National Team to train for the Olympics (see below). And I thought I was busy! Whew! SATURDAY, 6/12/04 - As you may know, Yao and the Chinese National Team will be training in the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the next few weeks in preparation for the Olympics. I was contacted by one of the organizers, who gave me a schedule of all the events. It appears there will be plenty of opportunities to see Yao, starting June 20th when he arrives. Lots of public appearances are scheduled, and is probably more than what you would get during an entire Rockets season in Houston. Click here to view the entire schedule (subject to change). There will be 3 exhibition games played, and all general admission tickets are only $10.
If you want to secure seats, click here for ticket ordering information. WEDNESDAY, 6/9/04
SUNDAY, 6/6/04 - I was contacted this week by a Chinese sports marketing agency that does work for Reebok about the recent Yao Ming Cup basketball tournament held May 29-30 in Shanghai. The tournament brought together the City Champs from the Reebook China High School Basketball Leagues in China's 3 major cities -- Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. Yao surprised everyone by showing up at the welcome dinner, giving a speech, and taking photos with each team. This weekend, Yao and Reebok are supposed to be getting together to dedicate an outdoor basketball park in downtown Shanghai called "Yao's House." Yao's House Basketball Park will be open free to kids in Shanghai, with an aim of becoming the epicenter of cool basketball in Yao's hometown of 14 million. Click here for a few photos from the Yao Ming Cup. By the way, it has been a crazy month since I made my last posting on YaoMingMania.com. In addition to changing jobs, I have been in the process of moving out of my old place and into a new one. Needless to say, it has been hectic and crazy. Fortunately, there really hasn't been too much going on with Yao this off-season, so you haven't missed much. Things should be heating up soon, though, as Yao prepares for the Olympics in August. I'll keep you posted. THURSDAY, 5/6/04 - I know it has been a few days since I posted anything on YaoMingMania. I just wanted to let everyone know that I've got some exciting things in store for the off-season and next season. First, now that the season is over, I finally have enough time to work on the re-design of YaoMingMania.com with the help of an excellent Web designer in New York. Secondly, I plan to share with you over the next few weeks some of the results of the Web survey I conducted a few weeks ago. Thank you so much for all your feedback. Third, I need to calculate who came the closest in predicting before the season what Yao's stats were going to be at the end of the season. Sorry for the delay on that. There were so many predictions I'm going to have to sift through, and I'm also in the midst of a lot of change at work right now. Finally, I realize that it's probably going to be very difficult for me to do the Latest Summary, Detailed Yao Analysis and shot chart all by myself for the third consecutive year next season. Many of you suggested through the survey that I try to get help so I don't kill myself. So that's what I'm going to do! I will be posting more details on how some of you big Yao-fans out there can get your opinion read by thousands and thousands of readers while helping me out. I might even be able to pay a little stipend to those people who are selected to be writers, but the big return might come through fringe benefits (TBD) as well as being able to 'pad' your resume saying that you have written for one of the top athlete sites on the Web. The main criteria will be a commitment to watching some of Yao's games on television (perhaps once a week), a passion for writing, basketball, and a track record of great writing either in school or professional life. Again, thank you for all your kind words on all the work I've put into the site the past two seasons. Just to let you know, although Yao's season is over, I'll be posting new content every few days or so. FYI: I've got a big cross-country trip planned at the end of next week since I now have more of a "life" now that the Rockets' season is complete. SATURDAY, 5/1/04 - For the record, I have gone ahead and completed my Detailed Yao Analysis below of the Rockets' final game of the season Wednesday when the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs by the Lakers. It was an ugly performance by the Rockets, including Yao, who was 3-for-10 from the field with 10 points. As unpleasant as a game it was for Yao, it's probably a good thing to have this DYA posted so we can see where Yao's game needs to improve during the off-season. I also incorporated several comments from TNT analyst Mike Dunleavy in black, bold letters. Dunleavy's comments were very astute (with one being very humorous), and it makes you wonder how the Rockets would have done if Dunleavy had been hired as the Rockets head coach instead of Jeff Van Gundy. Not that we're unhappy with Van Gundy's job, but it would have been interesting since Dunleavy wanted the Rocket job so badly. FRIDAY, 4/30/04 - I wanted to bring your attention to two articles I missed over the past few days that I found interesting. One was from a week ago, entitled "The Case of Steve Francis" by ESPN.com's Ric Bucher (one of my favorite writers). The other article, To be Big Dog, Yao Must Bark, also written by Bucher, was posted Wednesday on ESPN.com. Special thanks to EB for giving me the heads up. THURSDAY, 4/29/04 - Humiliating. Abysmal. Ridiculous. Laughable. Disgraceful. These words are an attempt to describe the Rockets' third quarter last night against the Lakers. There isn't a worse way for the Rockets season to end their season than with the effort they had in the second half Wednesday night as they were eliminated from the playoffs in a blowout, 97-78, to the Lakers in LA. The Rockets were actually leading at halftime 48-47 despite 13 turnovers that led to 16 Laker points, but during the third quarter the Rockets offense was up to its old tricks that had plagued them all season long. This time they scored 9 points in the quarter on 2-of-16 shooting, went 9:20 without a basket and 11 minutes scoring only one bucket. The Rockets offense was so out-of-sync, you had to wonder if they had improved at all this season. Watching the collapse, I just wanted someone to put this team quickly out of its misery with some euthanasia--please! Yao had a terrible game to end his season, shooting 3-for-10 from the field and committing 3 turnovers. In a game where they needed someone to step up when the chips were on the line, Yao was not able to do it. He badly missed many of the same shots that fell for him earlier in the season. His play was so ineffective, Jeff Van Gundy held him out of the game late in the third quarter and fourth quarter, and was put back INTO the game with the Rockets DOWN by 21 points. He basically had reached "scrub" status in the most important game of the season. But Yao wasn't the only one who didn't come through. Steve Francis was 5-for-15 and 0-for-5 in the pivotal third quarter, including one possession where he panicked when he received the ball about 5 feet behind the three-point line with 6 seconds remaining on the shot clock and put up an embarrassing air ball. The Laker crowd let him have it with deserved chants of "air ball, air ball." Six of Francis 16 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. Jim Jackson was 7-for-17 for 17 points, but seven of his points came in the fourth quarter garbage time. Kelvin Cato, the offensive liability who makes the Rockets offense play 4-on-5 when he's in the game, scored his typical 5 points. Cuttino Mobley was an amazing 5-for-5 in the first quarter with 14 points, but he went 1-for-7 the rest of the way. Moreover, in the fourth quarter with about 7 minutes remaining, Mobley was actually laughing with Kobe during a break in the action while the Rockets were getting their butt kicked in their final game of the season. Unbelievable. For such an important game, the Rockets offense played so carelessly, it was like watching a preseason game as they committed turnover after turnover. After the 13 first half turnovers, they committed 4 T.O.s in that infamous third quarter. Francis and Mobley had four each, and even Yao had 3 awful turnovers that reminded me of mistakes he had made early in his rookie season. Needless to say, it's not worth doing a Detailed Yao Analysis or shot chart right now because there is hardly anything good to note from his play for this game. But I will try to do one in the next day or two so it can be something that we can refer to keep things in perspective as Yao improves as a basketball player in the off-season. Another way of looking at it... Since the Rockets playoff debut was such a disaster and their regular season was full of inconsistencies, I'm trying to just look at the past 7 months as an "extended training camp" where new coach Jeff Van Gundy could feel out his squad and see who he wants to keep, and who he wants to cut or trade. So who do you think will be staying and leaving? Voice your opinion in the discussion forum in this topic. Although this ends the Rockets season, keep an eye out over the next couple of days for a DYA & shot chart from Wednesday night's game. Beyond that and throughout the summer, look for more analysis of this past season, moves the Rockets might be making to improve their roster, and Yao's improvement and preparation for the Summer Olympics in Athens. cYao for now, John |
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| 1st quarter | ||
| 11:44 |  |
Shaq dribbles across the lane on Yao and tries to sweep in for a layup, but Yao blocks Shaq's shot out of bounds. It wasn't a spectacular block. It was more like a tipped ball. |
| 9:35 |  |
Yao misses a jump shot from the left side of the court. He is 0-for-1 from the field. The Rockets lead 5-4. |
| 7:42 | Fumble | Yao fumbles a pretty good pass thrown to him underneath the basket, and the Lakers gain possession. |
| 7:23 | Free Throws |
Yao grabs a rebound in mid-air underneath the basket and misses a tip-in from point-blank range, but the refs bailed him out by calling a foul on Karl Malone. Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws, and the Rockets lead 9-8. Yao is 0-for-1 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line with two points. |
| 6:47 | "Foul" | Karl Malone gets the ball deep in the paint, and Yao just stands there with his hands above his head while Malone goes up for a shot and ACTS his way into getting a foul called on Yao, just like he did in Game 4 with 1:27 remaining in overtime to get Yao fouled out of the game. When are the refs going to catch on that Malone is a fake artist? That's Yao's first "foul." |
| 5:45 |  |
Yao badly misses a right-handed jump hook in the lane over Shaq which was off-line, hit the backboard, and didn't even draw iron. But luckily, Kelvin Cato grabbed the rebound, went up for a jump hook, SCORED AND WAS FOULED! Cato goes to the line and makes the penalty free throw, and the Rockets lead 17-8. Yao is now 0-for-2 from the field and has 2 points. The LA crowd is getting restless since the Rockets have gone on a 10-0 run. |
| 3:58 |  |
Yao sets a pick out high near the right elbow of the lane, and Steve Francis dribbles around it, draws Shaq and Payton to him, then Francis whips a pass to Yao who penetrated into the middle of the lane, and Yao lays it in! Now THAT'S how it should be done for Yao every time! Credit Francis with an assist. Yao is now 1-for-3 from the field with 4 points, and the Rockets lead 19-10. |
| 3:19 | Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets lead 20-12. Yao is 1-for-3 from the field with 4 points. | |
| 2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets lead 27-24. The Rockets were 10-of-18 from the field. Cuttino Mobley was 5-for-5 and made all three of his three-point attempts. Karl Malone has 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, and Kobe Bryant was 3-for-6 from the field with 6 points. The Rocket lead would be larger if it wasn't for 4 or 5 turnovers. Yao does not start the second quarter. | ||
| 10:03 | At the start of the second quarter, the Rockets start off missing two field goals and turning the ball over two times. At this point, Yao checks into the game for Kelvin Cato. The game is tied 29-29. On the next Rocket possession, they turn the ball over again! | |
| 9:15 | Foul | On a defensive rebound, Yao taps the ball away from Shaq without touching him AND THE REFS CALL A STUPID FOUL ON YAO! That is the worst call I have seen in a long time! Yao winces at the ref wondering what in the world is going on here! C'mon refs, let 'em play! Yao now has two fouls. |
| 8:09 |  |
Yao gets possession deep in the lane on Shaq and he goes straight up with a right-handed hook shot and scores over Shaq! The Rockets now lead 34-33, and Yao is 2-for-4 from the field with 6 points. |
| 6:23 |  |
Kobe drives into the lane from the right side of the court, elevates and runs into Yao, then throws a shot up at the rim, which misses. As Kobe drove into Yao, Yao's momentum carried him backwards out of bounds. The ball comes back down to Kobe underneath the rim, and Kobe puts up a tough, double-pump, no-look shot underneath the rim...but Yao comes back inbounds and blocks Kobe's shot! That's Yao's second block of the game. However, it looks like Yao fouled Kobe on the head on that play. Yao gains possession of the ball, and Houston leads 36-35. |
| 5:23 |  |
On almost the exact same play that occured with 1:27 remaining in overtime in Game 4 where Malone was able to draw foul on Yao to foul him out of the game, Malone gets the ball again on the right baseline, drives on Yao, then puts up a fadeaway jumper over Yao, and YAO BLOCKS HIS SHOT! That's the first time I can remember someone blocking a Malone fadeaway. Yao records his third block of the game, and the game is tied 38-38. |
| 5:05 | Francis scores his first points of the game--two free throws. If the Rockets are going to win this game, they need more offensive production from Francis, who is 0-for-2 from the floor and has 3 turnovers. After he makes both free throws, the Rockets lead 40-38. | |
| 3:05 | Maurice Taylor drives the baseline on Shaq, then from underneath the basket dishes a pass to Cato who is cutting into the lane, but Cato drops it! Although the pass was slightly off-target, it was still catchable. Being the 11th turnover for the Rockets, that play sums up the Rockets season thus far! | |
| 3:58 |  |
Yao misses a 6-foot right-handed jump hook over Shaq from the left edge of the lane. He is now 2-for-5 from the field with 6 points. |
| 3:38 | Yao checks out of the game for Kelvin Cato. The game is tied 42-42. | |
| 3:00 | Just a few seconds later, Yao checks back into the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets trail 42-43. | |
| 2:40 | Yao sets a pick for Cuttino Mobley, who dribbles around the pick and sees Yao all by himself a couple of feet outside the right edge of the lane. Instead of taking a shot, Yao tries to throw a cute touch-pass to Cato underneath the basket which is nowhere on target! The ball is stolen by the Lakers, and that was the Rockets' 12th turnover. TNT analyst Mike Dunleavy comments, "Yao Ming has GOT to become more aggressive. He has made some passes trying to find guys (unselfishly). Jeff Van Gundy needs for him to score. He could have taken that ball to the rim and get a smaller guy on him and finished it."
The Rockets still trail 42-43. |
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| 2:06 | Turnover | Yao gets the ball a couple of feet outside the left edge of the lane and starts dribbling on Karl Malone. But Yao dribbles one too many times and gives Gary Payton a chance to double-team him and and strip the ball away, which he does. That's the second straight turnover from Yao. C'mon Yao, don't dribble the ball so much like Steve Francis does sometimes! That's the Rockets 13th turnover, and they still trail 42-43. |
| 1:21 |  + Free Throw |
Yao sets a pick for Francis near the top of the three-point arc, then Francis throws the ball back to Yao. Yao pump fakes on Malone, then dribbles the ball once to the right elbow of the lane, picks up his dribble, takes two large steps into the lane, elevates, gets Shaq to jump in the air and foul him, and while in mid-air Yao throws up a scoop shot that goes in! That was one of Yao's most beautiful plays ever! On top of that, Shaq picks up his second foul! Yao is now 3-for-6 from the field with 8 points. However, on the penalty free throw, the ball rattles in and out! The Rockets lead 46-45. |
| Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets lead 48-47. They are shooting 51% from the floor, and 57% from three-point territory. It's amazing with all the Rockets turnovers (13) that they are still in the game! But they should have a much bigger lead than just one point. | ||
| 3rd Quarter - Yao starts the quarter. | ||
| 11:40 |  |
On the first possession of the second half, Yao shoots a jump shot where Shaq backed off him and isn't in his face, and it's an air ball! Ugly! We haven't seen Yao miss a shot that badly in quite awhile. Yao is now 3-for-7 from the field with 8 points. Rockets lead 48-47. |
| 11:10 |  |
Yao misses a left-handed hook shot from about four feet away. His shots just aren't falling! Yao is now 3-for-8 from the field with 8 points. Rockets lead 48-47. |
| 9:32 | Yao is guarding Shaq, and Yao tries to deflect a pass to Shaq from Devean George by going over Shaq's head. Shaq catches the ball and dishes it back to George, who is coming around Shaq's pick. Yao, who was playing Shaq closely trying to go for the steal, lets George roll around Shaq's pick without impeding him, and George easily drives to the lane for a dunk! TNT analyst Mike Dunleavy says, "When they throw the ball into Shaq in the low post, the Big Man has gotta take a step up and protect the cutter. Shaq wasn't going to do anything from 14-15 feet with that ball." | |
| 6:44 |
Yao gets the ball on the right side of the court and decides to dribble to the elbow of the lane, but while he is dribbling, Kobe comes over and knocks the ball away and Yao goes down to the floor, gathers the ball, and calls timeout (as well as Francis) so the Rockets don't lose possession.
There were two things done wrong on that play. First, Yao should realize he cannot dribble the ball too much against the Lakers' defense because they collapsed on him earlier and made him turn it over. Second, Dunleavy sums it up well (and quite humorously): "I really don't like that call. When you're 7'6" why would you call a timeout? You don't need a timeout to keep possession of the ball, you're 7'6". You're the biggest guy in the building...maybe the world, you know? Who are you going to lose a jump ball to? Why waste your team's timeout? If I was coaching him, I'd say, 'Don't ever call a timeout if you get a jump ball.'" |
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| 5:35 |  |
Yao gets the ball down low to the right side of the rim and goes up for a shot off the glass from about 4 feet, BUT SHAQ BLOCKS IT EMPHATICALLY! Yao is now 3-for-9 from the field, and the Rockets are 1-of-10 from the floor this quarter. The Rockets trail 52-56. |
| 4:23 |  |
Yao goes up for a turnaround fadeaway jumper in the lane over Shaq, AND SHAQ BLOCKS HIM AGAIN (although it looks like he might have fouled him)! Even Dunleavy says, "I'm not sure if he got the ball on that one." Yao is now 3-for-10 from the field. This has not been one of Yao's better quarters. The Rockets trail 53-56. |
| 3:29 | Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets trail 53-59. | |
| 3:13 | After Shaq checks out of the game, Yao checks back into the game for Kelvin Cato. That was a short break. The Rockets trail 53-60. | |
| 2:24 | Free Throws |
Yao gets fouled by Kobe (even though the refs gave the foul to Malone) as he goes up to shoot a fallaway jumper from the right elbow of the lane. Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws. He is now 4-of-5 from the line with 10 points. The Rockets trail 54-64. |
| 2:10 |  |
Derek Fisher drives the left baseline and puts up a point-blank shot, but Yao comes over to block it! Of course, Fisher the Flopper tries to get the ref to call a foul by letting out a loud yell like he was fouled, but the refs don't buy it. That was Yao's fourth block of the game. The Rockets trail 55-64. |
| 1:29 | Turnover | From the top of the three-point arc, Yao throws a pass to Maurice Taylor who is in the middle of the lane, but the pass sails way over his head and out of bounds. That was Yao's third turnover. |
| 4th Quarter - At the end of three quarters, the Rockets trail 57-72 and the Rockets season is just about over. The Rockets were outscored 25-9 in the quarter, and they only shot 2-for-16 from the field. Steve Francis was 0-for-5 from the field, and Jim Jackson was 1-for-4. Yao was 0-for-4 from the field and had a turnover in one of his most forgettable quarters ever. | ||
| 8:01 | Yao checks into the game for Kelvin Cato with the Rockets down by 21 points, 59-80. | |
| 5:33 | Yao checks out of the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets trail 61-86 and they go on to lose 97-78. Yao finishes 3-of-10 from the field for 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 turnovers. The Rockets season is over. | |
Previous game summaries
The Rockets' regular season record was 45-37.
The Rockets were eliminated 4-1 in their playoff series against the LA Lakers
| Last 5 game summaries... | |||||||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Outcome | Min. | Pts | FGs | FTs | 3Pts | Rebs | Asst | Blks | Steals | TOs | PFs |
| Playoff games... | |||||||||||||
| 4/28/04 | @ LA Lakers | L 78-97 | 32 | 10 | 3-10 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 4/25/04 | LA Lakers | L 88-92 | 35 | 16 | 7-15 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 4/23/04 | LA Lakers | W 102-91 | 42 | 18 | 9-13 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 4/19/04 | @ LA Lakers | L 84-98 | 40 | 21 | 8-19 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 4/17/04 | @ LA Lakers | L 71-72 | 37 | 10 | 4-11 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Click here to see all of this season's game summaries, then click on the links in the "Outcome" column to read about the games. | |||||||||||||
| 2003-04 averages |
32.8 | 17.4 | 6.5-12.5 (52.2%) |
FTs: 4.4-5.4 (80.9%) |
9.0 | 1.5 | 1.9 | .3 | 2.5 | 3.3 | |||
| 2002-03 averages (click to see game summaries) |
29.1 | 13.5 | 4.9-9.8 (49.8%) |
FTs: 3.7-4.5 (81.1%) |
8.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | .4 | 2.1 | 2.8 | |||
Click here for Yao's 2002-03 game summaries and stats
2003 NBA All-Star game weekend coverage
Pre-NBA summaries
What they are saying
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What Yao is saying
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"I have talked with Yao and he told me that he had never said he would quit the national team."
- Chinese team captain Li Yuanwei refuting an earlier report that Yao said he would quit the national team in the not-too-distant future, 8/17/04 |
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"He's not going to retire. When you interview a player right after a very bad performance, not giving him time to rest a bit, he might say something he doesn't really mean."
- Chinese Olympic coach Del Harris commenting on Yao's statement that he might retire from the national team after China was drubbed by Spain 83-58 in the first game of the Olympics, 8/17/04 |
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"He is a man of integrity and has good sense of humour. He is the perfect one to be the flag-bearer."
- Chinese Olympic delegation official Xiao Tian regarding Yao being chosen to be the flag-bearer for his country duing the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, 8/9/04 |
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"I don't think Yao is quite up to speed, but he showed off his ability tonight for the fans. Yao's tough. He played with pain tonight and he was a force down the stretch."
- Chinese national team coach Del Harris, after Yao recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds with an injured toe in an exhibition game, 7/01/04 |
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"He's pretty much what you expect. He's so big and I think I learned what I have to look forward to in the league. He's a tough guy to have to face for your first NBA center."
- 7'5" Dallas Maverick rookie center Pavel Podkolzine, after facing Yao in an exhibition game, 7/01/04 |
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"If he had it, no one could stop it. Absolutely no one.
"I don't think he really understands how to use his height when he's in close at the basket. He wants to come out to 15 feet, where he can shoot over anybody. He can do that, but if he can get in closer to the basket and then operate from there, taking the six-foot shot, the high-percentage shot, that would really help his game. He doesn't play the game that way at this point in his career. I think he could be very effective (if he played that way)." "It's like he's doing it the hard way, you know. He's not using his strengths to his best advantage. But that's not his fault. Somebody has to show him." "I could help him. Patrick (Ewing) could show him. Patrick was effective. But Patrick also shot a lot of jumpers, so maybe Patrick isn't focusing on that one specific (inside) aspect of his game. And when you have that kind of size, I think that's what it is all about. "I would imagine that (Yao) must get frustrated because people expect so much from him. He hasn't been able to deliver. I can see he doesn't understand the dynamics here. He's very intelligent, he's a good athlete, and he has a great attitude. He can be a great player, but nobody has taken him through those steps yet." "(The sky hook) is not sexy. Everybody who plays wants to be like Michael Jordan or shoot 3-pointers or be driving and dunking. "Backing in and working the post, getting a high-percentage six-foot shot, has no visual appeal. But it really affects the bottom line -- whether you win or lose. And that's most important. It takes awhile until (players like Yao) have an understanding of the game that goes that deep." - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, on the benefits of Yao adding the sky hook to his arsenal, 5/09/04 |
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"I don't think it should (wear him out). When one of your two best players has such a production decline in the last month of his only two seasons in the NBA, included in that is the playoffs this year, ... there has got to be concern and you have to find out the answers, because if ... one of your best players doesn't play his best when his best is needed, then you're going to be continually frustrated. Certainly we've got to come up with, along with Yao, a solution so he's playing his best and we have a chance to play our best in April and hopefully May and June."
- Coach Jeff Van Gundy saying he's not too concerned about Yao's summer Olympic training schedule, but then backtracking a bit, 4/25//04 |
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"One of the things he is going to have to realize is that Shaq already comes in with the mentality of hitting you first. So when you hit back, it's obviously going to be a foul, even if you think it's protecting yourself. So Yao might have to get the mentality that he's going to have to hit Shaq first, maybe be tougher on him on the offensive end so maybe he can draw some of those offensive fouls like he did in Game 2.
"I know he's frustrated. You foul out of a playoff game, it's overtime -- you're frustrated. But at the same time, we can't let him get away from what he does. He still has to be Yao. He's not Shaq. He still has to focus on doing the things he does." - Rockets power forward Maurice Taylor after the Rockets lost Game 4 where Yao fouled out of the game, 4/25/04 |
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"He doesn't have bravado, which a lot of players have — but he does have true confidence, which is very distinctive. I think a lot of players in our league don't have as much confidence as they appear to have. It's more that bravado."
"He's very humble, which is a blessing and, at times, a curse." "I think humility's a great thing. I think one of the great demeanors he can learn from is Tim Duncan, who's obviously a humble, team-oriented superstar, but also a fierce, fierce competitor who understands his impact on the game... "He [Yao] is in his second full year and it remains to be seen where he's going to take his career. Is he going to be a very good player, which is what he is? Is he going to be a great player, one of the all-time greats? I don't know. We'll find out over time... "I'm not sure that he always appreciates just where he can take us…. He doesn't mind being a backup singer and maybe at times, too much." - Miscellaneous thoughts from Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy, 4/23/04 |
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"Yao has to be able to change his mind-set. His first dribble on any post move is at the lane versus into the lane. When he's going into the lane and getting deep, he shoots a really high percentage. Yao has to do a better job of getting to where he wants to.
"We know we're not going to win the series if we don't go to him." - Rocket head coach Jeff Van Gundy after the Rockets fell behind 2-0 in their playoff series with the LA Lakers, 4/22/04 |
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"I'm not going to say he surprised me, because I saw the skill level that he had. It's just a matter of that skill level maturing to the point where he's really confident in what he can do.
"Confidence is the key. He can really be the most dominant player in this league in three or four years, if his confidence continues to grow. It's all in his mind." - Rocket teammate Jim Jackon on Yao's potential, 4/22/04 |
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"All those years we had (Hakeem) Olajuwon here, it was pretty easy to get good free agents. A center attracts free agents pretty well. Shaq has done that for the Lakers, and Olajuwon did that for us.
- Rockets General Manager Carroll Dawson on how Yao makes the Rockets an attractive team for free agents (like a power forward), 4/22/04 |
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"I think Yao has definitely made some strides. He still has a long way to go. He needs to be a more dominant individual, not just verbally, but also in his presence on the court.
"Yao has the potential and the ability to take over games not only offensively but defensively. He just has to envision himself doing it. He's so laid-back. Sometimes, I think he takes too much of a step back when he needs to be out in the forefront." - Rockets assistant coach Patrick Ewing describing the type of player Yao needs to be, 4/21/04 |
What Yao is saying
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Post-game comments from Yao after his Chinese team was soundly defeated by Lithuania 95-75 and eliminated from medal contention, 8/26/04
"We are not playing at the same status as Lithuania. We wanted to be very strong in the game, but we lost because we did not manage to block the players not holding the ball. We need to play defense against everybody." "We should now know how the Europeans play at this level and how we can reach them. We now know how to improve ourselves." |
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A very disappointed Yao after the Chinese lost their first game of the Olympics 83-58 to Spain, 8/15/04
"I feel so disappointed. I lost all of my hope for this team. I didn't expect to play so bad. We changed our skin but we are the same, just like the World Championships in Indianapolis two years ago." "I didn't play well either. I am thinking about retiring from the national team. Not now, but soon I will. In Indianapolis I was the youngest player, now I am an elder, but still there is no hope for us." |
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A vow Yao made if his Chinese national team does not finish better than where they placed in the 2000 Olympics, 8/12/04
"I will not shave for half a year if we can not finish top eight at Athens." |
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His view of playing for the Chinese national team in the Olympics, early May 2004
"Obviously, there are times when I wish I could have more time off in order to rest my body. However, I view playing on the Chinese national team as a great honor, and it is worth the sacrifice." |
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What Yao thinks the Rockets need to do to improve, 4/30/04
"I think we have to start with change among ourselves, work on ourselves first and what we need to do. We had some very good stretches during the season when we played great. But we're like a ship on the ocean, up and down with the current. We have to figure out how to become more consistent and sail smoothly." |
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Why Yao thought the Rockets lost to the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, 4/28/04
"Overall, we didn't have the resolve. It was a confidence problem. Being young is part of the problem, but we don't want to continue to hide behind that." |
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How he would grade the Rockets' season after they got eliminated by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, 4/28/04
"Getting to the first round is a 70, getting to the second round 80, getting to the Western Conference finals 90 and getting to the championship 100." |
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How Yao felt about the referee calling Yao for his sixth foul on an important Karl Malone basket at the end of Game 4 of their playoff series, 4/26/04
"If that's a foul, then I can't play defense." |
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How Shaq has improved improved his defense on Yao, 4/23/04
"When you talk about a few great games that I played great against Shaq, that was like a first step. Shaq gave me space. He was not as strong on defense. That was a first step. Now is the second step. He played harder against me. One day, if I pass that ... if I pass that step, then the third is coming. "He's just playing harder. It's not just technique. Also here (tapping his head)." |
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After the Rockets lost Game #2 in their playoff series with the LA Lakers, 4/20/04
"Shaquille O'Neal had a lot of fouls at one point, and I should have been able to get closer to the basket. It was my problem. I didn't take advantage of the opportunities I had." |
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One of the ways assistant coach Patrick Ewing has helped Yao improve his game, 4/17/04
"He sets a standard for me. He tells me before a game how many points I should be able to score." |
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How Shaq adjusted defensively to Yao in their last match-up, resulting in Yao shooting 3-for-15 from the field, and what he plans to do about it, 4/15/04
"You can say from that last game we played, he changed a bit, and he's been working really hard at guarding me. So I need to work harder and at least contribute something to the team." |
More Yao quotes...
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to read our countdown of
Yao's top 11 games of his rookie season (2002-03)
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to see what Jeff Van Gundy said about Yao
before he became the Rockets' head coach and
what we predicted Van Gundy would do
Click here
for an exclusive interview with Yao's translator, Colin Pine
Discussion Board
Photos
Pre-NBA
For Yao's NBA photos, click on "More Yao" in Yao's 2002-03 game summaries and stats
YaoMingMania.com 2003 Rockets Report Card
2002 Scouting Reports
Click here
to read our countdown of
Yao's top 11 games of his rookie season (2002-03)
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to see what Jeff Van Gundy said about Yao
before he became the Rockets' head coach and
what we predicted Van Gundy would do
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for an exclusive interview with Yao's translator, Colin Pine
Discussion Board
Photos
Pre-NBA
For Yao's NBA photos, click on "More Yao" in Yao's 2002-03 game summaries and stats
YaoMingMania.com 2003 Rockets Report Card
2002 Scouting Reports