YaoMingMania.com - What they are saying about Yao Ming

100% dedicated to Yao Ming's life in the NBA.

What they are saying
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"That excuse that he's tired -- well, guess what? That's tired. No one cares if he's tired, least of all me, least of all his next opponent. Here's a good quote: `I'm tired of reading that h e's tired.'

"I never hear Shaq (O'Neal) say that he's tired. Never. I never hear that. I never hear the great players say that they're tired. It's interesting.

"He (Yao) goes through this a lot; two weeks or so his play is mediocre. He bounced back the last time he had one of those two-week periods. I thought (against) Seattle he was back on the upswing. So I was surprised to read about his state of fatigue."

"We need him to always be on an upswing. As you saw by our record in his downturn, it's hard for us to win if he's not as good as we need him to be. That's where maybe our lack of depth hurts us. We found it hard to make up for it. If we're not getting his best, it's hard for us to win whoever we play or wherever we play. I don't think it's any secret. He knows he's got to play well."

- Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy on Yao's recent fatigue, and how important it is for him to play well, 4/14/04

"We need him to play big minutes for us. If we're going to beat anybody of quality, he can't be taking the kind of fouls he's been taking. We need him to play at a high energy level over a long period of time. In the playoffs, he's going to need to play 38 to 40 minutes if we're going to beat anybody we play. He's got to deliver late. I think that's critical."

- Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy mentioning what Yao will need to do in the playoffs in order for the Rockets to win, 4/13/04

"That would be a generalization. I can't believe how many things are because of his culture. We are of a diverse populous. Everything is cultural now. He's not aggressive -- it's his culture."

"Is everybody from China the same? That's so ignorant to say that, it drives me crazy. I do think 'everything's his culture' is way wrong. If it was, I'd like to go over there and scoop up about 10 more."

- Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy debunking the theory that Yao is who he is solely because of his culture, early April 2004

"In the five-game stretch, he hasn't played very well. Overanalysis by Yao over his own game or over-worry ... is needless. He has to free his mind, react, play as well as he can, and the results will be as the results will be."

"Some guys in the league don't take the game or the results seriously enough, some at times, a little too much so it inhibits the play. I think Yao has been (worrying) too much right now. He just needs to play the game, and the results will be whatever they are."

"This conversation has happened a few times, now. There have been a number of times it has been addressed. I'd rather take a guy who cares too deeply and wants to carry a burden, too much of a burden, than the other way around. I would say that you're not going to find too many players sleepless at night over the results of a game. For him, his play would be better served not to get over-worried and overanalyzed. It's counterproductive."

- Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy on Yao's state of mind during the Rockets recent 5-game losing streak, 4/7/04

"I don't think defensively (Yao has) reached a level yet he can compete with Shaquille. He needs a lot of help and he needs a lot of time off (of O'Neal.) He's going to get in foul trouble. He needs a lot of guys to tag-team with him and he needs a lot of double teams to help him against O'Neal.

"But he's the best offensive player that Shaquille's had to play against since (Hakeem) Olajuwon, and that's Olajuwon in '94, '95. So that says a lot. This is a guy that's got a great touch. He's averaging more points per game against us (26.7 in the first three games vs. the Lakers) than he is in the season (17.7). He looks forward to matching against and playing against Shaquille, so that's key about his competitive instincts.

"You look at (Dikembe) Mutombo three years ago. He was still an extremely good player. That was Shaquille's biggest challenge back then. So Shaquille has measured his game offensively. He has not had to contend defensively ... with real good offensive players. This is an entire different thing for him.

"Now he has to find a way to work against someone where he has to focus all game long on the player in front of him, rather than playing team defense and patrolling the lane, so that's a different match up for him entirely."

- LA Laker coach Phil Jackson on the challenge Yao is for Shaq (potentially trying to psyche Shaq up for their matchups), 4/1/04

"He's a good player, but at 7-7, he's just doing what he's supposed to do. So, it's not that I'm going to say I'm not impressed, but at 7-7 you're supposed to shoot over whoever's sticking you. He's a long, long drink of water. I probably won't help out [on the defensive end] as much. I'll probably lean on him a little more, get him tired. And hopefully in the fourth quarter I'll have a little more than he will."

"I'm just going to try to stay in front of him. If he scores, he scores. Hopefully, I can get the opportunity to go back at him. Whenever you're playing somebody that's a scorer, you have to make them work on both ends. So, if those guys are coming down shooting and not playing defense, then he's probably going to have a big night.

"But I guarantee he won't stick me one-on-one. I guarantee you that. They have to double- and triple- and do that. We play him straight up…. I think I can affect his shot most of the time."

- Shaquille O'Neal before his matchup against Yao on April 1st, 3/31/04

"It's not just bad for Yao; it's bad for our organization. We do not deserve to be penalized because he is 7-6 and has a wonderful attitude and respect toward officials. Again, I'm not begging, but it's impossible. As much as we go to him, it's impossible."

"It's inequity; it really is. Yao Ming does not get officiated correctly. Plain and simple, Milwaukee (on Sunday), three flops, three offensive fouls. Last game, no free throws. That doesn't spark outrage, but if that was another center or another player, he'd be kicking the ball into the stands. It's a joke. It's really a joke."

"He's hard to officiate, but I feel it's like saying some team is hard to prepare for as a coach. We get paid for it. I don't know what that means. If it's so easy, all of us could do it. O'Neal deserves his free throws. Believe me, he deserves his free throws. Probably more. All I'm saying is it's impossible what is happening (to Yao).

"I don't know why it's happening. All I know is I'm right. I don't know the reasons. I don't know know the psychology. I just know I'm watching, he's getting fouled, he should be living on the line, and it's not happening."

"(Yao's) very easy to officiate, because no matter what you do, he's just going to walk to the other end. He's not going to make a stand. He's not going to get a technical foul. He's not going to kick a ball in the stands. And I applaud him for that. But he's also being taken advantage of for his kindness and his respect, and he's not being given the respect back."

- Rockets' Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy on Yao not getting the calls he deserves, 3/31/04

"When you have a force in the middle second only to (the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal), you have to exploit it if you want to win in the West."

"This young man has such immense offensive talent, and the thing I like about him is he's always working. I have a great deal of respect for him."

- Memphis Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown on the value he places on Yao, 3/26/04

"He's the guy that's going to take us home. He's the guy that's going to take control, get aggressive and bring us through these types of games. When he ducked in (to a deep position in the lane), I was going to throw it in every time. I didn't care if he was tired or what; I was going to throw it in there. I believe the ball in his hands makes us that much better."

"We were running the same play. We were just basically running the pick-and-roll. If they trapped Steve, or if they `downed' (leaving a big man on Yao, rather than rotating to Taylor) and left me open, we knew what to do."

- Rockets forward Maurice Taylor on his strategy of getting Yao the ball in a game in which he dominated in the clutch against the Portland Trailblazers, 3/22/04

"I don't say it very often, but Yao gets refereed totally different than anybody else in this league. I have called (the NBA office). It is dislodging. It is impeding. He does not get the benefit of any foul calls in this league. I'll say it after a win: That is a joke.

"We're going to the basket. So are they. But 33-11 (in free throws attempted versus Portland) is not equitable. Bob Delaney is a heck of an official -- I'll say that. Home or road, you know what you're getting.

"(Yao) is too easy to officiate because he does not complain and whine. He should not be punished for handling himself the right way with referees. He should be given equal treatment despite size differential. It's not happening, and it hasn't happened all year, and it's fallen on deaf ears."

- Coach Jeff Van Gundy on how Yao gets hammered but officials don't call fouls, 3/22/04

"They're doing a great job with him. Patrick's got him down on the block. He's getting the ball. He's scoring. He's playing strong. He's throwing that 300 pounds around with that 7-6 frame. He's doing what he should do.

"Patrick's doing a great job. You get a young player like that, you make him physical, you make him strong, you make him do what you got to do. When you're 7-6, nobody is going to stop you. And you're a scorer, too? C'mon. And you're a scorer, a rebounder and a good defender? C'mon. The Rockets have a great opportunity, and their coach is doing a great job."

- Houston Rocket legend Moses Malone complimenting Rockets assistant coach Patrick Ewing on his work with Yao, 3/20/04

"Those are the plays that decide games. The block on the out-of-bounds play, just generally making an impact even when you don't have the ball to shoot it. The great players play both ends. The great players play their best when their best is needed. That's what separates, along with consistency. And those two plays were great plays."

- Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy, describing two of Yao's great plays at the end of the Memphis Grizzlies game, 3/13/04

"Look, they've got the second-best big man in the league. Yao Ming is a shade below Shaq (O'Neal) right now. They've got Steve Francis, who is one of the best guards. So right there, you've got two of the best players in the league. That's a pretty good place to start. Because of the team defense they're playing, their personality has changed."

- Memphis Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown, 3/13/04

"You just don't want him to get the ball inside. He is a great free-throw shooter. If you beat him up and foul him, he gets to the free-throw line, and then he makes them. The free throws were the killer."

- L.A. Clipper center Chris Kaman, who fouled out guarding Yao. Yao made 11-of-12 free throws that helped defeat the Clippers, 3/9/04

"That's the kind of move I like right there. That's why I like how Yao Ming...he's aggressive, he catches the ball, takes one bounce, throws his BODY into Shaq, trying to create the contact. And then has a nice soft jump hook."

- ESPN analyst Sean Elliott impressed on one of Yao's offensive moves and scores against Shaq, 3/3/04

"I'm shocked by what we're seeing. I didn't expect it. But I'm really starting to question many of the things I've come to believe over the years. Yao Ming started this game on his heels. Was not making his shots. 2-for-5 in the first quarter. Since then, he's 9 for his last 10 shots and is basically doing what he did 3 weeks ago (in their last matchup). He's coming down the court and calling for the ball."

"I think the most stunning thing is how Yao Ming is not intimidated. He's not afraid."

"Yao Ming is one of two people on Earth that makes Shaq look like a normal-sized human being. The other (person) being Arvydas Sabonis."

"What's so mind-boggling is that somebody (like Yao) can just flash-in (and) call for the ball against Shaquille O'Neal."

"If you can call for the ball and go head-to-head right at Shaquille O'Neal, that's the kind of play that can change the course of history and get the Houston Rockets back into the playoffs for the first time in five years."

"Yao Ming right now continues the offensive demolition of the Los Angeles Lakers."

"He is just getting better by the minute, right in front of our eyes. He came in at 7'6", it looks like he is about 7'11" at this point. Just calling for the ball and saying, "I don't care how many guys are around me. I'm just throwin' down that little flick, jump hook."

"How about the versatility in Yao Ming's game? Doing it from both sides of the court. All kinds of different shots all the time."

- Various quotes from Bill Walton as he watched Yao start dominating against the Lakers, 3/3/04

"All V (Vitaly Potapenko) did tonight was take a few hacks at him. Just like chopping wood. You keep taking hacks, he'll fall. And that's what (Yao) did. He fell. And he fell hard, man."

- Seattle center Jerome James taking a sick pride in teammate Vitaly Potapenko's butchering of Yao in a Sonics victory over the Rockets, 2/29/04

"He has done well. There are things he can continue to improve on, too. I don't like to evaluate him day to day, week to week. At the end of the year, I think you'll know a lot more about all of us, as a group and how we play together, which is the only critical thing, how we play together, what we achieve together.

"He's been playing well. Watching over time what you're striving for is that Duncan-type consistency, which is hard to do because he's the MVP of the league. But we have high aspirations for Yao. He's a good player. He's had some really, really good moments. We hope to build on that."

- Jeff Van Gundy on Yao's improvement, 2/24/04

"(Yao has averaged) 25 points per game in his last 5 (games). Mmmm. He's playing very, very well right now. I'd like to say he's 'coming into his own.' But he came into his own LAST YEAR WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE WON ROOKIE OF THE YEAR! He's just playing well, his game continues to blossom."

"The guy came from China. He came halfway across the world to the United States. Amare (Stoudemire) did make a big transition going from high school to the pros, but he's in the same country. He did not have as big of an adjustment to make."

- Rick Kamla, host of NBA.TV's "Virtual GM" after Yao scored a career-high 41 points against Atlanta, 2/22/04

"Most dominant? No. Probably one of the greatest? Yeah. Most dominant is a term that to me, it's all about banging. It's about how you play and all about getting them to change the rules. I've been here 10 years, and I've made them change the rules two times.

"Yao's a great player. He's a great sport. Being dominant is being mean, throwing elbows, talking trash, cursing, and all that attitude. Will he be one of the greatest in terms of playing the game? Definitely."

- Shaq on Yao succeeding him as the most dominant NBA center, 2/15/04

"Yao Ming should not be starting over Shaq (in the All-Star game)...even though he did kick his butt last night (in the game against the Lakers). He did!"

- Charles Barkley on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 2/12/04

"Yao Ming personifies what the McDonald's brand is all about –- a youthful, fun, dynamic spirit which connects to today's customers and cultures. His unique, larger-than-life personality and appeal transcends borders and makes him a perfect fit for our new global outreach to consumers."

"Yao Ming is at the top of his game, respected globally as a leader both on and off the court," said Light. "You can expect to see him representing our brand in a number of fun and surprising ways all around the world."

- Larry Light, McDonald's Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer, 2/12/04

"He (Shaq) is totally aware of Yao's presence. He knows that (Yao) has an offensive game and recognizes that this guy is one of the real big-body type centers, a Rik Smits type center, that he's going to have to contend with defensively.

"The last game Yao had 12 at half, and Shaq was not happy about the performance he had in the first half."

- LA Laker coach Phil Jackson on what Shaq thinks of Yao, 2/11/04

"He's a good guy. He's fun to watch. He's a different player, 7-5, 7-6 and he can play. It's not like the other 7-6 guy (Shawn Bradley). This guy is 7-6 and can play. He's a force to be reckoned with.

"I wish I could have it more where it's just me and against him. Of course they're going to double and triple and I don't get to show what I can do. We never double him and he gets to pull out all the stuff he learned from Mr. (Patrick) Ewing. Man, I wish they would try to play me one-on-one, but I know that will never happen."

- Shaq on Yao, 2/11/04

"It happens. It happened to Mr. Ewing when I came in the league. Now I'm in the league 11 years, you got a new young kid that's playing pretty good, it happens. It's called life."

- How he feels about Yao's popularity, including starting in front of him for the All-Star game on his home court, 2/11/04

"I think you have to make adjustments through the game if you're a player playing against the best player in the league. I thought Yao did that well. He went to his jump hook so he could protect the ball a little bit more, drove and spun."

- Jeff Van Gundy on what was key to Yao's success against Shaq and the Lakers in a 102-87 win, 2/11/04

"The 7-foot-6 center (Yao) is an excellent shooter (.525 from the field, .774 from the free-throw line) and is a better-than-average passer, but he gets fewer touches in the post than his skills warrant. Yao expends a lot of energy getting good post position and then is virtually ignored by his perimeter teammates while they maneuver to get their own shots. Yao averages only 10 shots a game -- not nearly enough for a player of his scoring potential. If the Houston offense started through the unselfish Yao -- like the Lakers' triangle offense does with Shaquille O'Neal -- all of the Rockets would benefit and the team would win more games."

- Jack Ramsay, former NBA coach and ESPN analyst, 2/11/04

"The league office doesn't believe me, but it's true. Men of size get officiated differently. It's the underdog mentality of people who referee. They will give people of smaller stature more liberties in the post. I'm just saying in general, not just for us, men of size, there's far more liberties given to smaller players. Yao is going to have to deal with this his whole career. That's just how it is in the league. They say it's not true, but it is true."

"O'Neal gets to the line a lot more than Yao does. O'Neal gets to the line plenty. (Yao's) 7-6, and he's going to have to absorb more contact and score, and that's going to be how it is."

- Jeff Van Gundy pointing out the disadvantage Yao has being so tall, 2/10/04

"I thought that was the best he played in a long time."

"He had more energy defensively and on the boards and pursuing the ball than he had in a long time. So even though his numbers didn't reflect playing well, I thought that was the best he's played in a long time. That can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you want to look at it."

"You're asking a man of great size to guard people off the pick-and-roll, and everybody is going to attack him the same way, pick-and-roll with the great point guards in this league like a (Tony) Parker."

"Yao has made good strides to try to move his feet better. He took a great charge in Atlanta moving his feet. Some days you don't know which Yao you're going to get energy-wise and laterally-wise. Some days it's great, and some days it's not as good."

- Jeff Van Gundy on how Yao played in Atlanta on Feb. 7th despite shooting 2-for-11 from the field, 2/9/04

"Like most players who have a set of skills, he (Yao) has some really, really good nights. The issue is consistency. To be a really good team, we've had too much inconsistency from our top three players (Yao, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley). We need all three of those guys to be consistently good to have a chance to be really good. That being said, Yao being an inside player has the best chance to be consistent with inside scoring, rebounding and inside defense."

- Jeff Van Gundy on the consistency of Yao, Francis and Mobley, 2/3/04

"Yao's a very popular figure. He's international, man. In just two seasons, he's affected a lot of people, and I think it's good."

- Steve Francis explaining how Yao beat out Shaq in fan voting to be the starting center for the Western Conference in the 2004 All-Star game, 1/30/04

"Every time I answered, Yao Ming answered. He's going to look over you, passing out of double teams if you double-team. And if not, then he's going to kill you all day because he's so big. He's knocking down the 15-footers, so he's really scary.

"You can't stop him from getting his position. Because he's that big, I don't think even Shaq can stop him from getting his position. The guy is big, has strong legs, and he's a beast."

- Orlando Magic player Tracy McGrady on Yao's dominating game against his team where he scored a career-high 37 points, 1/25/04

"That's just like somebody not (double-teaming) Shaq. I'm not saying Yao is in that class yet. But he's dominant enough that he demands a double team. If you're not going to double-team, we're not going to reinvent the wheel. We're going to run the same play over and over."

- Teammate Jim Jackson on the consequences of the Orlando Magic not double-teaming Yao, 1/25/04

"Obviously, not too many teams have a weapon like that other than the Lakers. The guy is so big and skilled, it's unbelievable. He's a big guy with great hands, great touch and he makes you look good."

- Backup point guard Mark Jackson after Yao scored a career-high 37 points against Orlando, 1/25/04

"When he makes his jumper, he is really hard to guard and creates all kinds of problems for the other teams. There is a lot that Yao can do and I think he is looking for his shot a lot more and it's because of his teammates."

- Coach Jeff Van Gundy, 1/22/04

"It's been a breath of fresh air for me just to watch him play. I think the game has gotten to be too much chest-thumping and too much celebrating. I think some of the NBA players ought to bring some of that respect back to their approach to the game."

- Former Houston Rocket Matt Bullard, who played with Hakeem Olajuwon, 1/22/04

"He (Yao) makes us a totally different team when he's effective. He opens up the driving lane, the passing lanes, the cross-court passes, everything. He's just learning the game. He's just playing the game, playing on instinct. Putting the plays together will come when he realizes who he is and what he can do in this league."

- Teammate Jim Jackson, 1/22/04

"Even when he's not hitting, I want him to keep shooting. He'll learn that, as we continue to feed him the ball, if they play him one-on-one, he has to dominate."

- Steve Francis, 1/22/04

"He played great. The thing I like about him was once he got going, he kept asking for the ball. And that's what we want from him."

- Teammate Maurice Taylor after Yao scored a season high 29 points against the New York Knicks, 1/21/04

"I'm always on Yao's (back). Coach doesn't really bother him that much during the game, but I'm in his head 100 percent of the time. I want him to dunk the basketball a lot more than he does and just think more aggressively in general.

"If he takes 14, 15 shots a game, we have a much better chance of winning because he's our best scorer percentage-wise -- and that's without him dunking. If we could just get him to jam every time ... "

"He's such a nice guy. Too nice. I'd like to make the (U.S.) Olympic team (next summer) so I could elbow the mess out of him, make him really mad. Look, I don't expect him to pop somebody in the mouth every time down. I just want him to keep them honest when they're leaning all over him."

- Teammate Steve Francis, 1/17/04

"He's definitely playing more aggressively. When he comes out and plays like he did today, we're a different kind of team. It just gives us a lot more options.

"You've got to remind him (to stay aggressive) because he's the type who will score maybe four or five baskets and then start passing off instead of keeping a go, go, go attitude. He's on the path to being a dominant player, but again he's young and still adjusting."

- Teammate Jim Jackson, 1/17/04

"If he continues to work, play with confidence, his assertiveness will continue to grow and improve. He'll do that at his own pace. We'll try to help that along. Some is basketball technique, (some is) assertiveness, confidence. I don't know how to put a percentage on it."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy backing off his earlier stance that Yao needs to be assertive immediately, 1/16/04

"He seems to play better when he is not locked into that low post all the time."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy realizing what YaoMingMania.com was saying and advocating long ago, 1/15/04

"He was more active and assertive. But the main difference was how we passed the ball as a team. Passing is a lot of it. There are so many ways to defend post players now with the new rules. The post player is much more dependent than the perimeter player. But it's also on him. He needs to be more assertive. And I think he plays better if he makes a couple of jumpers, which he did [against the Celtics]."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy on why Yao was so successful against the Boston Celtics and scored 21 points, 1/14/04

"My center is frustrated with the whistle he's getting or not getting. So I share his frustration."

"Yao was averaging 10.2 rebounds after he got 20 against Detroit (Dec. 6). He's dropped all the way to nine. In the first 19 games, he led us in rebounds 12 times. Since then, it's only been three. That makes it four out of (the last) 13. We've got to find a way to get him back on the boards."

"Yao's got to learn how to play with and without fouls. His third one tonight (2:46 before halftime) was avoidable and should have been avoided. Some fouls, as I told him, are unavoidable, but there are too many (of his) that are clearly avoidable.

"Also, he's just got to be decisive in the post. The best players I've ever had have been both coachable and stubborn. You've got to find the right mix. Too much stubbornness is a hindrance, but too much cooperation can be a hindrance to greatness as well."

"We've got to get him deeper in the post and back to the free-throw line. When you pick up quick fouls and you don't play your normal rotation of minutes, you have to learn how to deal with that. I've learned to trust (Kelvin) Cato with fouls. I think he handles fouls well. Yao has to learn how to play with and without fouls.

"Also, he's just got to be decisive in the post, and I want him to rebound the ball. I don't think he holds himself to a high enough standard rebounding-wise. The rebounding should be consistent every night, and he should always be able to get quality shots. His elevation is good, and he's good with his move. He's going to shoot a high percentage."

"Defensively, teams are going to attack him in the pick-and-roll. Men of size, that's what happens to them. That's going to be a career-long process.

"The hardest thing for Yao will be going from one thing to the next. Sprint back in transition. Guard a pick-and-roll. Rotate. Jump. Rebound. Outlet. Run. Catch. Dunk. When you see that, we'll have made progress."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy on areas where Yao needs to improve, 1/5/04

"He needs to elbow somebody in the face when they come down to double-team him the first time. That would be a good start. Get them off of him. He's very kind when people come down there.

"I just know that he needs to get people off of him -- without fouling them. I mean, (elbow somebody) in the way of just getting people off of him so he has room to pass. They are coming right up body to body on the double team, so he needs to get people off of him."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy on how Yao can reduce the amount of double-teams he gets, 1/2/04

"I just tried to basically show him some things to make him more comfortable with the double team. Because if he doesn't get better at it, teams are going to do it the whole year. Just basically telling him to either split the double team or try to get the ball to the open man a little earlier and more accurately. But basically, just to use his 7-6 frame to his advantage."

"But I think Yao will do a fantastic job. He's a very skilled player, so he should pick it up very quickly."

- Rockets' assistant coach Patrick Ewing on tips he gave to Yao during practice; 1/2/04

"Not too many teams are going to play him straight up, and we're going to need him to handle the ball a lot better, especially getting out of the double teams and making clean passes. You can work with him to a certain extent, but in game situations, it's totally different. He's going to have to be able to make decisions on the fly to get the ball out a lot quicker."

- Teammate Maurice Taylor on where Yao needs to improve; 1/2/04

"Let me just say something about Yao Ming. We all know he's going to be a superstar. Let's talk about him as a person. You should have seen him out there with those youngsters. I saw a different Yao Ming. There was not a scowl on his face (like he has on the basketball court at times). He was supposed to be there for an hour. He was there for 2 ½ hours! And signed everybody's autograph."

- Former Rocket and current TV analyst Calvin Murphy, on Yao's participation in a basketball camp in late December 2003; 12/30/03

"Malone came to us as a shy kid and he was a Hall of Fame center when he retired. Yao has got that kind of potential. In time, he will be up to 11 or twelve rebounds a night, once his game comes completely together."

- Former Rocket and current TV analyst Calvin Murphy, comparing Yao to Moses Malone; 12/26/03

"Yao is much stonger this season. Last year, he played at about 290 pounds. This season, he came to training camp at 304 and he had added some solid muscle.

"We have him on a maintenance schedule during the season, and he lifts weights two or three times a week. He's at about 318 now and he's very strong."

- Houston strength and conditioning coach Anthony Falsone; 12/26/03

"This year, I think he is being more assertive offensively. That is because he has been working with Patrick. He's stepping out to make that jump hook a whole lot more and shooting it with confidence.

"(Ewing's) presence alone (helps). He's a guy that works extremely hard. He was always the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. I'm sure he's probably like that as a coach, also."

- Denver center Marcus Camby, former teammate of Patrick Ewing; later December 2003

"I have to find the optimal amount of minutes to maximize his talents. At times, shorter minutes have produced better results and at times, bigger minutes have produced better results. Over time, just getting a feel for his level of energy, stamina and endurance. We want, over time, to build that up. If we are so fortunate to ever make the playoffs, you want your best players on the floor as much as they can.

"That's where we struggle. To be in the game, we have to play him a lot. Maybe that leads to where he is not as productive as he wants to be or we want him to be."

"Anybody can get up to play against the best team in basketball (the Lakers). The individual matchup is hard to excel at. You're going against one of the best players of all time. I'm much more concerned with how (Yao) does day in, day out, practice-game, practice-game, practice-game. If he does the right thing in all of those, eventually over time, we're going to see improvement. And like most improvement, it's not going to be stark.

"It's going to be a little bit at a time, so hopefully at the end of the year we'll say, `Man, he's come a long way,' without making people realize it.

"Yao's got greatness in him. It's up to myself and it's up to him to bring it out consistently."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy, before the Rockets played the Lakers in LA on Christmas Day

"A lot of that will be determined by how Yao sees it himself, just what he wants out of his career. To get to where O'Neal has gotten, you have to be a special talent, but you have to have an unbelievable determination to get to there."

- Head coach Jeff Van Gundy on if Yao can become a force like Shaq, before the Rockets played the Lakers in LA on Christmas Day

"His overall game just continues to improve. His strength continues to get better, the outside shot is getting better and his experience last year is certainly helping him this year. You can tell he's more comfortable with the NBA game."

- Indiana Pacer coach Rick Carlisle, after the Pacers played the Rockets, 12/23/03

"He is a terrific player. He did everything they wanted him to do. He is probably one of the top five centers in the world."

- L.A. Clipper coach Mike Dunleavy, after Yao scored 21 points, had 10 rebounds and 5 blocks in a decisive Rocket victory, 12/19/03

"I believe I have to hold Yao to a higher standard of what he's capable of. I believe he should hold himself to a higher standard."

"He's a great shooter. Not a good shooter, a great shooter. And he should be a great shooter from the line in the fourth quarter. That's up to him and me to bring it out of him."

- Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, after Yao missed two free throws that could have iced a game, 12/09/03

"I've never seen him take a hook shot before. I had him where I wanted him, away from the basket, but he was still hitting his shots. I consider myself a good post defender, but he is 7-5. And when he is 15 feet out making his shots, it's a little frustrating."

- Detroit Piston center Elden Campbell, after playing against Yao on a night he scored 20 points and had 22 rebounds, 12/06/03

"His size is just unbelievable, man. It is always a good time when I can sit out there and watch a little bit, just look at him and the way he maneuvers out there. The skill level that he has with his size is unbelievable, being able to shoot the ball and pass and the things he does. It's always a treat to see a guy like that.

"I would hate to be 6-10 thinking I'm a big guy and have to play against him. He's 7-6 and he's all over the place."

- Detroit point guard Chauncey Phillips before the Pistons played the Rockets in Houston, 12/06/03

"You can't allow Yao to come down and catch the ball where he wants to catch it at. A guy with his size, if you allow him to come down and just walk down the floor and catch the ball, he's going to score every time. You've got to fight him and keep him off the block and make him do things he's really not comfortable doing."

- Detroit center Ben Wallace before the Pistons played the Rockets in Houston, 12/06/03

"I played him in the first game of the year last year when I was with Indiana and Jeff Foster put a forearm into him and pushed him all over the place. That doesn't happen now. Yao is so dang thick. You have to counteract his size, try to take advantage of things and make him work, and that's what I tried to do. He's wide, but he's not a 7-6 stiff like Shawn Bradley of Dallas."

- Sacramento King center Brad Miller, on Yao's improvement from his rookie season, 11/28/03

"He's a good player. Hopefully, he's going to develop into a great player. He's a great person already so we don't have those worries. If he's to reach greatness, it will be at his own pace. We'll try to push him along towards it.

"What does he want? Does he want to be a really good center? Does he want to be a great center? Does he want to be a dominating center? Whatever level he reaches will be on how he sees himself and how determined he is to get there."

"The longer he can sustain his concentration, keep getting a more and more solid conditioning base and figure out how he's going to attack vs. (use) strength, vs. shooting fadeaways -- those would be the areas I would want him to improve on most of all."

- Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, on Yao's potential and desire, 11/27/03

"He's a great shooter. He has great release on the ball, he's so much bigger than anybody. He's going to be a great scorer in this league."

- George Karl, ESPN TV analyst and former NBA coach, 11/21/03

"That's what we need from him; we need him to be the big man. Pat Ewing, Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon), the kind of big man you go to in crunch time and count on to get that basket or get that rebound. He's getting there. A lot of people have their opinion about him. Just let him play his game. He'll get there."

- Rocket teammate Kelvin Cato, after Yao carried the Rockets in the fourth quarter to a victory against Golden State, 11/19/03

"I would say (it was) one of the toughest, if not the toughest (assignments). Trying to deny him down low, he works real hard for the ball. You get pretty tired trying to deny him."

- Toronto rookie Chris Bosh, assigned to guard Yao on multiple occasions, 11/16/03

"Yao isn't as aggressive as American players right now. But he's learning and learning and learning. He's great. Without him, we'd be OK, but I don't think we'd be at the level we're at now or where I think we'll be."

- The Rockets' Kelvin Cato after Houston beat the Phoenix Suns, 11/14/03

"I always root for Yao. Watching him is always a treat. I watch the Rockets whenever I get the chance. It's great watching him in the NBA. He makes a lot of other people look short."

"He has brought a lot more interest to basketball. I like anybody who has that sort of impact on a game."

- Tennis star Andre Agassi, in Houston competing for the ATP Masters Cup, 11/09/03

"He had gone the previous 115 minutes and 29 seconds without an offensive rebound. Yao had six offensive rebounds. That showed better reaction to the ball. He made a couple of crucial offensive rebounds."

- Rocket coach Jeff Van Gundy, pleased with Yao's improvement on the offensive boards after playing the Orlando Magic, 11/07/03

"We'll have made great strides when he comes over very emphatically and tells me, 'Give me the ball' and not nicely. When Patrick Ewing said it it was never kind and so I knew where he was coming from and that was good. And then the pressure is on him. If you're going to ask for it, then you have to accept the responsibility and I hope that Yao, as he becomes more and more comfortable, will do that."

"He has this demeanor of humility and team first. Yet you don't want him to try so hard to fit in that he can't stand out. When he gets it in a spot and he has single coverage and he has it every time, he should be thinking score every time until they bring that second defender. His nature is, 'If I score three or four times, what is everybody else going to think?'

"As a coach, I'm thinking, 'Score again.' There's no physical basketball skill that he doesn't have (except) that disposition to dominate every night. ... He's a very kind man, which is great. And yet, you have to develop that disposition that if you get 10 early and they're playing you single coverage, to try to get 12, 14, 16. That disposition is what stars have. That's in the early stages of development."

- Rocket coach Jeff Van Gundy, who would like for Yao to be more assertive, 11/04/03

"A lot of times we were scrambling trying to double-team Yao. That puts a strain on your defense because you're trying to protect everybody else. That's the gift they have over there."

- Jason Kidd, after his New Jersey Nets lost to the Rockets, 11/04/03

"I do believe Yao has the potential to become a special player in this league, and more so a special personality for the NBA. The first thing that attracted me to him was watching him play last year, not his game or skill, but his demeanor and humility. He got hit and knocked down and would get back up and not beg for calls. He would treat success and failure similarly. His demeanor is one that can have a huge impact on the way the fan base views NBA players."

- Rocket head coach Jeff Van Gundy on what impresses him about Yao, 11/02/03

"When bigs get into foul trouble, there's probably some things they can avoid. It's probably also (teammates) getting beat off the dribble too much, which puts them in help situations and they get fouls."

- Rocket head coach Jeff Van Gundy on Yao's ten fouls over his past 3 games, 11/03/03

"He's 7-6 and he's very talented and he's very large. I think time on the court is going to make him a better player. Just getting used to the physical nature of the NBA, finding out where he is most effective.

"I know they want to post him more, so he's trying to get a feel for that. I think over time he'll just get better."

- San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, after Yao's Rockets beat the Spurs in their final preseason game, 10/24/03

"I don't know if he's been watching tape or they're working with him on it, but he's starting to get that Shaquille O'Neal mentality. And if he's not where he wants to be, he throws the ball out and re-posts and then, he's in the paint.

"When he catches right there, with his size, whether you jump or not, it's almost too late. And with his skills, with his ball fakes and being able to move the ball around, that's going to be a tough guard for anybody."

- Rockets guard Moochie Norris commenting on if it is easier to deliver low-post passes to Yao this season, 10/23/03

"It's very easy to deliver the ball to Yao. His arms are so big and he's so long. I'm trying to look for him more because I know he's dominating. I'm trying to look every time to the post because I know that means if he gets it, either he's going to score or he's going to pass to somebody who is going to score."

- Rockets forward Bostjan Nachbar, 10/23/03

"He's done well. His conditioning is probably our primary concern. He needs to keep improving his conditioning. There are just certain things that when you're a man of his size that are going to be a little problematic -- transition defense, pick-and-roll defenses. Those are things you're constantly going to work with him. I just like the way he plays the game. I'd like him to get more 50-50 on force and finesse. But he's a really fine player and a good worker, a willing worker."

"He speaks extremely well. Like most American or foreign players, he understands about half of what I say."

- Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy, 10/20/03

"I would like to see him be a combination of force and finesse. Yao is a nice man. But I want him to bulldoze some people, too. I told him when he was sitting with his legs crossed before our team meeting today that it wasn't inspiring to see my center with his legs crossed."

- Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy, on what is now a running joke between himself and Yao, 10/19/03

"The important thing is that Yao commands a lot of attention, and you need a (power forward) who can go to the boards when they have to use two people to box out Yao. Crashing the boards is a lot easier when you have Yao down there getting all that attention."

- Kelvin Cato commenting on his experience playing power forward alongside Yao in recent preseason games, 10/18/03

"Shoot. He's not 7-6 and Shawn Bradley; he's 7-6 and very good. He's going to be a dominating player for many years."

- Sacramento King center Brad Miller, who had a shot emphatically rejected by Yao Ming in a preseason game, 10/16/03

"When he got back there in the summer, the Chinese couldn't believe how much different he looked because of our weight program during the season. So we sent through a number of copies of our program to use for their team and so he could keep working on it while he was there. He's a very diligent young man. You give him a task to do and he does it. If it's jumping rope or lifting weights, you don't have to watch him. He just does what needs to be done.

"And even before he plays a game this year, we can already see how much more confident he is. He knows he has a place in this league, and we believe he's going to be a great, great player."

- Rockets General Manager Carroll Dawson shortly after Yao arrived in training camp from China

"He just basically needs to work on his overall game, positioning on the floor, posting up deeper defensively. Sometimes today a guy would cut off the way he positioned his body. I can show him the right techniques to keep him out of foul trouble. He's a very good player. He's 7-foot-6 and he has great touch."

- Rockets assistant coach Patrick Ewing after Yao's first practice in training camp, 10/6/03

"There are four things you never hear from most NBA players. 'Please. Thank you. My mistake. And, I'll take the check.' Yao has the first three down pat. I'll test him on that fourth one pretty quick.

"Seriously, he comes across as very respectful and very coachable. It has been my personal experience all great players are. They want to be pushed hard, because they understand that a coach can push them further than they can push themselves. I've only had positive experiences with my best players. I doubt Yao will be an exception."

- Coach Jeff Van Gundy commenting on Yao as he looks forward to meeting Yao upon his return from China, 10/2/03

“I’m looking forward to meeting him. We spoke briefly when we played here last year, but I’m looking forward to it. I see a lot of potential in him. For a man that 's7-6, he has a lot of basketball knowledge and skills, so it’s going to be my job and the rest of the assistants' job to turn him into a great player.”

- Rockets assistant coach Patrick Ewing, 10/2/03

"We'll devise hand signals or something," he said. "We'll keep it simple. When Yao wants the ball, he can point to himself. I happen to think his confidence level will be of greater importance than his (English) comprehension in determining how well he plays."

- JVG on his decision to not have Yao's interpreter be involved during practices in order to simulate game situations and to prevent the translation process from being counterproductive, 10/2/03

"NBA taught Yao Ming a lot. He has played against the best centers in the world and improved so quickly. He dominated here pretty easily."

- Lebanon center Joseph Vogel, after playing against the Chinese national team at the Asian Games and commenting on the improvement in Yao's game, 9/27/03

"I was looking for teams that could play inside out. With Yao Ming down low, he's going to demand the double team. He's going to become better and better every year. He's going to become the most dominant player in the league the next couple of years."

- New Rockets guard Eric Piatkowski, signed as a free agent from the L.A. Clippers, commenting on the outside shooting opportunities he will have playing with Yao Ming, 7/26/03

"He's got 7-5 of upside. He's a remarkably skilled post man. What I'm most impressed is he seems like a great teammate. He's unspoiled by all that the NBA can give. If he continues to progress he'll be a special player in this league."

- New Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy commenting on Yao during his first news conference where he was announced as the Rockets coach, 6/11/03

"I thought it was going to be the deciding factor. But, in the end, I couldn't vote against Yao. I just think, for all the obstacles he has faced this season -- no summers off for years, unbelievable expectations, a daily media circus -- he had to be the choice."

- Marc Stein, ESPN.com columnist, on Amare Stoudemire's Phoenix Suns team making the playoffs and its effect on Stein's vote for NBA Rookie of the Year, 4/14/03

"He is going to be a great, great, great player in this league. He can do so many things. I'm jealous because Houston gets so many great centers. When are we going to get one?"

- Doc Rivers, Orlando Magic coach, after the Magic lost against the Rockets, 4/6/03

"Mostly, I just wanted to tell Yao we're proud of him. He is answering a thousand questions, the same ones heard so many times, with dignity, grace and good humor, and we recognize the burden he is under. He is very much an ambassador both ways. America is learning things about the Peoples' Republic of China, and a lot of people in China are learning about America through him.

"That's the best we can do in sport. That's very important. Of course he's able to do this because he is an extremely gifted and talented basketball player. He also comes to this job with extreme burdens, based on the expectations of the most populous nation. He has a very good sense of it. He has maturity beyond his years."

- NBA commissioner David Stern, after meeting with Yao at the NBA offices in New York, 4/1/03

"In a couple of years, he's going to be the best player in the game."

- Richard Jefferson, New Jersey Nets forward, on Yao's future, 3/31/03

"...If you put too much emphasis on something like this, then players start thinking about it.

"You continue to let him play. Practice hard. Continue to do hard workouts. They'll start falling. There are times when the best aren't shooting well. He's experienced enough to know this is a tough time he's going through and will be able to get through it."

- Steve Francis, on what he would do to help Yao get out of his shooting slump, 3/30/03

"Over the course of the year, people are going to have bad stretches where you're not as effective as people would like. But I think he's done a heck of a job all year long. I don't think a few games of him having so-so games are the end of the season. He's been in there all season long. He's bounced back, and I think he will bounce back tomorrow."

- Larry Smith, acting Houston Rockets head coach, on Yao's recent struggles leading up to his game against the New Jersey Nets, 3/30/03

"I think about 80 percent of it is fatigue, right now. He has been battling guys. And in the last 10 days, we had a really tough road trip, and then facing Shaq (O'Neal) and (Tim) Duncan and (David) Robinson, that's not something you want to do all the time. And Shaq, I thought really wore him down. He hung in there. He battled him. But that takes a lot out of you when you play another game less than 24 hours later."

- Larry Smith, acting Houston Rockets head coach, on Yao's offensive struggles against the Lakers and Spurs in back-to-back games, 3/28/03

"As much as I love Yao, if he's not being aggressive, I have to go to the other options."

- Steve Francis, talking about one of the decisions he makes in distributing the basketball to his teammates, late March 2003

"The amazing thing is when Team USA played (China in Oakland on 8/22/02), I walked away in shock. He has such great hands and he is an unbelievable passer. When he catches the ball, he is so patient and he picks people apart."

"He has a great turnaround jumper and a spin-move on the baseline. He's figured this out pretty good."

- Eric Musselman, Golden State Warriors head coach, 3/21/03

"He is stronger than he looks. I heard that going in (to the game)...he has a good solid base. You can't just guard him one way because then he can spin. He's very agile for his size. He's a very good player, and I think he's going to have a really, really good NBA career."

- Scot Pollard, Sacramento reserve Forward/Center after the Kings barely beat the Rockets, 3/23/03

"I would really be surprised in 3 years if he's not the best center in the League for a couple of reasons. First, I think Shaq's physical problems may get the best of him. Obviously the improvement (Yao) has made in just this year has been remarkable for any young player. I don't see any other center out there that could be better."

- Jerry Reynolds, Sacramento TV color analyst and former Kings head coach, 3/23/03

"He told me to chill out. Yao showed me he's maturing. My big man took care of me."

- Steve Francis, revealing what Yao told him after Francis got flustered in the fourth quarter against the Warriors, 3/21/03

"Really, you can't stop him. He can shoot, he can defend and he makes the right passes probably nine out of 10 times. So this guy already has the skill to play the (NBA) game. Now it's just a matter of time for him to play in the NBA and get adjusted to the speed and athletic ability of our players."

- Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan, 3/17/03

"With Shaq, you can push him away from the basket as far as possible and hope he misses the turnaround jump shot. But with Yao, he's a little more comfortable out there. He wants to shoot anyway, so you're not taking anything from him. And he's 7-6, so you can't contest his shot."

- Chicago Bull center Eddy Curry, 3/13/03

"[Yao and O'Neal] are both very similar in the fact they're both huge people, and your tendency is not to attack them. But that's exactly what you have to do, be as aggressive as possible.

"That's what I was concerned about with Eddy before Shaq, and Eddy wasn't hesitant. You have to put a body on [Yao] and get him as far away from the basket as possible. When he gets close, he's formidable. And you have to bring a lot of help from other players. The only thing with Houston is, they have a lot of very good shooters."

- Chicago Bull head coach Bill Cartwright, 3/13/03

"He's a big-time player. He's the man. We've got to get the ball to him. We've got to let him go to work. And we've got to stick with him. He's the man."

- Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, 3/6/03

"We spent so much time working to get Dream (Olajuwon) the ball in the right place. We're going through that right now with Yao Ming. You have to figure out how to get the ball where he wants it, and that's the hardest thing to do.

"The biggest thing about defense in this league is not (waiting to) guard them once they get the ball. Not too many people can guard somebody in this league once they get the ball where they want it. So the defenses really work to keep the ball away from where you want it. The coaches are working constantly to get the ball in deeper to him. With his lower-body strength, he'll be able to get it pretty deep. It takes time. But it is working, and it will keep getting better."

- Rockets General Manager Carroll Dawson, 3/6/03

"Teams don't want him to catch the ball down low. It's a mismatch with everybody. When you see he's free, you try to deliver it as fast as possible. But sometimes it's hard. There's a lot of pulling, grabbing, holding.

"Hakeem had that experience. This is (Yao's) first year. It's experience with each other, too. It's being patient with the guy with the ball and with Yao. It takes time, but it will come."

- Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley, 3/6/03

"The coordination of the post up, the pass, the catch and your cutting game ... is much more complex than just getting the ball to Yao on the left block. People forget because ... Yao because of his size will appear to be open. The pass is the hardest thing. If you have a team applying good ball pressure or that is around (Yao) in front with good weakside help, the entry pass is tough.

"With the new rules in the NBA, it's much more difficult to play the post-up game. But when I see him every game, he's a little bit better. That goes to his upbringing, his culture and his demeanor. He has enough humility to say, `I don't know everything. I can get better.' That's why he's going to be an absolute star. His combination of humility, humor and competitiveness -- it's remarkable. I love the guy."

- Former New Yorks Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy, early March 2003

"Everybody's got to make a concerted effort. But then, if a guy's open, you have to pass to him. Open is open. Simple."

- Former New Yorks Knick center Patrick Ewing saying it's not 'Rocket science' in getting a ball to an open man, early March 2003

"I think he's gotten better as the season has gone on. He's much more comfortable. And they've learned to play with him a whole lot better. And that's what it takes. He's made tremendous strides. And he's going to be a terrific player."

- Toronto Raptor head coach Lenny Wilkins after his team played against Yao, 3/5/03

"He's big. He's the biggest thing I've ever seen in my life. His legs are stronger than anything, you really can't move him.

"You definitely have to respect him and I give him a lot of credit for what he's learned this year."

- Toronto Raptor center Antonio Davis, 3/5/03

"He doesn't even fall into (doubt). He's a big-time player, regardless of being a rookie. He's one of the most poised rookies I've ever seen. He never gets flustered. You never see him get out of his comfort zone or anything like that.

"Even at the free-throw line, he was just taking his time. He was calm. He didn't think anything of it."

- Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, after Yao led the Rockets to victory against Toronto, 3/5/03

"What I like about Yao is he doesn't quit. A couple of plays where he was stopped, he made second and third efforts to get rebounds. Things may not be going his way, but he still is going to do something that's going to help us."

- Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, after his team played the Washington Wizards, 2/27/03

"You know what I love about Yao is that he combines both humility and passion for the game and those are two traits you don't see in combination very much in our league today."

- Jeff Van Gundy, former NY Knick coach and TNT analyst, 2/27/03

"He has a delightful, actually a delicious sense of humor. He has a lot of irony. He's obviously a very intelligent guy who listens to the questions and gives you a thoughtful answer. He's bombarded with both, shall we say, thoughtful and obtuse questions."

- Brian McIntyre, NBA head of commuications, 2/25/03

"He's like the big brother I always wish I had."

- Rockets guard Moochie Norris, 2/25/03

"There's something about him that's so warm. We love him. And he's so easy to smile, it just warms you up. You get a good feeling being around the guy."

- Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 2/25/03

"I think we did a good job to get him (Yao) the ball. The results we were getting were magnificent. That's the way the game was going. If Cuttino or myself were scoring, or whoever, we would have been going to them late in the game. But we got the ball to him, and our percentages were real good on those plays.

"Sometimes, they aren't going to give you calls late in the game. Sometimes they let it go regardless, foul or no foul. I think that might have been the case. But experience is the thing that we want. I think Yao probably learned from those two plays."

- Rockets guard Steve Francis on the team's decision to go to Yao with the game on the line against the NY Knicks, 2/25/03

"Every game does kind of remind me of the playoffs because of the attention. They will be used to that. We don't have many guys that played in the playoffs. That's one of the things you worry about when you get there. But this is like the playoffs every night.

"You wouldn't believe the requests I get. If we did them, he would be busy every minute, every day. We're on everybody's radar screen because of the attention we get. Every time we go into a city, there's a full-page (story). It's kind of amazing. But I guess it's good for us."

- Carroll Dawson (Rockets GM) on dealing with all the attention Yao brings to the Rockets when they go on the road, 2/24/03

"They (previously) put a lot of attention on me and Steve. Then Yao came in, and it's different now. All you have to do is catch and shoot or penetrate and kick."

- Cuttino Mobley, explaining the effect Yao had when the Rockets played the Celtics, 2/24/03

"His cultural significance can never be downplayed."

"For China, it's up there with what happened with Jackie Robinson. You have to put in that context. As much as the phenomenon has grown here, I still don't think we have an appreciation of what [impact] he has had in his homeland."

"Much like Jackie Robinson was the right person, this guy is really the right person because he is such a classy person and he has such a great demeanor."

"He's head-and-shoulders above a Shawn Bradley-type. He won't necessarily be a journeyman, the way a Shawn Bradley has become. His size and his ability to play the game will always set him aside. In terms of impact, he is more like a Ralph Sampson-type. He is a guy who is going to be a solid contributor, an All-Star for many years."

- Greg Anthony, ESPN analyst and former NBA player, 2/20/03

"He's huge. It's like playing against a tree. Everywhere you look, he's got you within reach. He's so long, so athletic and he's got a good basketball IQ, so it's like he can reach you from everywhere"

- Caron Butler, Miami Heat rookie small forward, on what it's like to play against Yao, February 2003

"All of a sudden, he's all over the place. I think it's a little bit of a surprise to see how comfortable he is on camera and how charismatic he is without being able to speak more than a few sentences of English."

- Bob Dorfman, executive creative director for San Francisco-based Pickett Advertising and a sports marketing expert, in a 2/20/03 Newsday.com article

"We had had a feeling he'd become a bigger star (than he was when the Visa spot was shot). But he's become even bigger than we ever thought he would."

- Jimmy Siegal, executive creative director of BBDO (ad agency) who worked with Yao on the Super Bowl ad for Visa

"...Once he becomes more comfortable with the English language and his role among his peers, he will reveal himself to be a leader in the locker room..."

"It's a given Yao sees many things he doesn't like. With his obvious schooling in basketball's fundamentals, it's all he can do to keep from cringing when the nonsense breaks out around him, but he's not in a place where he can freely speak his mind."

- Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle sports writer, 2/14/03

"Kid's got skills. Such great ability on top of all that 7-5 size. You can see he knows the game. What he needs to learn is the NBA game."

"I could teach him to be a defender, a rebounder. More important, I could teach him about being tough-minded, to be a competitor."

"Yao is a great passer. He can read the game, understand what's going on. What he needs to develop is the attitude of an NBA center. I'd like to teach him how to talk to his teammates. Not to be disrespectful. But to get them to understand that it's the big man in the middle who makes it all go.

"Think about when I was playing in the NBA, when Dream was playing. You know what those other guys were always hearing from us out on the floor: `Give me the ball!' There are a lot of nights when your big man's got to get 20 to 25 shots a game. That's how you win championships."

"When you come to America, you've got to learn American ways. You're not being a bad guy by learning to play aggressive, by being aggressive even with your own teammates. It's what helps you survive. It's what you need if you want to think about being great.

"This kid can be great. He's the next in line for the Houston Rockets. I'm part of that line that ran though Dream. It means something to me. I want to see it carry on.

"I'm here. I'm ready. I'm willing."

- Moses Malone, former Houston Rocket center and NBA MVP, 2/10/03

"When your big man starts out the game 1-for-6, a lot of that's probably on you, Steve. You're just throwing him the ball and then not moving. It's up to you to make the cuts, the rest of you to set the screens and feed off him.

"You don't turn away from a guy who's 7-5. You play off him all of the time. He'll always make it easier for you. But you have to see that. It's your job, Steve.

"I like what I've seen of Yao Ming. I like what you could have started with your team. Now you have to go forward."

- Oscar Robertson in a conversation with Steve Francis, 2/8/03

"It's good for him and for us, good for the whole organization. It's good to see for years to come, we're going to be Batman and Robin. Who's Batman and who's Robin, I don't know. We're going to be like that from now on. It's going to be great."

- Steve Francis on Yao being a Rocket, 2/7/03

"Right now, I'd still say it's my guy, [Phoenix Suns forward] Amare Stoudemire. Don't get me wrong. Yao is good. Damn good. But Stoudemire is already dominating more guys who have been in the league for several years, and he's going to get much better. Yao is dominating, too. But he caught me off guard the first time I played him. I'll know how to play him better from here on out. Other guys will figure him out, too."

- Shaquille O'Neal on his choice for NBA Rookie of the Year, 2/7/03

"This is a very popular misconception because the All-Star Internet voting is open to countries all over the world. The instructions are also printed in the local native tongues of 12 countries to include France, Germany, China, Spain and Italy. The only difference regarding China is that the names of the candidates were translated into Chinese. Elsewhere in the world, the names were printed in English."

- NBA public relations director Tim Frank addressing the allegation that other foreign NBA players did not have the same opportunity to receive votes from their fans back home, 2/7/03

"He's a great player already. He's going to keep getting better. It's amazing how he already is playing in his first year. He deserves it. He's making the game more globalized. China is watching every game now. He brought a lot to the NBA. I think he deserves all the hype.

"The fans vote the All-Star Game. That's how they got their starting job. That's great, though. If the fans love them and the fans think they should be starting, they deserve it. They should start. It's no big deal. Nobody is jealous of them, or anything.

"Whatever happens, we'll have to see. But they're going to have a special team. Steve Francis is an amazing athlete and an amazing point guard. He's great for them. With Yao Ming under the basket, they're going to have a great team. It's not good for us. I don't like to see Houston getting good, but they're going to be a force for probably the next decade."

- Dallas Maverick and NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, 2/7/03

"I've watched him as the year's gone on, and he's got unlimited talent, not just skills, but the way he sees the game and the way he understands the game. The pressure he is under, I don't know how he's doing it.

"I just watch his composure. And he's really very even-keeled. He has up games, but he's not down after he has a tough game. He keeps playing. He's very gracious to the people he plays against, but he's a competitor. You could have a situation that could be very tough, but he could handle it."

- NBA Western Conference coach Rick Adelman of the Sacramento Kings, 2/7/03

"It probably would have happened anyway, to Yao when Shaq retired. It is a fan thing. Who has the hypes? But they are both deserving to be All-Stars. If you want to take the next center in the Western Conference, that guy is there.

"They're going to have to keep together. They're going to have some rough times. But I see that team as being a very dangerous team."

- NBA Western Conference coach Rick Adelman on the question if Yao and Steve should be starting on the NBA All-Star team instead of just be on the team, 2/7/03

"He's a moneymaker for all the players in the NBA."

- Indiana Pacer center Jermaine O'Neal, 2/7/03

"There's no fakeyness about how close we all are on this team. I love Yao. We have a brother relationship. We really like the same things," such as to compete, to have fun and to admire Mercedes-Benz cars.

"I can also feel what he's going through, being under a microscope. We both want success and want to win. We're on the same page, and we relate very well. The language isn't a barrier. We feel it."

"I hooked him up (with some new hip clothes from his clothing line). I had some stuff made for him. We had to get it made in China because of his size, but I picked it out and he wears it all the time. I've got to look out for him."

- Steve Francis, February 2003

"Steve talks about him all of the time. I just have another grandson now."

- Steve Francis' grandmother on how Francis has grown close to Yao, February 2003

"We just want to give him as many touches as possible. When we get the ball in his hands, good things happen."

- Rockets assistant coach Larry Smith, 2/2/03

"Every time I play him, he continued to play better and better. He's definitely going to be a great player in this league. I really like the way he thinks on the court, plays very unselfishly and understands the concept of the game."

- Sacramento center Vlade Divac after playing against Yao, 2/2/03

"Yao was tremendous inside with moving the ball around, scoring. He puts the defense in a very vulnerable position. If you turn your head and we got guys cutting, you don't know when to help. He's got a great feel for open people.

"There's no defense that takes away everything. You've got to do one thing or another. You got to do something and there's always an answer and it takes time for guys to learn how to find the answer.

"He is way ahead of most people coming into the league."

- Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich after beating Sacramento, 2/2/03

"Coach banged it into our heads, `Let's work it in first because it makes it easier for the rest of you guys. We moved the ball around and it shows, when we move the ball around, how good we are."

- Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley talking about how Yao should get more touches, 2/2/03

"We just want to give him as many touches as possible. When we get the ball in his hands, good things happen."

- Rockets assistant coach Larry Smith, 2/2/03

"I think he's almost like a combination of Shaq and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He has more shooting ability…and he's going to get bigger and stronger as well. He's got a big lower body now, so he can be a dominant player, no question, in this league. It's just a matter of when that exactly happens."

- Sacramento TV analyst (and former Kings coach) Jerry Reynolds, 2/2/03

"The only way to beat your daddy in the All-Stars was they had to open it up in China."

- The unbelievable Shaquille O'Neal, in the Jan. 30 Orange County Register, commenting on what he would tell his children about the All-Star balloting this year.

"That passion is what impressed me the most when I first saw him play for extended time at the World Championships. He carries it with him on the floor."

"You'll think I'm crazy on this one, but I think he's a lot like Charles Barkley. They both love to play the game, and that's obvious when you watch them for just a few minutes. I remember one of the first times I went to Philadelphia as a scout and Charles was a kid. He was standing at the foul line near the end of a game for two big free throws. So he gets the ball, he dribbles it a couple of times, then he looks straight into the TV camera and winks and smiles. Then he made the shots."

- Rudy Tomjanovich on Yao's passion for basketball, 1/31/03

"There was a moment early in the season when Yao Ming first joined the squad and they were doing stretching exercises, and Yao was all by himself. Steve Francis got up, went over, and ever since has done his stretching exercises right next to Yao Ming making sure the Big Man feels part of it."

- Bill Walton, 1/29/03

"People have to remember Yao Ming is not a machine. He just can't deliver constantly without having a life as well."

- Bill Walton, 1/29/03

"He's a big human being and once he gets that shot going, there's not much you can do about. It's unbelievable for a man that size to have that touch."

- 7'1" Chicago Bull center Tyson Chandler, 1/26/03

"He's got post moves. I like him inside. He just has to stay with it. I think a lot of guys are being real physical with him, and I think he has to adapt to it better. He has to realize that's what they're going to do and get better post position and stick with being aggressive."

- Rockets forward James Posey after losing to the Detroit Pistons, 1/24/03

"He has a different type of game. Some might call it somewhat unorthodox. He definitely makes that team a lot better. Now you can't afford to double-team Steve (Francis) or Cuttino Mobley because Yao Ming will hurt you."

- Ben Wallace, starting center for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, 1/24/03

"He's getting better and better all the time. I saw him in the world games live and in person. I thought he was really, really good then, and he's gotten only better."

- Rick Carlisle, head coach of the Detroit Pistons, 1/24/03

"I don't think he understands (the historical context of being voted into the starting lineup). I don't think he does. As much as Colin (Pine, Yao's interpreter) can try to tell him and people that he knows tell him, I don't think he understands. But hopefully as the years go by, he'll understand."

- Steve Francis on Yao's All-Star status, 1/23/03

"He might be tired. It's like coming out of a college season and trying to play a pro season. He has been doing a lot of traveling. He's had a lot of cameras in his face. He's been doing a lot of interviews. He has to rest at practice. But he loves the game too much; he doesn't want to sit down. The day off will help him. We have to hope he'll take Thursday off, too, and get his legs back under him."

- Rockets center Kelvin Cato, 1/22/03

"Yao played like a rookie, which he is supposed to do sometimes. It is a learning process for him. Let's not forget when (Dirk) Nowitzki was a rookie how he struggled. And I'm sure Yao is going through the same things. He is soon going to be a great player."

- Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson, 1/22/03

"I think he needs to take two days off and rest. For him to have five turnovers, that's a lot for him because he's not a mistake player. ... This wasn't a good picture of him. I feel for him. He needs some time off."

- Coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 1/22/03

"Watching him on TV, he doesn't look that big, but he's got good-sized legs and hips. He's got a good base, and that really helps him. If you watched him against Shaq, he held his ground really good."

- David Robinson, 1/19/03

"While O'Neal loses his poise like car keys, Yao has shown remarkable composure. From Day 1, he has been a self-effacing, punch-line wiz who craves acceptance but shares his wisdom."

- Selena Roberts, writer for the New York Times, 1/18/03

"Yao just accepts it as a part of the game. He may get mad at himself, but I've seen situations where veteran guys get physical, and all of the sudden, they're blowing a gasket. He has a very even temperament."

- Coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 1/18/03

"Yao consistently beat O'Neal to his favorite spot on the floor. He was able to take the ball out of O'Neal's hands by forcing him outside the paint. When O'Neal bruised into the paint for a fadeaway, Yao was ready and blocked it. The next time O'Neal got the ball, he was called for an offensive foul for banging into Yao.

"Yao may not have been scoring but he did little things to help the Rockets surge into the lead after three quarters. Yao stepped up with five rebounds in the third, while limiting O'Neal to two points and two rebounds as the Rockets took a 71-69 lead."

- Lonnie White, writer for the LA Times, after the Rockets-Lakers game, 1/17/03

"I think Yao was real excited. That’s probably why he missed some of those chip shots he normally makes ... [But] early in the game he hit some big shots ... and defensively he was great."

- Steve Francis after the Laker game, 1/17/03

"Yao Ming is my brother. The Asian people are my brothers. I grew up an Army kid. I grew up around Asians, around whites, around browns. It was a bad joke. Don't try to make a racial war out of it."

"He's a classy guy. I was looking forward to playing him. He's a great player. It's another challenge for me."

"He plays big and he's a pretty good player. He's a nice guy. He probably should be starting at the All-Star game. I think that's good for him, it's good for his country, it's good for the whole world."

- Comments from Shaq after the Rockets-Lakers game, 1/17/03

"Yao Ming's defense away from the ball - the best I've seen on Shaquille since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon. Preparation, knees flexed..."

"Yao Ming has done a phenomenal job defensively tonight. Shaq has taken 26 shots, and only gone to the free throw line 4 times [two after an intentional foul]. Normally in a typical Shaquille O'Neal game, he's going to the free throw line 10-15 times. "

- Bill Walton during the first quarter of the Laker game, 1/17/03

"All Yao needs is reassurance and that comes from just going out there and playing against Shaq. He knows that he has the tools. It is doing it, even if he fails at first, that will give him the reassurance."

- Hakeem Olajuwon before Yao faced Shaq, 1/17/03

"The atmosphere is going to be unreal. It's something I've been waiting to be a part of, Yao and Shaq meeting up for the first time. I think everybody has been waiting to see that.

"I want to see fireworks. It's going to be crazy. It's going to be like a championship game. It's going to be unstable. Fans, players, coaches, everybody is going to be so enthused about this happening -- the Ming Dynasty against Shaq and the Lakers. It's going to be off the chain."

- Moochie Norris, Yao's teammate on the Rockets, 1/16/03

"People will tell you that globally and as a news story, it already compares to the biggest stories in the NBA ever. That's a great feeling."

- George Postolos, Rockets President & CEO, 1/16/03

"You cannot break this guy's spirit. Shaq will do what he always does. But this guy (Yao) always gets back up. And he learns from it. I saw this in the very beginning. Mentally, he just gets stronger and stronger. You cannot break him."

- Glen Rice, the only player to have played both with O'Neal and Yao, 1/16/03

"We know that's going to happen. The first time Shaq gets the ball, he's going to try to dunk the ball. He's going to try to do that to see what Yao is. The thing about Yao is, mentally he's very mature.

"If Shaq was to dunk on him, I don't think that would do anything to excite him. He's a guy who loves the game of basketball and takes what guys give him. If guys are beating him up, he goes to the line and takes his free throws. If guys are double-teaming him, he's a great passer. I don't think he's going to get caught up in every time Shaq scores he has to come down and score, or every time Shaq dunks he has to come down and dunk.

"Shaq's never seen anyone like Yao. Yao's never seen anyone like Shaq. There's finally a guy who is a legit center -- probably not the same type of player Shaq is, but a legit center."

- Maurice Taylor, Houston Rockets power forward, 1/16/03

"The recent release of recordings of Shaquille O'Neal mocking, criticizing and generally disrespecting Yao Ming are startling.

"How disappointing for Shaq -- he should know better. He's the leader of the NBA and you expect more from him. Can you imagine Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic, Hakeem or David Robinson saying anything like this?"

- Bill Walton in his ESPN.com column, 1/16/03

"(The Celtics) completely committed to Yao, sending a guy in front and a guy in back of him. We were having a hard time just getting it in because...nobody's ever done that with him."

- Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich after beating the Boston Celtics, 1/13/03

"I think he's the equal of Wilt Chamberlain."

- Former Celtic player, head coach (and current TV color analyst) Tom Heinsohn, 1/13/03

"He's an incredibly endearing person. He's got this humble demeanor that is refreshing in our sport, and he has the patience of Job.

"I remember the first day he came to practice. He missed all of training camp and most of our preseason because of obligations to his national team. There had been a tremendous amount of hype about him already, so I was curious to see how it went.

"In the first five minutes, he set three picks, made two terrific passes, and, when he scored, he ran back down the court with his head down. That's all it took. He had won his teammates over."

"He seems kind of embarrassed by it all. I'm not unhappy about that. I told him the other day, `We don't want to Americanize you. We like you just the way you are."

- Rockets GM Carroll Dawson, 1/11/03

"I've had people in practice say, `Look he's bending over when the coach stops the practice.' But I say, `Look when the practice is going, he doesn't lag behind. He pushes himself during the possession and rests when he can.'

"Somebody else, you'd see him dragging down the court and resting on the play. He doesn't do that."

- Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich on Yao's work ethic and conditioning, 1/11/03

"Actually if you look at his overall skills, he is better than Shaq. His feel for the game, passing, shooting, etc. It's all right there for him. I have said before they have to build a new Mt. Rushmore of centers and put Ming's face on it. He is very similar to Bill Walton. Ming does everything well. Go Yao!!"

- Fred Carter, former NBA player, coach and current NBA 2Night analyst, 1/9/03, 1/11/02

"It's something that you can see with him, maybe not having as much energy sometimes. It's something that you know is going to catch up with him, because of the schedule he kept before the season. And just being on an NBA schedule, with the travel and all, is tough on anybody."

- Rockets GM Carroll Dawson on Yao's physical condition, 1/9/02

"He's going to be a great player in this league. Once he gets some games under his belt and gets comfortable with the game, he's going to be unbelievable. And he just takes a lot out of you. He's so big and hard to double-team because he can just look over the double-team and pass out of that with ease. He rebounds. Guys do a great job playing off him when he passes the ball. He's a handful, man."

- Tracy McGrady, the NBA's leading scorer, after playing Yao and the Rockets, 1/8/03

"Two steps, and he's at the basket. I won't trap him in the corner anymore."

- Pat Burke of the Orlando Magic, after playing against Yao and commenting on how Yao blew by him for a finger-roll bucket, 1/8/02

"Ewing, Sampson and Walton came in with a lot of flourish, but nothing quite like this guy. This is amazing. This is the real deal."

- Pat Williams, Orlando Magic Sr. Vice President, during the game against the Rockets, 1/8/03

"Yao Ming, I tell you what, thank God he is on our team. This guy has a tremendous amount of skill, both offensively and defensively."

- Glen Rice, Yao's Rocket teammate, after Yao scored 23 points against the Magic to lead them to victory, 1/8/03

"When a guy is shooting that high of a percentage (56%), you've GOT to get him 15-20 shots a game…He is like having an elephant in the living room…how can you ignore him?…give him the ball."

"I tell you man, he can be as good as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in that low post because of his unselfishness, his willingness to help out his teammates. I just don't understand why the Rockets have taken this long to figure out you run your offense through Yao Ming."

- Mychal Thompson, former NBA star and current Minnesota Timberwolves TV analyst, 1/7/03

"He's a force to be reckoned with. He'll get better with time. Eventually, you'll have to double-team him, and that creates a lot of matchup problems. What I really like about him the most is if you move, he'll definitely get you the ball."

- Milwaukee Bucks' guard Sam Cassell, 12/31/02

"He's very difficult to guard with his height advantage and his incredible skill level. He gets things done on the court that other big men can't do."

- Milwaukee Bucks' forward Jason Caffey, 12/31/02

"The guy is playing good. As a fan, he's enjoyable to watch. He does things the fundamental way on his passing and some of the things he does, and he's good for basketball -- not only basketball here in the United States but basketball all over the world."

"It's what we've been saying all along (about Yao). He's special. He has special vision, special poise, special skills."

- Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 1/2/03

"It happens to the best of us. When I came in, I beat out Patrick Ewing.

"He (Yao) is making history for his people. His people are proud of him. They should be. One billion people -- that's tough to beat."

- A more humble Shaquille O'Neal after learning Yao currently has more votes to start at center for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star game, 1/2/03

"It was marvelous. I was surprised that he threw it. I know it's going to be a top-10 play ... wait, it's going to be the top play in every country -- in China, America, everywhere. I thought it was a good, heads-up play, even though I was surprised Moochie made it."

- Steve Francis on Yao's no-look, over-the-head pass to Moochie Norris against the New Orleans Hornets, 12/29/02

"Every time I see him, I'm amazed. He shows every indication of being taught the game. I think the game will rediscover the big fellows, but not until the high school coaches begin to teach. But so many coaches never were exposed to teaching. What are they going to do?"

- Pete Newell, legendary coach of NBA centers, December 2002

"...that Yao Ming gets some rest. No one has played more basketball than Yao, who will soon find out just how long the NBA season really is. Yao needs to learn time management. He's so nice that he won't say no to any request. He's going to be a great basketball player, that that's what he has to focus on, not the endless requests for his time. Yao could also use some teammates who understand the passing game and at least one to serve as a bodyguard. Where's Maurice Lucas when you need him?"

- What Bill Walton wishes for Yao in 2003, 12/27/02

"I've seen him a ton of times, and I mean ... unbelievable."

"I see unbelievable, remarkable improvements with what he's doing. I told one of the coaches, he's improving game to game. Not week to week. I mean game-to-game -- passing, footwork, hands, blocking shots."

- New York Knicks coach Don Chaney, 12/25/02

"I love him. I love him. He's not a cocky kid. He's lovable. I just love playing with him."

- Rocket teammate Cuttino Mobley, 12/24/02

"I do see the pressure on him. And I hope that I can help, help him to relax. I worry. If he worries, I worry. If he's happy, I'm happy. We often talk about it at home.

"A mother knows her son."

- Fang Feng Di (Yao's mother), 12/24/02

"He is not very different at home. But he can let his guard down."

"I really don't see the pressure showing on him. I'm consistently amazed with how well he deals with the pressure. His mother is able to sense what is going on. I think it's the same as with anybody. It's a home. You get home and kind of forget about a lot of things you deal with on the outside."

- Yao's interpreter Colin Pine, 12/24/02

"He's just a wonderful player, the real deal. It's wonderful to see a guy with all those skills. You better get him early, because he's going to get better and better as every day rolls by."

- Utah coach Jerry Sloan after his Jazz played Yao and the Rockets, 12/23/02

"He's kind of like [Portland center Arvydas] Sabonis. I heard stories about Sabonis when he was younger, how good he was passing the ball. [Yao has] really nice footwork in the hole. A lot of guys, even 7-footers, I can get a hand on their shot. But he shoots over the top."

- Utah center Greg Ostertag after the Jazz played Yao and the Rockets, 12/23/02

"Houston...is now my newest favorite place. Yao Ming. Nothing more need be said..."

"Is there any thing Yao Ming can't do? We all have so much to learn from him. Why does everybody think it's the other way around?"

"Not many shopping days left for Yao Ming season tickets. And then there were none left and all were sad."

- Bill Walton, 12/24/02

"He's a different player than Hakeem Olajuwon. But in Dream's development, we would be on the bench and say, 'My God, he stole the ball from a guard.' With Yao, it's different things. The passes are unbelievable."

- Rudy Tomjanovich, 12/21/02

"The most impressive thing about Yao Ming is his fundamentals. He's so sound. He has extremely good footwork. His understanding of the game, where people should go, where he should screen people, what he should do if say (Steve) Francis is double-teamed is very, very astounding for a rookie."

"Yao Ming, if you didn't know how big he was and you took a picture, he would look like he's 6-foot-6. He's very proportioned. Shawn Bradley has an extremely high center of gravity. That hurts him from a body balance standpoint. Yao Ming has great body balance. If he was 6-foot-8, he would be a guy who could play. The size is just an advantage.

"I'm surprised at how quick he's developed. In the world games, he played a lot of high post in the offense they ran. They've done a really good job giving him responsibility, and he's responded. So they give him a little bit more.

"He's very fortunate he's playing with other very good players, especially with the backcourt of Francis and (Cuttino) Mobley, who have the ability to take a lot of pressure off of him so he can pretty much just play."

"He's the second-best center in the league already, all things considered. Offensively, he's got a lot of skill, and once he gets the ball down low, it's over. He already changes the way you have to play."

- Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, 12/21/02

"You want to know about Yao Ming? Let me tell you what the NBA players think about Yao Ming. All you need to know is that every player in the league wants to see him play. They're all talking about Yao Ming, and everybody wants to see him play."

"How many players can you say that about? He's looking like a young Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon). He has great feet, good hands and he has a good sense of how the game should be played."

- Atlanta Hawks guard Emanual Davis before playing the Rockets, 12/20/02

"We'll probably be seeing some different defenses, but the good thing about Yao is that he's versatile, and if they double-team, he's a great passer. We've gone through some real tough defenses in Miami and Indiana. And in (today's) game, there's a really great shot-blocker in (Atlanta's Theo) Ratliff, which will be another great test.

"What I'm seeing in Yao is that he's versatile, and it's all about the team. If they (opposing defenses) do something to shift some people over, he's going to hit a teammate (with a pass) for an open shot."

- Rudy Tomjanovich on Yao's ability to beat defenses designed to stop him, 12/19/02

"Yao was just fantastic. He's a creative player. It got very physical. I think he learned something from our last game in Miami. He's a versatile player."

"Yao is so inspiring. It just gives me goose bumps sometimes after he makes a play, to hear that buzz in the crowd, people saying, `Could you believe that?' It was reminiscent of when Dream (Olajuwon) was here."

- Rudy Tomjanovich after Yao's incredible game against the Pacers, 12/18/02

"They were trying to beat him up. When he gets a little bit stronger, it's going to be scary. He's learning so fast."

"Sometimes you have to turn it on to an aggressive mode where you have to get a little more physical. We told him, ... we have to tear their head off before they tear ours off.

"They were trying to beat him up. He learned in one game. Miami tried to beat him up, Brian Grant and those guys. He comes out this day and boom, boom, shoots right over top of them, baby hooks."

"We just think about how much better he can get. He's only 22. Steve and I are gym rats. (Kelvin) Cato is playing great. And Mo Taylor, he's coming back. (Newly acquired) James Posey is scrappy. Everything is looking up."

- Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley after playing against the Pacers, 12/18/02

"We had to keep the ball inside. It was obvious he was dominating the game. Late in the game, things were kind of erratic. But I think we did a good job re-establishing the post."

"Cuttino (Mobley) missed four in a row, Glen (Rice) missed three in a row. I missed two in a row. We said we're going to live and die with what (Yao) does for us."

- Rockets guard Steve Francis after playing against the Pacers, 12/18/02

"I said after the first game to just give him time. I said, `Once he figures it out, he will be good.' He's a load and he's tough to deal with. He's got everything. He has no real weakness."

"Don't be surprised if they (the Rockets) come out of the West (as conference champions)."

- Indiana Pacers coach Isiah Thomas after losing to Yao and the Rockets, 12/18/02

"He's so tall. When we played them last time, he had only one move. Now he's playing with confidence and his teammates have a lot of confidence in him -- they went to him late in the game. He's not a selfish player: He's a good passer for a big man, and he gives them opportunities to make plays."

"He's adapted to where people are just pushing him so hard and he's letting his teammates flow around him and either making the right pass or going to the basket. . . . What can you say other than he's just tough."

- Indiana Pacer center Brad Miller, 12/18/02

"He says he understands me about 70 percent of the time. I don't know how he has done as well as he has done. The good news is he has a feel for the game and he gained respect from his teammates his very first practice, with some of the things he did, even the veteran guys. We really have put him in a tough situation. Everybody wants to form this guy to their own idea, and they are looking for this finished product. And in reality, this guy is a senior in college."

- Rudy Tomjanovich, 12/17/02

"The other day, a conversation came up talking about zone defenses. They went over to the board during practice, and Yao got the magnets and was moving them around, and him and Rudy connected right there. So his visual aspect of his learning is really strong and I guess especially in this sport, if you can see it on the board and put it in your mind, then maybe your feet will do that on the floor."

- Rockets' trainer Keith Jones, 12/17/02

"You tell him something once and he has it, and he tries his best to try and remember everything possible, which is hard, especially for your first (season) and you're dealing with two crazy guards such as Steve and myself."

"I asked him not too long ago, 'Do you like rap?, He said his girlfriend likes rap so ... I don't know. You just have him hanging with you and give him the 'Wassupp?' and little funny things like that. Just being around him, and letting him be around you, and letting him see your family and vice versa and things like that. I guess he'll pick up on it."

- Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley, 12/17/02

"I love to watch Yao Ming play. When I watch Yao Ming play, I'm reminded of Magic Johnson. He makes plays like Garry Kasparov, like Bobby Fisher (both chess champions). You sit there and say, `No way he thought of that. That had to be luck.' (Larry) Bird was that way, too -- always so far ahead of everyone else mentally.

"As Yao Ming develops into more of an NBA player, the anticipation I have for what is to come ... I'm so excited about the whole thing. There is no limit to what he can accomplish.

"Yao Ming has the potential, the capability, of changing the future of basketball."

"(Yao) is light years ahead, minutes ahead, hours ahead of the play that's actually going on. The anticipation, the analysis, the figuring out of what's going to happen next. This is an unbelievable talent we are so lucky to have.

"It's harder today. The game is different. Michael Jordan changed the game completely. It wasn't his fault. But the game is played off the dribble, for yourself. Not that Michael was a selfish player, but everybody thought the way he played basketball was to dribble and bail out his team at the shot clock. Now, it's one guy dribbling, nine guys standing, watching that guy get his own shot.

"If you play with Yao Ming, like playing with (Arvydas) Sabonis, like playing with Vlade Divac, you have to learn to move, learn to expect and anticipate that you'll get the ball in perfect position.

"My main coach, John Wooden, said, `If you dribble once, that's enough. If you dribble twice, you're not open. If you shoot after dribbling twice, sit on the bench next to me.' Now it's totally common for a player to take 15 dribbles on one possession."

"Now that the Rockets have the type of personnel -- you can run an offense through a guy who doesn't have to score -- everything is different. Steve and Cuttino and all these guys are terrific basketball players and also smart guys. They are going to realize quickly how much better they can be with better ball movement.

"Yao Ming, what he's trying to do ... no one has ever had a more difficult period of adjustment. No one has done anything as hard as Yao Ming. To not have the coaching in China, not have teammates, equipment, the facilities, and deal with the cultural differences ... he's doing terrific. His learning curve is almost vertical.

"He's a very special player, a unique person, and he has a chance to change basketball."

- Bill Walton, courtesy of The Houston Chronicle, 12/18/02

"He's a tree. He's a big dude. You can't go over him and you try to go around him, but his wing span is ridiculous -- it's 8 feet or something."

- Caron Butler, Miami Heat rookie forward who was rejected twice by Yao, 12/16/02

"Can you front him and prevent him from getting the ball? He's so darned tall, even with the front, they can throw it over the top. Now, you're not in great position. Or do you just play behind him and stay between him and the basket and not let him in too deep, and just hope he misses some?

"The second question is how much are you going to double-team him? He's such a good passer, and he's got guys like [Steve] Francis and [Cuttino] Mobley out there.

- Stan Van Gundy, Miami Heat assistant coach on how to defend Yao, 12/16/02

"He has been very well taught in back-to-the-basket basketball. His footwork is just excellent for a kid of his size and dimensions. He's an athletic kid, he has a variety of shots. He's been very, very well-taught."

"He's going to get better and better. The players he is playing with have never played with a player like that. They are starting to get the feeling they can go right to the top with this man in the middle, just like Lakers have done. And they have a right to feel that way."

- Pete Newell, legendary coach of big men, December 2002

"(L.A. Clipper center Wang Zhi-Zhi) helped us tremendously. He told us his two best moves, he told us about his pump fakes and head fakes, so we were probably as prepared as any team that's played him. But on the other side of that, you can see it doesn't matter. The guy is going to be a great player.

"Every game I see him, I think he gets better and smarter -- his up-and-under moves and things like that. I think we're probably doing as good a job as you can do on him, considering his talent."

"In another year or so, Yao Ming has got a chance to be the most dominant guy, other than Shaq in this league. You add a great guard like Steve Francis, they can become very similar to the Magic Johnson and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) situation."

- Los Angeles Clipper coach Alvin Gentry, 12/14/02

"I kept saying teams should trade up to draft him first. I'm happy for the Rockets because they were firm in their conviction. People kept trying to bluff Houston off its pick and second-guess the Rockets after they drafted him."

- Memphis Grizzlies Coach Hubie Brown, 12/13/02

"The team to watch is the Houston Rockets. Yao Ming will continue to improve, and the rest of the team will get used to the way he plays. If they are healthy in the spring, with Steve Francis running the show, they are the wild card in the Western Conference going into the playoffs."

- Mike Kahn, Sportsline.com, 12/13/02

"Yao Ming, Houston: Starting to look more like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar than Rik Smits."

- David Dupree of USA Today, 12/13/02

"I've been checking him out, and he's biiiiiiiig. You've got to do your best to keep him out of the post. All he has to do is hold up his hands and dunk."

- Memphis Grizzlies center Lorenzen Wright, 12/12/02

"He is really going to be a treat to watch. His greatest skill is his passing. I don’t see anything but bright things ahead for him if they can get him the ball."

- Sacramento guard Bobby Jackson, 12/10/02

"We were wrong. We know it, and we're sorry. We could only hope to have a player on our fantasy roster who dropped in about 20 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, blocked almost three shots and shot almost 50 percent from the floor (as Yao has done in his past four games). More important, the Houston players are starting to believe in Yao. They are starting to see the benefits of having a double-teamed center kick the ball out for open jumpers. They are starting to understand how a legitimate low-post scorer can make their team good enough to knock off the Sacramento Kings. And they are starting to see how many more chances they can take on defense with a virtual giant behind them to swat away what they don't steal."

- Paul Forrester of CNNsi.com, 12/11/02

"I love him. You only have to tell him stuff one time and he listens. He’s not a cocky kid. He’s lovable. I just love playing with him. It takes a lot of pressure off myself. I don’t have to go as crazy out there. It’s great to have somebody that big down low that has that much of an impact."

- Cuttino Mobley, 12/10/02

"He’s doing better and better in that area. He hasn’t been the foul-prone guy. He’s made the adjustment (to the NBA) quicker than a lot of big guys. He just blows my mind. We ask him to do a lot of stuff, like fronting people. A lot of big guys just play behind."

- Coach Rudy Tomjanovich on Yao's defense, 12/10/02

"Today, he (Yao) did a lot of those things (in practice) that Vlade did (last week against the Rockets), and you can see it in the game. His passes are igniting some offensive things, and our guys are just getting used to it. He sees it when (you're open). When the guy has contact with you, and he stops watching the ball, (Yao) sees it, and he drops that ball right in there."

- Coach Rudy Tomjanovich on Yao's passing skills, 12/9/02

"He's as funny, clever and natural with the media as he is away from media. Charles, Michael (Jordan) or Grant Hill when they got in the league and got all that attention had that same poise. That makes them so effective. Yao Ming has that already. It's something he had from his very first press conference in Houston as a Rocket. That bodes very well.

"Just imagine when he masters the language to an extent he can communicate directly with the media without an intermediary. People will know him better and he's ... already incredibly effective."

- Rockets President George Postolos, early December 2002

"It's been nice. It's more of a relaxed role for me. I can't complain about that. I still can't believe ... eventually, as Yao starts to fill out even more as a player, the attention will go to our team, instead of to Yao or myself. He won't be just a curiosity. People will know more about what we're doing as a team. They'll read about us in the paper. They'll see us on television."

- Steve Francis on how Yao has affected him, and what's in store in the future, early December 2002

"You never know, but I watched him. When I scouted, I actually watched the dead time, too, what happens after practice. Yao was fantastic with his teammates. At times watching the game, I was frustrated with wanting him to get the ball. The guys who couldn't get him the ball, he was just patting them on the back and encouraging them."

- Rudy Tomjanovich on when he scouted Yao in Beijing this past year, early December 2002

"It's fun to watch. With Yao, Steve has someone who is a real inside threat, someone he can dump it to. What's great is that Yao is starting to look for Steve more, too, because Steve is a smart cutter and Yao will hit him with the pass. Steve was not looking for Yao at first, but he is more now. There is a chemistry that is getting started there."

- Jim Boylen, Rockets assistant coach, early December 2002

"He has guard arsenal, if you ask me. He can turn around and shoot; he can square up and hit you (with a pass) or still shoot the ball; he can give you the quick spin on the baseline; he can go to the middle and stop (to shoot) a hook. Whatever.

"He's showing so much. He's doing reverses like he's small. It's phenomenal to me. I'm impressed. Every time I get on the floor, I'm impressed. I'm a fan of Yao Ming. A big fan."

"We feel like we have that definite inside threat all the time, a big guy who can post inside. Our forwards post up all the time, but we haven't had a center since Hakeem (Olajuwon) left where you could normally come down and (throw the ball inside).

"Now that our power forwards and our center are posting up, my hat is off to them, because our big men are working so well down there. Yao Ming's running right to the box, which opens everything up, so you have to give it to him down there.

"He's starting to get a feel for that kind of thing that you see Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) do -- just take a step back in the lane and (dunk the ball). I try to tell him to do it all the time.

"I don't care if you break the play, if you can run in there and get down low, just run in there, and I'll throw it up there. You just catch it and make a play.

"If he's that close, it's difficult to stop him from right there."

- Moochie Norris, Yao's teammate and Rockets back-up point guard, 12/5/02

"I hate to say I told you so, but I really did. For two years, I have said that Yao Ming can flat out play. At his size, he is the best player I have ever seen and I believe that he will leave a lasting mark on the NBA. So far, he has exhibited an exceptional shooting touch, instinctive passing ability and a mental approach to the game that will guarantee his success. The other skills necessary to be a major force at the center position will come with time. Write this down: Yao Ming will be the first of many big men from China to make an impact in the NBA."

"He's the first one in the gym, last one out. Always."

- NBA legend Rick Barry, 12/4/02

"He's not like an American player. All these cameras following him around, he could care less about them."

"He's the first one in the gym, last one out. Always."

- Rockets teammate Steve Francis, late November 2002

"He has been unfailingly patient and funny and humble answering the same questions over and over. Imagine doing that without snarling or at least an eye-roll now and then, particularly after a night of being pounded by Arvydas Sabonis or Erick Dampier or Predrag Drobnjak."

"The more he lets NBA fans see of him, the more they will realize he is the answer to everything critics find wrong with the league today. He's accommodating to fans and media alike. He doesn't give any more importance to himself or the game than they deserve. He isn't letting his fame distract him from the task at hand. He's a team player to a fault -- that anyone else is even being talked about as Rookie of the Year, at least at this point, is a joke. And he's the hardest worker the Rockets have."

- Ric Bucher, writer for ESPN The Magazine, 12/3/02

"He played very well, obviously. He did a great job of playing a complete basketball game. He's a natural.

"He's going to be a big-time force in this league. Those who think differently are few and far between now."

- San Antonio Spur coach Gregg Popovich, after playing Yao and losing to the Rockets, 12/3/02

"He played great. He was all over the boards. He shot the ball well and he moved the ball around with his passing. He was a handful. He was the difference in the game.

"He's definitely going to be one of the top players in the league."

- David Robinson, after playing Yao and losing to the Rockets, 12/3/02

"He's for real. At that age? He's for real. He did that against three 7-footers — three 7-footers who can play. David Robinson. Kevin Willis. Tim Duncan. Those aren't three stiffs.

"He played well. And he can only get better."

- San Antonio Spur Steve Smith, after playing Yao and losing to the Rockets, 12/3/02

"He was very impressive. He has a great touch, and he is bigger than you think he is in person. He shot the ball better than I thought he could. We had a hand in his face, and it didn't matter. He played great."

- Spurs center and NBA MVP Tim Duncan after playing Yao and losing to the Rockets, 12/3/02

"I've seen him quite a bit, and the guy is going to be good. I mean, he's only had about two or three games where you really noticed him, but just watching him play, he's getting more aggressive. ... And he's just so darn big."

"The thing I like about him is he's got great hands. And he knows how to finish around the basket. He seems like he's not afraid of contact, and it's just going to take him time to figure out how he's going to be successful. But eventually, he's really going to be a force for them."

- Sacramento King coach Rick Adelman, 12/01/02

"I can relate to what he's going through. It has been a long time since I came here. But I remember there were a lot of difficulties. First, the language and then the system. And not just international guys, but you see in a lot of rookies, they are not consistent. And his game is the same way. But he's going to be a great player.

"For him, I think it's very important how (the Rockets) adopt him. I was lucky. The whole Lakers organization helped me a lot. Hopefully, the Rockets are doing the same for him."

"He knows the game very well. I think they'll eventually get used to him and what he can do. Put it this way: They'll get used to him and take advantage of him if they're going to get the most out of him."

"You know, I watch some high school games here and in L.A., and I see these big, strong kids, and all they do is dunk. Nobody teaches them the fundamentals. But in Europe and overseas, they still teach those things. So it is good to see a 7-footer with those skills come into the league. There aren't too many of us left."

- Sacramento King center Vlade Divac, another center from overseas who came over to play in the NBA, 12/01/02

"I think he's going to be a terrific player. Obviously, everybody forgets how some of the other guys came into the league during their rookie years. I always use a guy like (Orlando's) Tracy McGrady. He came into the league as a young player and had to kind of feel his way through. Now, he's probably the best player in the NBA.

"With big guys, you've got to give them time to develop, but (Yao) seems to me to have a pretty good grasp of the game. He's got great skills for a guy his size, and he can make jumpers. Once he gains upper-body strength, he'll be able to post up and take the ball to the basket. He hasn't had the opportunity to play against guys of NBA-caliber. So quite naturally, it's going to take him a while to learn."

- Los Angeles Clipper coach Alvin Gentry, late November 2002

"He has a poise about him. He has a temperament that's pretty even. He doesn't get too high with the ups and doesn't get too low with the downs. I admire the guy. I look at him and I say, 'I've got to be more like that.' He's a guy who tries to do the right thing. He's a comfortable person to be around. He has a great personality. He's warm. Has a quick smile. I think once people get to know him, they're going to love him."

"The way I look at it, he's come in and tried to keep pace with a train that's always moving. Most people, without the language, without all of the publicity, without all the double (pregame and postgame) press conferences, well, you put an American in that situation and he's not going to get much done and it would be understandable.

"It takes time for people to really carve their niche. What happens in adolescence is pain and mistakes. There is no quick fix."

- Rudy Tomjanovich, 11/28/02

"This guy is already ahead of the game, so to speak. He understands the game, the double-teaming, the spacing, the trapping, and where he can be effective on the floor. He has patience in the post, he's quick for being 7-5, and he doesn't normally get himself into a lot of foul trouble. Even in the short minutes he played against us (earlier in the season), I felt like he was a guy who really knew what he was doing on the low post."

"He has All-Star potential in the years to come."

- Seattle Sonics coach Nate McMillan, 11/28/02

"Personally, I think we're all blessed to have somebody like Yao brought into our lives. Are you kidding? A 7-5 center who can play like this guy? Yeah, I'm real thankful."

- Steve Francis reflecting on this year's thoughts for Thanksgiving, 11/27/02

"Yao is a big-time player. And a huge factor in game preparation and game strategy, both offensively and defensively."

- Golden State Warrior coach Eric Musselman, who distributed videotapes of every shot taken by Yao this season to his centers (Yao still made 6 of 8 field goals), 11/27/02

"It was an ugly, pound-it game, and we had guys doing pretty good, so I figured, what the hell, save the guy for the second half. He does a good job of getting guys shots. He swung the ball around. We've got to develop a rhythm.

"He's a rookie and it's, 'Hey coach, what do want from me?' Set a pick, whatever. He's a good guy who tries to do the right thing, to do whatever you want him to do. It's going to be an up-and-down thing just like any other young player."

- Rockets coach Rudy T. after the Rockets lost to the Blazers, 11/26/02

"He's a totally different guy. He was a non-factor against us. Now, if they get him the ball anywhere close to the basket, it's almost 100 percent that it's going in."

- Golden State Warrior Antawn Jamison, comparing Yao to the game he played against the Warriors on 11/9 and now, 11/26/02

"He is such a big presence, and when you combine that with his excellent passing skills, it's hard to double-team him. He's so big that if you go to help on him, he can just lift the ball up over you and pass it back out. It's a real challenge."

- Golden State assistant coach Mark Osowski, 11/26/02

"He's a great person, has a great attitude, and he's funny. He takes things in stride, and he likes to joke around with his teammates a lot. The one story I've been telling people: We were at shoot-around at the Compaq Center in Houston, and the equipment manager found a baby rat in a shoe. Yao looks over and yells over at (diminutive point guard) Moochie Norris, and yells in English, 'Hey Moochie, your brother is over here.'"

- Yao's interpreter Colin Pine, 11/26/02

"Yao has been getting double-teamed since he was 14 years old. He has a feel for it and finds the open man."

"We're in a skeleton offense right now, and he still gets us really good shots. We will put in some more things later."

- Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 11/26/02

"Portland had to wait for Sabonis, but we get the benefit of getting Yao right now, when he's young and he's eager to learn. I don't know how great a player he'll be. But he wants to be a great one, the way he works and practices and picks up things. And that's why I give him a good chance. I'd like to see where he is in two or three years."

"I didn't think he would play this way until maybe January, around Game 25. We figured there would be adjustments, no matter how good you are. But he picks up everything so very quickly, he's ahead of schedule."

- Rockets GM Carroll Dawson, 11/25/02

"The thing I love about Yao is his demeanor. He has the intensity and competitive spirit of a great player. I know he has the size and the skills, and defensively, he's not nearly as proficient as he needs to be. But that demeanor is going to help him through his great moments and his not-so-great moments."

- Jeff Van Gundy, former NY Knick coach and current TNT analyst

"It helps because defensively, we gamble a lot out there on the court. The Lakers, their guards gamble a lot when they know they have (Shaquille O'Neal) in the back."

- Steve Francis, commenting on what Yao's presence does in the middle, 11/23/02

"Are people still wondering about Yao Ming? The rush to be the first to criticize can often lead to a stampede off a cliff. As Elvis says 'Return to Sender.'"

- Bill Walton, 11/23/02

"Yao Ming is so big that they have a target they can throw ball in the post and when he doesn't score he forced our defense to collapse and he can find open people. We were not able to threaten them inside. The huge difference is they could threaten us in there and we couldn't."

"Historically, what happens with big men in the league is that they have a game or two like that and the light goes on. It's crossing a barrier. They are suddenly filled with confidence. Now they know they can do it. So they start to do it every night. The great ones expand their games. Then watch out."

"He is going to be a great player. He has great confidence and instincts. He has soft hands and a soft touch. When he is back there, he changes the entire game."

- Washigton Wizards' coach Doug Collins, 11/22/02

"He's for real. Look at that 30 and 16 (against Dallas). Any time you can make Charles Barkley kiss an ass, that's a good thing. I just couldn't tell which one was the ass. Was it a four-legged ass or a two-legged ass?"

"He's getting better and better."

"It's tough for him to have all that responsibility, not just in basketball, but socially. He's got the government and all of China. Let the basketball be his haven to relax and go out and enjoy himself. Once you're on the basketball court, that's your peace. That's where no one can really bother you. That's when you can express yourself."

"(Adding Yao) plugged a lot of big holes that they had last year in terms of productivity in that center spot. And defensively, he can definitely block shots and plug up that center position. It's going to help them a whole lot because they have the perimeter guys and they just needed that big figure in the center."

"Can they compete with the Lakers? That's a different story."

- Michael Jordan after his Washington Wizards played Yao and the Rockets, 11/22/02

"It's all the difference in the world. I don't have to go out and get hammered every day. I can go out and play back-to-back, play 44 minutes without a struggle because we got a guy in the middle. I'm not saying he's dominating like Shaq (O'Neal) -- but he's doing a good job holding the middle down for us. He did a marvelous job in there."

- Steve Francis, on what effect Yao is having on his own game, 11/22/02

"Yao is the real thing. He can be a scary player."

- Maverick All-Star Dirk Nowitzki after playing against Yao, 11/21/02

"He's got a feel for the game. He was free-flowing. He is a little bit like Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon) in that he has an instinctive feel where you can't teach what he does. With guys like that, the sky's the limit."

- Rudy T., after Yao scored 30 points against the Dallas Mavericks, 11/21/02

"Not only will I kiss your ass if he (Yao) becomes one of the 5 best players in the world...we're going to get REAL freaky in here if he becomes one of the five best players in the world."

- Charles Barkley, tempted to make an even wilder bet with Kenny Smith after Kenny predicted that Yao would become one of the five best players in the world, 11/21/02.

"Kenny said that I said Yao Ming couldn't play, and that's inaccurate. You don't want the Chinese mad at you. They can fight. I thought he would be good. I just didn't think it would be this soon."

- Charles Barkley, trying to clarify his 'true thoughts' about Yao, 11/21/02.

"I think Yao brings that much more to the table scoring wise. With (Kelvin) Cato back being really good for us defensively, we’re looking at a two-headed monster now."

- Steve Francis, mid-November, 2002

"There are always going to be detractors. There were detractors when we used to throw the ball into Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon), and now I hear it about our guards. We feel good about Yao. This is a hard league to play in. It takes people time to get adjusted even when you go through the proper steps. He has missed most of those steps and he’s still doing a great job."

- Rudy T. commenting on early criticism of Yao

"He has a good future in this league. He has very strong legs, a soft touch and it is in his hands because he definitely has the tools to do it all."

- 7'3" Cleveland Cavalier center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, 11/19/02

"He is aggressive. He wants to go to the ball. A lot of times we say, `Let it come to you,' because if they see him, they're going to cause contact. I thought he bothered some shots out there."

- Rudy T. commenting on Yao's defensive performance against the Lakers, 11/18/02

"Yao Ming makes Shawn Bradley look like Bill Russell. He might be a good player some day, but he is not ready."

"He has been playing the game all these years. You know what he said when he got over here, 'Whoa! These brothers are different over here. They are big and strong and they run and jump. Whoa! Even white guys can play over here.' He's never seen a brother in China. The black guys and white guys - they aren't like those China guys, they're a little bit different over here."

- What Charles Barkley said before saying he would kiss Kenny Smith's butt if Yao scored 19 points, 11/14/02

"You couldn't ask for anything more from him. He gave us a heck of a boost. I was surprised he caught some of the passes. Some of the passes were bad and he caught them and finished.

"I've seen him in practices. I knew he had soft hands. I was just glad he was aggressive and dunking the ball. In his culture, you don't dunk the ball. But we've been on him from Day 1, `if you don't dunk the ball, you won't score.' "

- Steve Francis after Yao's performance againt the Lakers, 11/17/02

"He has all the skills to be effective in the league. It's just a matter of his determination, his confidence and his belief in himself. He hurt us tonight. We were soft in the middle and he took advantage tonight."

- Kobe Bryant on Yao's performance againt the Lakers, 11/17/02

"I haven't seen him a whole lot yet, but he sure did (well) tonight. His presence in the middle was a little overwhelming."

"He added to his highlight reel tonight. He's been much-maligned as a No. 1 draft pick. You can't teach 7-6. This is an individual who can clearly play the game, he's no circus act. He's going to have more and more nights like this.

"He can speak clear English, too, which surprised me. I heard him talking to his teammates."

- Rick Fox on Yao's performance againt the Lakers, 11/17/02

"I knew he was there even before I got the ball. I saw them switch to Mo and knew I would get it. (Yao) is 7-5. He's the biggest guy out there. There's no way you could miss him. I knew once I got him the ball, he would finish."

- Rocket Juaquin Hawkins, who dished the ball to Yao for a big bucket against the Lakers in the final minute, 11/17/02

"We knew it. There never was a doubt in our minds that he can play. The reason we won was the buckets he had down the stretch. He was a presence tonight."

We knew that once he got comfortable, the games were going to get better and the minutes that he will get are going to be better. You saw the finished product tonight."

- Rocket Maurice Taylor, after the Rockets beat the Lakers after a big-time Yao performance, 11/17/02

"Would I break him in two? Congratulations to Mr. Ming, first of all. He's done a lot for his country. Whenever you have a guy that's comes in like that, you must take it to him before he takes it to you.

"He has all the tools. He can shoot. He can dribble. He's no slouch."

- Shaq, showing some unusual respect for Yao after being asked if he would 'break Yao in two,' 11/17/02

"Here's a guy trying to catch up. I don't know if he'll do it this year. I'm not saying he won't.

"There's so many positive things about his personality and the way he approaches the game. I wasn't thinking he was going to come in and just take over. I knew that."

- Rudy T. in an article dated 11/17/02

"I haven't seen a lot of him, but all the clips they show on ESPN, all the news stations, it's kind of like they want to embarrass him a little bit, like he can't really play. But tonight he showed a lot of flashes of greatness."

"He can run the floor and he can move down there.... I didn't expect that."

- Penny Hardaway, after playing Yao in a Rockets-Suns game, 11/15/02

"He sees things underneath, it's kind of amazing. Only a handful in the league do that."

- Rudy T. commenting on Yao's innate passing touch shown in recent practices, 11/15/02

"What you do is you throw him out there and watch him play and then you find out what you've got to teach him. You find out what he's comfortable doing, what he has to get comfortable doing to at least not have a gaping hole in his game. Then you put him in situations where he's most likely to be successful. You have to be very patient with him and deflect all the pressure put on him to be the next big thing."

- Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni on how he believes the Rockets might be taking the right approach with Yao, (especially considering the Rockets can afford to do so with all their big men), 11/15/02

“The guy can play. He’s going to be pretty good. You always have to stay in to him because if you give him any room, he’s skilled enough that he can make some shots and can do some things.”

- Suns head coach Frank Johnson, after playing against Yao and the Rockets, 11/15/02

“I thought he had a good game for a big man. He needs to get a little stronger up top, but other than that, he has a nice soft touch.”

- Suns forward Shawn Marion, after playing against Yao and the Rockets, 11/15/02

"(Collier) is more comfortable with the plays. Yao, we have to limit things. It's going to take a while to catch up to where it becomes second nature. It helps to see a few minutes before he gets in."

- Rudy T. on why Yao is not starting games while Kelvin Cato is out-of-town on family business, 11/15/02

"It's great. It's a little different. It's very Chinese. It's also good for both of us, because we need to get used to each other. We'll be sharing close quarters a lot of the time. The best part is that his attitude about everything is great."

- Colin Pine, Yao's interpreter, describing his sharing of living space with Yao in a Houston home along with his parents, 10/30/02

"Look at him. He's 7-5 and an athlete. Plus, I think he's pretty handsome, too.

"Look, I've had high-profile guys on my team before with Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon), Clyde (Drexler) and Charles (Barkley). But I don't think it's ever been this magnitude.

"I know we went to a press conference over in China and there were two cameras and about five reporters and it was big news. But no one can imagine what this guy is going through. We can't measure it against anything because it's never happened before."

- Rudy T. Wednesday in Indianapolis, responding to the question about what the Yao hype is all about, 10/30/02

"[You can expect] a guy who's going to play hard. He's not going to back down from anybody on the Pacers or basically anybody in the NBA. I know he's ready to sacrifice everything he has for us to win."

"We are not worried about what the fans think. They are going to have to have patience. He did not play particularly well today. We have 81 more to go. This is a learning tool for him as well as us. He has no choice but to get better, he wasn’t a factor today. He will tell you that himself. But we believe in him and know he will get better."

- Steve Francis, before the Rockets played the Pacers, 10/30/02

"I think he's going to be a phenomenal player. I think he's got all the skills. It's just a matter of him getting used to the league. He's got everything that you want a big guy to have. I've never seen a man that large with that type of athleticism and skill."

- Isiah Thomas, Indianapolis head coach, 10/30/02

"I think it will be memorable. It will be the kind of event you look back on in five years and say, 'I saw this guy play his first game."

- Donnie Walsh, Indianapolis Pacer GM, 10/30/02

"This is the biggest individual sports story in the world. There are 2 billion Asian people, and everybody's watching it. ... In two years he'll be bigger than Michael (Jordan) ever was, worldwide, and bigger than Tiger (Woods). I think he's going to be the No. 1 icon in the world."

- Leslie Alexander, Rockets owner, USA Today - 10/28/02

"I worked on the PGA Tour with Tiger Woods, and there are days when there are some comparisons. There were times there would be 80 guys waiting at the 18th green to talk to Tiger. The day Yao got here, it was like the Beatles. I think we had eight security people for him at the airport, and it wasn't enough."

- Nelson Luis, Rockets publicist, 10/24/02

"I would have loved to have that first pick. He can play, he can catch it, he can pass it. Everybody in the league would love to have him. He's playing for the right coach. The lottery was very favorable to Houston."

"'SportsCenter' made fun of the kid [for perceived bad plays the night before against the Spurs], and that's stupid. He flew in Sunday, had two practices - and both were open to the public. He made a pass [against the Spurs] I don't think I've seen two big guys who would have seen the [teammate] open.

"Hopefully they'll show some good stuff on SportsCenter tonight, because (Yao) can play."

- Larry Brown, head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers after their preseason game against Yao, 10/24/02

"He has a combination of some of the best big men. He has Shawn Bradley height, Shaquille's (O'Neal) weight and he's able to play like (Arvydas) Sabonis the way he handles the ball. He's a little of all of them."

- Olden Polynice, Philadelphia 76er center, after playing the Rockets in a preseason game, 10/24/02

"He's a lot different. He's a lot more skilled. He's improved his all-around skills. He's always been able to shoot. But he's improved his passing, rebounding, really, all his skills. I had no idea he'd be able to pass the way he can pass. His overall awareness as a basketball player is much better. He's going to be a big asset to this team."

- Juaquin Hawkins, Yao's Rocket teammate who also played against him three years ago in the China Basketball Association, 10/23/02

"He's special. He's a gift from God."

- Allen Iverson, after playing against Yao on Thursday, 10/24/02

"He's got great size and skills. Obviously, he didn't know the plays, and he wasn't part of the offense, but he'll be good. He'll be good, no question about it. Once they teach him the offense and he gets comfortable with what they're trying to do, he'll be effective."

- David Robinson, after Yao's first preseason game in San Antonio, 10/23/02

"It's hard to come out your first game and play against the top forward and center (combination) in the league. For the time he played, I thought he did good even knowing the plays. When you look at how much time he's been here and been in practice and traveling, I thought he did well.

"I've never been in the playoffs. But it was real intense. San Antonio's coach wanted it. We wanted it. We held the lead most of the game. We weren't able to close the deal. I'm excited about what we have as a team. The sky's the limit of what we can do."

- Steve Francis, after Yao's first preseason game as a pro--against the Spurs' David Robinson and Tim Duncan, 10/23/02

"This is the first (NBA) game he ever played. He had two practices. I was like that when I first came into the league and I had training camp.

"Once he starts dunking on people he'll relax."

- Maurice Taylor, Rockets power forward, after Yao's first preseason game against the Spurs, 10/23/02

"I try and explain things to him - manners, things like saying 'Bless you' when people sneeze. When we're in the car, I drive, so when somebody lets us over, I always wave my hand."

"He is very curious about American culture and wants to learn."

- Colin Pine, Yao's interpreter, November 2002

"There's no doubt he has to make a real adjustment. If everybody has patience and he's a real student of the game, he has to be good. He has obvious strengths any team would like to have. He is a shot-blocker.

"But his game has been structured around the FIBA rules with those angled foul lines. The angled foul lines were put in by FIBA to equalize the game for countries without a lot of (players') size.

"It makes it very difficult to develop as a center under those international rules. It's just too bad he didn't get an opportunity to be with the team from the start of practices so Rudy (Tomjanovich) and his staff would have had the time to work with him. He needs help. But he has a good understanding of the game. I've seen him make wonderful moves. I saw games he had three baskets, all on different moves. He's no stiff, believe me.

"I think they're doing a good job bringing him along slowly. He'll be fine."

- Pete Newell, reknown coach of NBA centers, (including Hakeem Olajuwon) on Yao Ming's future

"Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley--they shoot the ball way too much. I don't want my point guard averaging over 30 points a game. They are both very talented players, but they never get him involved in the offense. They never give him the ball in good situations. Yeah, he's going to struggle--they've got to do a much better job of getting him involved in the game...The point guard is the most important position on the basketball team.

"We said it the first night, I think Yao Ming is going to struggle, but he's only going to struggle because Steve and Cuttino won't give him the ball more."

- Charles Barkley, on "Inside the NBA" on TNT, 11/7/02

"They have probably from 1 through 9 --they have a very deep basketball team, but they said they were going to do a motion offense. It's really going back to the same things that they've been doing before. One guy has the ball, they isolate him, and he goes to the basket and he makes things happen. So the motion offense to get everyone involved really hasn't come about."

- Kenny Smith, on "Inside the NBA" on TNT Thursday night, 11/7/02

"I know he's younger than me, but I think he's my big brother already."

- Steve Francis, talking about his relationship with Yao 11/7/02

"In a couple of years, that guy will be fantastic. The advantage I had was this was my fifth year in the league and this is only his first."

- Jerome James, Seattle Sonics center, after playing Yao and the Rockets, 11/5/02

"He is going to be a good player and he has a good feel for the game and in time he will be a good player in this league."

- Nate McMillan, Seattle Sonics coach, after playing the Rockets, 11/5/02

"Yao told Colin (Pine, his interpreter), 'I think you're more excited than I am.' He said, the Chinese way is not to be too up or too down about things.

"He's been handling it very well. I can't put a time on when it will all come together. He's mentally tough, but there's so many different factors. There's a different lifestyle. There's different people. No summer league. No orientation. It's been as chaotic as you can imagine. It's going to take us time to find an identity. It's pretty crazy right now.

"He has a very even temperament. He has a basic philosophy to just go out and do the best I can. I know everything is focused on this, and this is a big deal for the media. But it's just a little tiny step in a tremendous journey for him."

- Rudy Tomjanovich, November 2002

"He's very secure about himself. I don't think he worries about what people are saying. He's not interested in it."

- Colin Pine, Yao's interpreter, 11/2/02

"He's just so far behind on all the things we do with our guys. Then he has to have a feel for how to do this, how to do that. It's just going to take some time. He's a college-age (22-year-old) guy coming in at the most inopportune time. And he's doing fine. The overload with all the things to learn, we talked about this as an organization. If we expect it to happen right away, we're crazy.

"Next week, that's a good time for him."

- Rudy T., Rockets head coach, after the Pacer game where Yao only played 11 minutes, 10/30/02

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