"He's going to see (other centers) a lot stronger than me. But he's better than me already. He can score. T.D. (Tim Duncan) is a superstar by all means. He was a No. 1 draft pick and well worth a No. 1 draft pick. But he (Yao) is going to be OK. He's going to be a shock for a lot of players, considering you just don't see 7-6.
"You can see it on paper and understand what it is, and you can see cutouts. But 7-6 with his arms -- he's long. You aren't getting too many shots off. And he has post moves. He's not out here just being tall and trying to maintain. He really has post moves."
"He can get the position he needs with his lower-body strength. He does have great lower-body strength. The way Steve and Cat (Cuttino Mobley) pass to the post -- they haven't done it in a few years -- but if they can throw it into the post, he can do something. Yao's going to make it more balanced for us."
- Kelvin Cato, Rockets center, 10/22/02
"I think he's making great strides as far as learning the sets, recognizing what the defense gives him. He's too big to take him under my wing, but I want to show him some things I already know. Even though we play two different positions, I know there are things I can help him with."
"He can see over the whole defense. He's been making pinpoint passes to the guards on the weak side of the basketball court. He's a good defensive presence on the inside. A couple times I had to throw my shot higher just to get it over him. I know a lot of other teams will recognize that, too. With his presence, a lot of teams will think twice going to the middle."
- Steve Francis, after Tuesday's practice with Yao, 10/22/02
"Those are things we used when we had Hakeem -- when you have a big post-up guy. We're looking for post-up situations where he can get the ball and create for someone else. He has a high basketball IQ. Every time he caught the ball, he looked to the opposite side. He was seeing who he could pass it to.
"I felt like he was a step ahead of me, like I was going too slow."
- Jim Boylen, Rockets assistant coach, commenting after Yao's first practice about running plays designed to take advantage of double teams against him, 10/21/02
"In some ways, it's like standing in The Summit after the seventh game of the first championship. We just won the game. We just won the first championship. Everybody's screaming. There was just a feeling of ... satisfaction.
"You work so hard for something. To have it done -- it's such a good feeling."
- Michael Goldberg, Rockets General Counsel, the evening Yao arrived in Houston and Compaq Center for the first time, 10/20/02
"I think it's a day-to-day thing. We'll see how he feels and how much we can get in. Physically, we have to see how he feels when he wakes up tomorrow. Nobody's ever done this before that I know of. It's not going to be easy. There are so many things that need to be learned.
"But there is just something about this man, that I feel he will adjust well."
"My feeling about him are very strong. I feel he will be a good NBA player. He has a chance to be a great player. There's a lot of talent there.
"Everybody's different. This guy is going to be special, just as Dream was. Let's see what develops. Let's see what he becomes. There's a whole new world ahead of this guy.
"I've had the opportunity to coach some of the greatest players ever, but to also be entrusted with the development of the first great Asian player is a privilege."
- Rudy Tomjanovich, commenting on Yao's future the evening Yao arrived in Houston and Compaq Center for the first time, 10/20/02
"The only thing I can do is control my expectations. There's a process. This is the toughest basketball league in the world. It takes months and months for young guys to feel comfortable in a new league. This league is not that easy to walk into. It's never that easy for new players on a team, and those players are veterans.
"He's talented, He's a young player. It's going to be exciting. Nothing is given. He's going to have to prove it. But he's got some great qualities inside. I feel privileged for me, the Houston Rockets and our fans to have the opportunity to be with a young player with that kind of potential, and to be in the process.
"We have to understand that even the players who played in the U.S. and have been here and gone through summer league and have been in their towns working out with their guys -- it's a big jump to the NBA. I'm sure he's going to have to make adjustments, too."
- Rudy Tomjanovich, 10/20/02
"There is a buzz created around town. To keep it, we have to win. We have to play good basketball. But it is here now."
- Steve Francis, Rockets guard, commenting on the excitement Yao has brought back to Houston, 10/20/02
"All of our guys are impressed with him. The media is going to love this guy. The fans will love him. He endears himself to you very quickly. He has a passion for the game. He has a great personality.
"I've never seen anybody his size who is that athletic. Hakeem Olajuwon was about seven feet and the greatest athlete I ever saw. I wouldn't compare him to Hakeem, who was close to a finished product when we got him. But Yao Ming is six inches taller."
- Carroll Dawson, Rockets General Manager, the evening in which Yao was introduced to his fellow Rockets, 10/20/02
"I think the guy fits in everything. I think he fits in post-up stuff. I think he fits in movement stuff because he can pass. He has a good feel for the game, so whatever we put in, he will fit in."
- Rudy Tomajanovich, commenting about Yao's place in Houston's new motion-oriented offense, 10/3/02
"He's the only 7-6 guy in the league, so it'll be fun (working him into our team). He was getting out of his limo when Steve (Francis) and I rolled up (before the game). I gave him a hug, and I felt like a little kid because he was so tall."
- Cuttino Mobley, after meeting Yao for the first time, 10/20/02
"I just can't wait to see the guy. I've seen him on TV. It'll be fun to play with him. I'm just excited to play with someone so big like that, and to have him in the middle with (center Kelvin) Cato. It's going to be fun."
- Cuttino Mobley, commenting on Yao's arrival to the Rockets in a few weeks, 9/30/02
"I would expect that Yao is going to be tired because I was getting reports that he was tired in Indianapolis. We're going to just play it by ear."
"Look at the picture of the guy. Look at his legs. They say this guy is a skinny rail, but look at his legs. They are gigantic. I mean, he's 300 pounds. Really, sometimes the questions I get I don't know what people are talking about.
"I think we're doing the wrong thing if we're going to say he's going to be the savior and all that. But do I like what he brings? Oh yeah. I like it a lot."
- Rudy Tomjanovich, before the start of Rockets training camp, 9/30/02
"I think we're all, I don't know what the word would be, surprisingly impressed by the consistency of his minutes, of staying on the court, foul trouble, conditioning, balance, strength, all those things. Shawn (Marion) and I were talking the kid could be really good. I think right now the Houston Rockets got to be real happy with what they got. They've got a young force, and how he develops, and how he fits in, the chemistry, his passion for the game, all those things are undetermined. But from a standpoint of skills and size, he's extremely impressive."
- George Karl, after Team USA defeated China, 8/31/02
"The real deal. He's solid all around. He has great fundamentals for a guy his size. He has a soft touch and can really run the court and is very agile. He has a lot to learn about the NBA but I think he's a good player."
- Paul Pierce, 8/31/02
"We beat him up a little bit. We banged him. As the game went on, he started to wear down a little bit. The more we pushed him, the less fight he put up. I think that was the biggest key to the second half. He's a big guy and a banger. He gets down there and he pushes guys around. He's a pretty solid player. He's no slouch, so people always have to be aware of him."
- Ben Wallace, 8/31/02
"The further you make him catch it outside the better. Once he gets the ball in the low post he's tough to guard."
"Our guards did a good job of attacking him and getting him into foul trouble. That softens him up a bit. Now it works. But as he gets stronger it won't. I just hope I'm not around to have to deal with him when that happens."
- Antonio Davis, 8/31/02
"Maybe I'm fat so I can push people. He's (21) years old so you have to cut him slack. He has great potential. He's very athletic. He's tall. He can catch the ball. He can work with his hands. Of course he has to learn something. At (21) years old, you're not a perfect player."
- Patrick Femerling, German team center, after playing against Yao, 8/29/02
"Obviously I've seen a lot of footage on this guy and I'm really, really impressed with how fluidly he moves and the total team player that he is. You don't have too many guys picked #1 come in like this guy is coming in. He is really enthusiastic and happy to be able play in the U.S."
"I'm definitely grateful and happy that we got a guy like that."
"I hope that there's not a lot of pressure on him to be able to stick with a Shaq. His first year, I don't think that's going to happen. I think we can bring him along slowly. I'm looking forward to seeing him this Wednesday."
- Steve Francis, commenting on Yao after signing a 6-year contract extension with the Rockets, 8/26/02
"“He is an outstanding young man. He’s not just 7-5 but a talented, active athlete, and the guy is mentally tough. He has great ambition to succeed in the NBA, and he is going to. It will take a year, but he will make an impression early on.
“His biggest strength is shot-blocking, but he is a great passer, too. Reminds me of Sabonis, and, at 7-5, he can see over people. He locates and gets the ball to people at the right time. He speaks decent English, so there will be no problem coaching him. Eventually, he will become the best big man ever to play in the NBA.”
- Bucky Buckwalter, 1991 NBA Executive of the Year who pioneered drafting foreign players (Sabonis, Petrovic), quoted in a Portland Tribune article published 8/23/02
"We talked about him at halftime. Our big guys all shook their head. He's pretty good.
"His size is very intimidating, both defensively and his ability to shoot and pass over people. I think he'll get better and better. You're going to have to get near his shot to make him miss it and that's a very difficult thing to do.
"He had a double double with a lot of blocks. No question he was a major factor around the basket. Offensively it looks like he's going to be very difficult to be covered. It looks like he always will be able to shoot and get over the top of you."
"His size reminds me of Wilt Chamberlain's size when Wilt Chamberlain had a lot of size on people. Wilt had that fade-away on the backboard. No one could block it. No one in the league could get near it. Wilt had more athleticism. This kid is not a bad athlete. He's more of a basketball player than an uncoordinated big man."
- George Karl, Team USA coach after the China vs. USA exhibition game in Oakland on 8/22/02
"He earned our respect. To play against him was eye-opening. He was a lot better than I thought."
- Michael Finley
"Very impressive. Very impressive. Those were great shots. And he showed his emotion for the game. He has a love for the game. Charles (Barkley) had it. Dream (Hakeem Olajuwon) had it. He has it."
- Rudy Tomjanovich
"We were thrilled to have the opportunity to draft a player of his ability -- and after this, playing the way he is against top-notch players, we're sure he's a diamond in the rough. And maybe he's not that rough."
- Larry Smith, Rockets assistant coach
"After he turns and scores in your mug a couple of times, you have to try something else. I think he did a good job under the circumstances. There's a lot of pressure on him and he handled it pretty well."
"He's very strong from the waist down. He's very strong. The upper body stuff will come. It will come with time and it will come - as I'm sure Houston has a great strength coach and it will all come into play over the next couple months or so. He will establish his presence out on the floor and it should make Houston a contender."
"After he turns and scores in your mug a couple of times, you have to try something else. I think he did a good job under the circumstances. There's a lot of pressure on him and he handled it pretty well."
- Antonio Davis
"He definitely blew away my expectations of him. He's a really good basketball player and he showed that tonight."
- Jay Williams
"He's a lot better than I expected. He did a good job and he's a big guy. I think the learning curve is definitely on the upward swing with him."
- Andre Miller
"The guy can play. I like him a lot. My boy Steve Francis is a good friend of mine and he's going to have a good time with that big guy down there. He's going to block a lot of shots that will lead to some fast breaks and he can score inside."
- Baron Davis
"I believe Yao will have a very good NBA career. He's going to create his own legacy. He's going to have a great impact on the league. Houston is really fortunate to have him."
- Steve Nash, after playing Yao and his China team in an exhibition game against the Canadian team on 8/16/02
"It was great. I will say, I liked what I saw. I got a feel for what he could do. Thank God we have the rules that we have. I have been excited all along. Nothing has changed the way I feel about they guy."
- Rudy Tomjanovich, after seeing Yao play against the Canadian national team on 8/16/02
"He's gonna be successful because he is high, and he has skills."
"If you give me three to four weeks to see how he play, and how he adjusts, I can tell you (if) he is good or not. There are a lot of people from the world playing in the NBA, and lots of people struggled at first."
- Vince Carter, who played in a two-on-two exhibition in Beijing on 7/24/02
"Our guys think of him as being better than Bradley. But they're also a little bit unsure as to just how much better he'll be. If you think back, we all thought Bradley was going to be unbelievable. It didn't happen. But our guys who've seen this kid think he is much better coordinated and has a much better feel for the game."
- Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs coach
"He is such a good athlete. He can shoot it. He can pass it. He has a different body style than Bradley. He's stronger than Bradley, especially from the waist down. He'll need to get bigger in his upper body, but that can be done in the weight room. He's ahead of Bradley in comparable times of their careers."
- Rod Thorn, New Jersey Nets President
"He's definitely a presence out there. Especially defensively."
"He's going to be a nice player. I can't wait to see him play. There are some players you actually want to see play. I want to see him get used to the [NBA] game and see what he can do."
- Melvin Ely, Fresno State forward who has played against Yao, and who was drafted by the L.A. Clippers as the 12th pick in the first round
"He's got a great personality. We're not only getting a player we're going to be proud of, we're getting a human being, a solid kid that the Rockets, the NBA, everybody here in Houston is going to be proud of."
- Rudy Tomjanovich, Houston Rockets head coach, 6/26/02
“Once we saw the tapes, everyone on our team looked at him in a different light.”
"Before (we) saw him on tape, everyone was kind of skeptical about what he could do. All we saw was the three-minute workout ESPN showed. The coaches gave us tape of him against the Dream Team (in the 2000 Olympics). He held his own. He gets to come in with good players and get to grow. He's 21 years old. He's going to get better."
“I like what I see. He's a big guy with a lot of skill. He's going to help us. We look at him as an addition to our team. He's going to come in and help us. We're excited about playing basketball with him. For us, it's all about basketball. Numbers aside, he's going to have a presence. He's 7-6. Whenever you have a 7-6 guy, it changes the game. Look at Shawn Bradley, and Shawn Bradley is not even half the player Yao Ming is. If you put him out on the floor, he changes the game. Us having a 7-6 guy who can play changes us.
"Obviously, we'll have a better presence on the defensive backboard. I think it makes us a better running team because when you have a guy 7-6 rebounding, he can outlet. He can outlet the ball to Steve so we can run a little more. Also, being in the West, we need a big team. Getting a big man puts us ahead of the guys fighting for the last playoff spot. The teams we're fighting with are smaller teams like Seattle and Phoenix. Us getting him changes the dynamics of the Western Conference."
- Maurice Taylor, Houston Rockets power forward
“This guy can play."
- Steve Francis, Houston Rockets guard, 6/24/02
"Those tapes gave us a little more feeling for what his skills are and what he can do for us. You could see what he could do for us. It's pretty exciting. We got the No. 1 pick and the guy is skilled. He's not an average 7-6 dude."
- Cuttino Mobley, Houston Rockets guard, 6/26/02
"This guy can move. He's skilled. He's crafty with the ball. He's good around the basket. He can block shots. Athletic. Run the floor. I like him. I'm excited.
"Just watching him on tape, I can't say enough. We're getting help on the inside. It will be great for our team. That's what we need, some inside help. We think our perimeter is strong enough to win games. Now we've got the inside presence. I think it's going to be the difference."
"I know I go to the basket sometimes when we play Dallas. I see (7-6) Shawn Bradley and I want to turn around. It will be good to have teams, when they get by us, to see Yao Ming back there."
- Moochie Norris, Houston Rockets guard, 6/26/02
"I feel like it's the start of something good. We're going to be a good team."
- Eddie Griffin, Houston Rockets forward, commenting after Yao was drafted #1 by the Rockets, 6/26/02
"I've played with Shawn Bradley. I played against (Hakeem) Olajuwon when he was at his best. Yao Ming to me is way more to the Olajuwon side. And he's going to be better than Rik Smits. I'm not taking anything away from Rik. But this guy is right there with Rik at this time. And he's going to get better.
"This guy can play. He can really play."
"He told me he knows he would have a big adjustment to the game. He said it will take a year, year-and-a-half. Me personally, I don't see it taking that long. The level of play of his game is just tremendous.
"He is really a good team player. He has a good understanding of how to be the center of the game. His maturity level is very, very high. I was amazed by it. He understands what's important. This guy can shoot 18-foot jumpers and 3-pointers. But he knows how to be a big man, to be down low and handle that part of the game."
"Great players are great team players. This guy is a great player. And I love Steve Francis. When they add Yao Ming to that mix, they'll have something. He has the desire to play the game, not just score. He's a competitor. He will make himself a great defensive player.
"Eventually, he will be an All-Star -- every year if he's injury-free. I believe Yao Ming will make them competitive just by him being on the floor.
“I've played with Mark Eaton, played with Shawn Bradley. I played against some of the biggest names of the NBA. I'm telling you, this guy can play."
- David Benoit, former NBA player who is also one of Yao's Shanghai Sharks' teammates
"There's no doubt about what he'll do. You don't find a 7-6 athlete that can move the way he does. He can post up. He can shoot the 15-footer. He plays good defense. He led in blocked shots. I've played against NBA players; I played against him. What he did in China, it's not a fluke.
"It's not natural to find a player that tall with that much athleticism. Everybody says `small body.' But all they have to do is get him in a weight room. He has huge lower body. He knows how to post up. He has moves. He knows how to pass. He's a great teammate, too. They did a great job teaching him.
"Out of 29 NBA teams, there might be five good centers. He would have to be one of them. Right away. Right now."
- Alex Carcamo, opponent of Yao in the China Basketball Association
"If he was coming out of the University of Houston right now, he would be averaging 30 points, eight blocks, a bunch of rebounds, ESPN would be going crazy, Houston would be going crazy. I just love the kid. But especially being with (Rockets coach) Rudy (Tomjanovich) and playing with Steve Francis, I think great things will happen."
“He wants to learn, to get better, and he's a real competitor. This kid is a gym rat. He's the first one on the floor and the last one to leave. He calls me at night. I love the kid, and people will love him. He is a media star. He's great with the media. People don't really know about Yao, but they're about to find out."
"Forget about all that stuff people are saying about it taking one, two or three years for him to get acclimated to the NBA. He will be successful right away. With what the Rockets have, guards like Cuttino (Mobley) and Steve Francis, those guys are going to be loving Yao. He can pass from the post and has great skills. He can play. He can run the floor. And another big thing is that this is a kid who was not forced to play basketball because of his size. He's a kid who wanted to play basketball.
"I'll tell you what: I'd hate to be in the West right now. With the Rockets adding Yao Ming to what they have, I think the Rockets are right back (in the playoff mix)."
- Tony Ranzone, Detroit Pistons assistant coach and also a Chinese national team assistant for five months
"He's not a risk long term...Yao should be able to play basketball for a long time. I don't see any risk other than what you would have with any other player.
"The Chinese medical system is fantastic. They were super in getting things done. They allowed me to make a complete examination."
- Walter Lowe, Houston Rockets physician, after giving Yao a complete physical in China, 6/19/02
"I don't think it's a roll of the dice. There will be a place for him in the NBA.
- Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies GM
"Skills and size, that's a lethal combination. Skills and size make (Yao) a special player. It may take him one or two years to acclimate himself and to get to where he understands his position in the NBA and the challenge of the players he's playing every day...I think that once he goes through that period, which almost every rookie -- even the great ones -- must go through, I think he'll be a great player."
"What a guy that size and that kind of talent does, and I would say that Yao Ming probably has more talent than Rik (Smits), who was very talented, but he distorts the whole game. In other words, the minute he walks out there the opposing team knows they can't play him. It's going to take some time, but anybody who can't play him, the game is over."
- Donnie Walsh, president of the Indiana Pacers
"A lot of pressure is being put on him. I was there last month, and I could see that he's different because of all the pressure that is being put on him. All the attention does affect him. I think he has the makeup, though, to be able to handle it. He'll make it in this league."
- Jarin Akana, Denver assistant coach (also an assistant coach with the Chinese national team)
"I was very impressed with how mobile he was for a guy his size. Most of the guys who come into the NBA from overseas are robotic types who stand still and shoot jumpers from the wings. But Yao dunks, shoots layups, scores off the dribble and shoots a hook. He can also run the court and shoot pull-up or step-back jumpers. It's nice to see a big man do those things."
- Quentin Richardson, Los Angeles Clipper guard, after seeing Yao workout in Chicago on 5/1/02
"He's a big son of a gun. The guy showed solid shooting, passing, athleticism. And he had a great personality; he really opened up after a while. He asked about players on our team. He asked what we did with [Hakeem Olajuwon]. I gave him a media guide and he asked me some questions about how things would have been different [coming into the NBA] if he went through four years of college.
"Then we actually went out on the floor a little bit and we talked about a couple of [basketball] things. I'm excited, sure. It was great."
- Rudy Tomjanovich, Houston Rockets head coach, after seeing Yao in China on 6/12/02
"He's a rare guy. I would take him No.1 if I had that draft pick -- he is that good.
"He's a true five guy (center) with a European influence who can step out and do some things. In my opinion, he's a franchise player. He can run the floor, can block shots, he's got a great passion for the game.
"Everything he can't do can be taught. When Dirk (Nowitzki) came over they said he couldn't do this or he was too slow. It's a stereotype. For me, it's a no-brainer."
- Tony Ranzone, scout for the Dallas Mavericks
"I think he's a phenomenal player. You can't teach athleticism, and for 7-5, he's athletic. He passes well out of double teams; he's a finesse player right now, but he works hard.
"Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning are two of the best centers in the NBA, and Ming is more skilled than they are. He just needs body weight. You can't teach Shaq to shoot 15-footers smoothly. They say Yao doesn't play inside, but he can play to the basket, can play good defense, can block shots."
"If you take him, you're getting a 7-5 guy with talent. You're not going to get another one like that. I think he could probably average 14 to 16 points, but in two years he could be the second- or third-best center in the league.
"When I found out he rides a bicycle to practice and that his dream was to own a car, I said, 'You should have 50 cars by now.' He's a humble person, intimidating on the floor but one of the nicest people off the floor."
- Alex Carcamo, opponent of Yao in the China Basketball Association, 5/30/02
"We think he's got a tremendous upside and that as he matures he will get much, much better. We think that his skills right now for his size are just phenomenal. It was real impressive to see a man of his size do a lot of the things he did in Chicago when I was up there watching him. You never know how somebody's going to grow. In the case of Hakeem Olajuwon, he grew very year and got better every year and eventually led us to a couple of championships here. You would hope that with whoever got Yao Ming that the same thing would happen.
"Well, there are a lot of things that impress you when you see him. First of all, he is overpowering with his size. He's already got a little bit of bulk with his shoulders and his legs being developed. His lower body strength surprised me a little. What you look at when you go watch a big man run is how much lower body strength he's got, how much time it takes him to stop turn around and go the other way. It takes a long runway for a lot of big guys to stop and turn around. This guy runs like a 6-5 guy. He's got quickness, he's got great size, he's got agility. He can put the ball on the floor from the post with either hand. He shoots the ball with range. He makes 3-pointers. He looks like an excellent passer watching the films of the Olympics. On the skill part of it, he was blessed with a lot of talent. The growing part of it, the physical part of the NBA, he's not used to nor is anybody before they get into the NBA. It's big adjustment how physical this league is, so we'll just have to see how he develops there. To me, he's got a big upside."
- Carroll Dawson, Houston Rockets GM (holder of the 1st pick in the NBA draft), 5/21/02
"I don't think it is a roll of the dice. He will be a player in the NBA. His size alone is unique; his shooting skill is unique. I think the things he can do as a big player, the coaches will like that. Everyone is looking for a center, so I think that will make him even more valuable."
- Jerry West, Memphis Grizzlies GM (sometime before the NBA 2002 draft lottery)
"He's got what you can't teach. I was with him in Dallas for two weeks last summer, and had been over in China before. So I knew he was a very, very good player. And it was good. You saw the same things out here."
- Kiki Vandeweghe, Denver Nuggets GM, after Yao's May 1st workout at Loyola
"...he's a legitimate big, a guy who can shoot."
- Rob Babcock, Minnesota Timberwolves' director of player personnel, after Yao's May 1st workout
"The entry pass would be so easy for him...What's scary is if you put him inside, you have a guy that appears to have great hand skills and an ability to put it down with the right hand or the left hand, and if he catches it that near the basket, it's lights out."
"He has a better understanding of English than people realize...nine times out of 10 my impression was he understood (my instructions) before the interpreter relayed the information."
- P.J. Carlesimo, who worked out Yao on May 1st
"I thought he had a wonderful workout...The workout was very complete. We had an opportunity to see him run the floor, see his footwork, pass the ball and shoot. He's going to be a willing worker and he'll put in the time to have a fine career."
- Scott Layden, Knicks' GM after Yao's May 1st workout
"I've never seen anybody that size or my size shoot the ball like that. He looked like Dirk Nowitzki shooting. For being that big he moves really well."
"He's going to be an outstanding player. If he continues to work, he's going to get better. I don't think the physical play in the NBA will be a problem. It will be more of an adjustment for him. He just has to get used to it."
- Chris Christoffersen, the Oregeon center who worked out against Yao on May 1st
"His shooting touch is excellent and he's 80 percent from the free-throw line. Most centers shoot in the 60s, and you're pretty happy. He's got the touch from 18 feet, and that was the most impressive part that I liked."
"...he plays an intelligent game."
- Jerry West, after seeing Yao's workout on May 1st
"He has good skills, good legs and a nice shooting touch. He moves well. With somebody that big, you think they'd be fragile. But he has a solid foundation. I was impressed with his skill level."
- Allan Houston, NY Knicks guard, after seeing Yao's private workout with the Knicks on April 30th
"How many low-post players are there in the NBA? There are not that many…I think the biggest adjustment for him will be the level of competition."
- Jerry West, when asked if Yao will be physical enough against NBA centers.
"I'm amazed by him how agile he is, how he is able to move and run the floor. He's not like Shawn Bradley. He's the exact opposite. If anything, he's more like Shaq. He's not a 7-5 stiff. He can really move. He's got great feet."
"These guys don't come along every day. He's an agile guy like Shaq. He shoots 3's like [Arvydas] Sabonis. And if you're not careful, he'll dribble by you. It's a nice package. He's so big, his head is right there by the rim. I don't have to go for a rebound, I just go back. I'm amazed every day watching him."
"[The physical game] would be the only thing I see he'd have to work on. It will take a year's time to make that adjustment. It won't take him long. He's a smart kid. But he'll still definitely make an impact his first year."
- David Benoit, former NBA player and teammate on Yao's Shanghai Sharks team, 4/2/02
"In four years, he could be one of the best players in the world."
- Larry Brown, 2000
"…after watching Yao Ming compete against the best players in the world, I left Sydney dizzy with the possibilities. Simply put, the 20-year-old Yao has a chance to alter the way the game of basketball is played...This guy has skills, competitiveness and basketball intelligence that far exceed his limited background. As I watched his crisp and imaginative passes, felt the energy surge when he'd whip an outlet to launch a fast break and noted his decisionmaking and great court demeanor, I knew I was peering into the future."
"…his upside is so unlimited that when he does enter the NBA draft, I can't conceive of any other player being chosen before him."
"…if I were an NBA coach, I'd like him to be my work-in-progress. He's 7'6" and incredibly graceful and coordinated."
- Bill Walton, December 2000
"Del Harris, then the Lakers coach,…fell in love with Yao. He was telling everybody, 'I gotta get a picture with that kid because one day he's gonna have a real impact in the NBA.'"
- Terry Rhoads, Nike's Director of Marketing for China, December 2000
