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ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Yao Ming: The Next Asian Superstar?
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:56 AM)
he sweetest moment for Asian men in American sports came on June 26, 2002 at Madison Square Garden. The Houston Rockets had just spent their number one overall draft pick on 7-5 Chinese center Yao Ming over 6-2 Duke guard Jay Williams. The largely black crowd of draft prospects and their contingents had reason to be displeased. For the past quarter century black athletes had dominated pro basketball and they saw Yao as a subversive force, an alien threat. Even Charles Barkley -- Yao's basketball idol -- sniped at Houston's choice and hinted at bad consequences.
David or Goliath?
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What's wrong with this picture?
In the global sports scene blacks have come to represent all-around athletic prowess. Asian athletes, on the other hand, have been painted as disciplined and skilled but lacking power and size, able to excel only in sports no one cares about. For an Asian to get the top pick in a black-dominated sport was heresy.
To appreciate what Yao represents to Asian American men requires a quick trip down memory lane. And we do mean quick. The lane is short and sparsely populated.
In the beginning there was Sammy Lee, the first Asian American to win Olympic gold. He did it with 10-meter platform diving at the 1948 London games and again in 1952 at the Helsinki games. Not exactly a marquee sport, but inspiring nevertheless in a time when Asian Americans hardly knew what to call themselves.
Then came Michael Chang whose 1989 French Open championship has passed into tennis legend. Cramping and down two sets to Ivan Lendl in the round of 16, the 17-year-old phenom dared to discombobulate the Ice Man with moonballs and an underhanded serve. The ploy worked. The proof that Chang's nerves and speed were real came in the classic 5-set finals victory against Stefan Edberg. But Chang's recent ignomious descent into tennis twilight raises the suspicion that he simply lacks the size and power to stay in the power game.
It wasn't until Hideo Nomo joined the Dodgers in 1995 that an Asian athlete was able to inspire sustained frenzy in one of the big-three sports. Nomo's martian windup and delivery proved so effective that he set Dodgers strikeout records, made the All-Stars and inspired Nomomania.
By 2001 when Ichiro Suzuki joined the Mariners, Asian imports taking Rookie of the Year honors had practically become a Major League tradition. But none had done it with Ichiro's flair or sunglasses. It wasn't enough that he led the game in hitting and basestealing, he seemed determined to make it look easy. Sex appeal had finally come to the image of the Asian male athlete.
But the image still lacked something in many AA minds. Sure, for a leadoff hitter Ichiro hit his share of home runs, but he was known for speed and finesse, not power. Having chafed so long under stereotypes denying them size and strength, AA men longed for a star who could knock those assumptions back into the last millennium.
Eyes turned longingly to football as the obvious arena for the ultimate stereotype smasher -- and saw only Dat Nguyen of the Dallas Cowboys. As a promising linebacker, Nguyen doesn't enjoy the cache of a star offensive back. And at 5-11 and 240 pounds, Nguyen isn't exactly in the 99th percentile in terms of size and power among football players.
Asian American eyes were drawn to basketball by a trio of giants known collectively as "The Great Wall". They were very big for the Chinese national team. First to make his NBA debut was Wang Zhizhi (7-1, 220 pounds) in April 2001. As a center for the Dallas Mavericks he has averaged 5.5 points per 10.6 minutes of playing time per game. A respectable stat for any rookie but disappointing for those who had hoped for an instant Asian star. Then came Mengke Bateer (6-11, 290 pounds) in February of 2002. Despite 15.1 minutes of play per game as a center for the Denver Nuggets, he too disappointed some with an average 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Enter the Dragon. At a height variously described as 7-5 or 7-6, Yao Ming, 22, is at once the tallest and youngest of the trio. In the past two years his weight shot up from 255 to 295 pound -- and he's still growing. His gifts extend beyond size, however. He moves a foot shorter. Born to a pair of former stars for the Chinese national teams, his court instincts and skills are practically dyed-in-the-wool.
And yet Yao isn't a lock to defy the darker prognostications of his prospects as a Rocket. He was regularly outplayed by Wang Zhizhi when both were playing in China. Even with Yao, Wang and Mengke, the Chinese national team routinely lost to second-tier powers like France and Lithuania. Yao has never gone up against the likes of Shaquille O'Neal. The adjustment to life in the U.S. will be long and difficult. In short, Yao Ming is ideally positioned to become the biggest disappointment in the history of Asians in American sports.
Is Yao Ming the next Asian superstar? Or is he more likely to reinforce the image of Asian men as also-rans in power sports?
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WHAT YOU SAY
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Ray,
Shaq became that good only because he went to the Lakers. If he stayed in Orlando I doubt he would have had the motivation or coaching to reach the level he has today. For pete sakes the guy could barely make a free throw on Orlando.
As for Yao we will have to see if the Rockets are committed to making him a star and the nexus of their team.
Just look at the individuals from the championship Bulls team. Individually they all suck in a team sport, even "oh no I sprained my ankle" Jordon.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 08:54:05 (PDT)
It doesn't really matter that Yao Ming can shoot. His position is center. He's not supposed to be that far away from the basket. A lot of great centers were never great shooters, but they dominated in true center areas like dunking, rebounding and blocking. One thing I'm not too impressed with Yao Ming is that he plays like a small man. It's going to be difficult for him if he doesn't adjust his game. I agree. He's more of a Rik Smits type player, but Rik Smits wasn't exactly that good.
Will Chang
Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 07:36:57 (PDT)
whats wrong with reverse racism Wang Dan...the black crowd booed yao ming because he was chinese...we must support our chinese people no matter what...hhaha dan is getting pist i think...keep talking back to him...obviously he got no life thats why he writes these long posts...who cares if wang sucks...all i know is that he's getting paid good money in America for playing like 3 minutes a game...hahaha maybe thats why wang dan is jealous...yao will be making 12 million and more in marketing...really who cares if someone can put a ball into a circle or not...as long as our presence is seen...
p.s. wang dan is a disgrace...we should all tar and feather him
phil the thrill
Monday, July 29, 2002 at 15:12:16 (PDT)
to phil the thrill:
"Dan is a disgrace to teh chinese race and we need less people like him...I hope Yao Ming sees Dan Wang and stomps his head in, that will show Dan Wang how weak he really is...hahahahha..."
phil, what are you? a 10 year old or just a retard? if you are those, i'll excuse you for making up the lamest insult i have ever heard. stomp on my head? uhhhhhhhh okay. go play with your elmo.
to David Lee:
Believe it or not, I did see WangZhiZhi improve in the summer league, but he still needs to work on two main things: rebounding and defense. I didn't see him make as many mental mistakes, but sometimes he still looked a little bit confused when he wasn't flinging around at the 3 point line. And he has to stop setting the MOST OBVIOUS picks during games!?! He sets it like 2 seconds too early, and the defender always sees it and goes around it.
Anyway, all you guys are badly misinterpretting of what I really view of Yao. As an Asian, of course, I wish the best for him. DUUUUUH! But right now, I am just worried about the ridiculous hype because that's just setting him up too high. With the expectation of most people in Houston and the local Chinese, Yao really has no way to go but down. And he doesn't need that sh!t from you people.
I say leave the dude alone!!! Why add to the hype and give him so much pressure? Yes, I do want the best for him, but right now, he's just not ready. Black, White, Asian, I don't care! He's tall, but he's not ready to domininate! He's got skills, but he's also the biggest hype since QUALCOM. And I'm not going to lie to myself and think he's going to be a star just because he's Asian. Let's keep the hope and maintain realistic expectations. Dump the hype!! It's absurd.
Dan Wang
Monday, July 29, 2002 at 14:37:37 (PDT)
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