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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
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
Jared,
Yao was #1 pick, because USA college basketball pool of players sucked this year. I need to think about that a little more.
So Yao wasn't #1 because he was better or more impressive than our college players. He was #1 because we suck.
AC Dropout
Monday, August 05, 2002 at 09:57:49 (PDT)
Be proud that Xue Yuyang's ranking is going up dramatically according to the 2004 mock draft. The mock draft usually comes pretty close when selecting the right choice. I can't wait for a chance to see him play in the NBA. Next to Yao, he will probably follow him in the NBA closer than you think; he is reaching the age of enability to be eligible for the draft.
Although he is quite popular in China, it will be easier for the government to let him go because he still does not quite have the star power as Yao, which can be an advantage. His game is quite different than Yao's. He relies more in dunking rather than having a soft shooting touch. One can say the he has a pure center kind of game. This will be interesting.
Ray
Monday, August 05, 2002 at 09:37:02 (PDT)
Hoops,
You are the delusional one. I don't like Shaq anyway. It will be great if Ming could be the next Hakeem Olajuwan. Why you and DW always mention Shaq? He is not greatest center in history. Ming does not need to impress you. Who are you, anyway? He already impressed the NBA scouts and Vince Carter. BTW, being an overzealous nationalistic character beats the hell out of being a self-hatred uncle tom AA with low self-esteem and identity crisis.
FOP
Sunday, August 04, 2002 at 21:24:19 (PDT)
I hope Yao can come out dominating and not turn out to be a bust. If he turns out to be a bust, it will be embarasing for him [#1 pick for nothing] and asains. And people will probably think that asain can't compete in power sports and only sissy sports. The alitude here is: We have to show the world that we don't lack in power sports either.
Yes, Yao is a project with a big question mark. But it will be funny if he does make an impact and revolutionize the NBA.
Something to know;
Before Wanjhi, Bateer and Yao, NBA was for everyone [race] except asain.
When Bateer and Wangzhi made it. Nobody [not many] even heard about them. Some people at the time still think there isn't asain NBA player. Unitl Yao Ming came along with the #1 pick, it make a big name for asains. People later realize that there are asain player. Some people at the time didn't think asain even play basketball.
If Yao happen to make a big impact in NBA, it will defintely help future asain player. More of them will likely to come to the NBA. The reason this hasn't come sooner b/c in the past China was a poor country. It doesn't have the money to sponser or promote any sorta of sports. Plus asain people at the time were in proverty and a lot of them are weak, skinny and can't compete in sports. Everything in china at the time was lagging, until recently China is trying to catch up in all respect.
.
Sunday, August 04, 2002 at 20:07:31 (PDT)
Hoops and Dan,
Both of you are contradicting yourself a lot in many of your writing. You both said don't give him the credit b/c he's asain but give him the credit only if he can play. That's what we're are doing!!!. We see the good side of him, we think he has sizes, skill, talent, he can shoot jumper, he can block shot [he did it to Vince Carter at sydney], and he's quick for his size. And there are some that think other wise. Yes, I agree that he needs to bulk up, gain like 50 lbs b/c he already has talent.
Both of you also seems offended by those supporting him. You also said something about not judging him base on asainess but ironically, thats what you are doing. From what I'm reading, you seems to think he can't play in the NBA b/c he's asain. If he was African American with the skill he has and sizes, would you think otherwise then? And for those people who boo him when he became #1 pick. Are they booing him b/c he's asain or b/c Jay William didn't get the #1 pick? Anyway I totally agreed with you, I say they should look beyond the skin color and just think that the reason he is #1 pick is b/c he made the qualification.
Ironically contradicting yourself
Sunday, August 04, 2002 at 13:00:33 (PDT)
Hoops,
Calm Down!! Why are you so pissed? Seems like you hate people supporting Yao or something. What is wrong with you. It's just their opinion. If your mad over that, What happens if I tell you that some people believe that Yao can take Shaq in defense [people's opinion]. I guess you must be really mad now. lol
mad for nothing
Sunday, August 04, 2002 at 12:11:23 (PDT)
I think Hoops is Dan Wang in disguised!!! B/c he gets offended when you disagree with Dan. They both probabbly G@y. LOL
Hoops is Dan
Sunday, August 04, 2002 at 11:55:19 (PDT)
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