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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 booed. They 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 at 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.]
Nah, man, you guys got it all wrong.
The guy to look out for and to check out ain't Yao Ming.
The NBA people have lately been impressed with Wang Zhizhi. It is no wonder why the Clippers as well as the Warriors, Knicks, Heats and Trail Blazers so highly considered signing him.
Now, he is with the Clips. and a possible chance to start in Olowakandi's absence.
Nah, it ain't Yao. It is Wang who will represent us Chinese and Asian-Americans.
Wang my man
Thursday, October 17, 2002 at 22:26:57 (PDT)
[64.130.235.33]
Yao Ming will get so dominated in the NBA. He will get outplayed and overpowered. Think about it, if he gets dominated by players from starving Angola and gets beaten by small korean guys imagine what would happen to him when he goes up against players like Shaq and Time Duncan. I can't wait to see Yao Ming play in the NBA so I can see him get checked.
Labasan
Thursday, October 17, 2002 at 18:04:12 (PDT)
[169.237.12.58]
philthethrill,
Did Chen Hsin-An play for the Chinese team at the Asian Games? I didn't see the game except for the highlights for the final.
If Chen is potential NBA material along with Yao, they should have easily beaten every team at the Asian Games. Basketball is one sport where one or two star players can carry the team unlike football or baseball.
I'm wondering just how much progress Chinese basketball has made especially since they ended up losing to South Korea. I would have expected China to dominate the entire tournament. Not sure what happened.
yao fan
Thursday, October 17, 2002 at 13:36:22 (PDT)
[63.206.24.50]
"Sean Chen, a Taiwanese Guard is in the 2002-2003 roster for the Kings."
idiot, get your facts straight! he's only on the preseason practice roster. there are 17 guys on that roster right now. at least 5 will be cut. in the last preseason game, the taiwan guy didn't even see a minute of action. he's not going to make the team. check your facts and make sure they are accurate before reporting otherwise it's just useless junk info.
pet peeve
Thursday, October 17, 2002 at 12:38:16 (PDT)
[66.107.44.253]
I believe that it is important to give Yao Ming a chance to prove to the Houston Rockets that he would be their top player. It takes years to perfect his game. I really think that he can do it.
dsfbcbsijbdax
Wednesday, October 16, 2002 at 17:23:23 (PDT)
[148.4.22.145]
Yao Ming was drafted because of potential. He is expected to be in Houston before Oct. 20. He is however just one of the future Asian players in the NBA. There are more to come as they are in the process of scouting talent all over Asia.
Sean Chen, a Taiwanese Guard is in the 2002-2003 roster for the Kings.
Bateer is now with the Spurs.
Wang has signed an offer sheet with the Clippers.
Peace.
Ball Fan
Wednesday, October 16, 2002 at 16:30:07 (PDT)
[68.96.110.59]
Chen Hsin-An ... this guy is pretty good...look at him...he can attract alot of fans...he's a good looking guy...and he's got game also...i think sacramento will sign him just to attract the Asian fans...if not...golden state will...hahaha
philthethrill
Monday, September 23, 2002 at 05:32:33 (PDT)
[169.226.236.30]
By the virtue of just playing in the NBA, Yao Ming, Bateer and Wang have knocked some stereotypes down. Asian faces in the NBA have been virtually non-existent so it's good to see them in the game. Added to the fact that they are 6'11" or above doesn't hurt as Chinese are seen as small people.
Unfortunately, these guys aren't power players. One kid with a chance to show a power game may be 6'5" Chen Hsin-An of Taiwan whose been invited to the Sacramento Kings training camp. He's got some hops and real game. He'll be an interesting prospect to look at down the line.
coach41
coach41@pacbell.net
Saturday, September 21, 2002 at 12:04:50 (PDT)
[67.117.135.34]
[Let's get back on topic. --Ed]
philthethrill
You asked me what I'm talking about...well I thought it was pretty self explanatory! I'm merely saying that 1 bad apple (ie: Shaq) shouldn't spoil the bunch. You were making a generalization saying that "this is what blacks do" and you're wrong. Not all blacks act like that nor would all blacks make fun of someone's language. If Shaq mocked the Chinese language then HE alone should be ridiculed not the entire black race, which is what you are doing but talking about what blacks get away with. Remember, the people who are "getting away with it" are celebrities and celebrities tend to get away with more things than any average Joe from ANY race. Yes, I agree... the white celebrities that have made comments in the past were forced to apologize...and I DO MEAN FORCED. You think they actually meant that apology? Seriously doubt it. Shaq should apologize too. But I really think people are just harder on whites b/c they have such a long history of racism in their past. So people are more apt to attack them. If you re-read my post, you will see I'm not defending what Shaq did, I didn't even hear it! I'm simply stating don't attack the entire black race b/c 1 person did something stupid. 1 of my Viet friends used to push all his hair to the front and scoot along the carpet and make the same little mocking sounds Shaq did. This was while we were in college and everybody got a good laugh at it. No one told him to do it, he just found it funny. So you say Asians don't make jokes that offend anyone? Don't you think if another Asian saw and heard him do that, they could possibly get offended? Would you then attack all Viets? Doubtful. Chill out!!
1 Bad Apple ...Not!!
Friday, September 20, 2002 at 00:40:52 (PDT)
[63.233.90.68]
.Its ok for a black guy to diss a chinese man...no its not ok...
phil the thrill
Yup, you got it right man. In America, black guy can make fun of every other race but you say anything about blacks, you are labeled a "racist!" This what you call white man's guilt or black man's hypocrisy!
Chilly Willy
Thursday, September 19, 2002 at 19:29:50 (PDT)
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