Yao Ming: The Next Asian Superstar? | Asian American Issues

Yao Ming: The Next Asian Superstar?
(Updated )

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?

     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? Just as many in the kneejerk media reflexively dissed Yao for not immediately "becoming" Hakeem, they, the kneejerks, are back again -- this time with another tact attack, a strategy much more sinister than the overt racism & xenophobia of Round 1 -- overhyping yao to the point of public oversaturation & overexposure combined with increasing resentment among nba players.

the effect? a bullseye painted on the back of a nice guy and potentially great player who's only been here approximately 2-3 months, who was just "beginning" to get his feel for the nba game.

brad miller's flagrant foul on yao recently(which ironically & karmically took out his own teammate) was only the tip of the iceberg. the sneak attack of "overheaping praise" by certain elements of the media may soon have its desired effect: a league full of cynical, envious players vying for the *unspoken* bounty of "taking yao out". it would be so easy to "arrange" such an "incident" in the "heat of the game" so that it appears and is ajudged purely "accidental." as a result, rudy t had better be concerned for yao not just as his or his team's ticket to a championship -- but for yao's health & welfare as mortal flesh and blood.

it is too absurd and telling of the america's pathological "consumerist" infatuation for the "latest thing" that yao is suddenly a "serious" all-star candidate. with america's lethal infatuation for "novelty" and all-too rapid "disinfatuation" with the "familiar," we can only hope yao is allowed to "grow" into everything he can and wants to be -- despite 'our' "consumerist" predations.

yao is first and foremost a human being, and from what we know of his character so far -- an exemplary one. to treat and discard him (or anyone) like an overhyped "made in asia" video game if he fails to match similarly overhyped expectations would be one more chapter in America's callous & historical disregard for Asian "worth."
Umberto Eco
   Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 09:48:22 (PST)    [24.197.0.6]

Shaq is no hero, he's Mr Zero, that likes to go to the store and buys hero. Yao is the superhero.
He is no Mr.zero and so he is my hero.
To the Yao hater who like to be a hero can go to the store and get a hero. But you will always get stuffed by my super hero.
Inyourface
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 20:17:27 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

I think we might have strayed off of the topic which is Yao Ming and not politics. Sports is a game where everyone from every nation can enjoy without having to think of his race or age or which country they are from. Its about rooting for your favorite player or team, its not about bad mouthing someone from another country. In the United States we are very fortunate having a nation that is of every country. Thats what makes us strong. Most people here respect people from every country because we are everyone because we have a large immigrant population that we LOVE. Its great being able to learn about other peoples culture and seeing how they see the world. We love getting together in every situation.
Talking politics is like saying one type of ice cream is better than the other. Come on people, get with the program and discuss what the game is all about.
You have to admit no matter where Yao Ming is from he is going to be a force that people will have to recogize sooner or later. He is an impressive player.
BasketBall Not Politics
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 15:25:07 (PST) [24.221.252.235]

"B" as in "bictory",
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>

Besides his height, he's can make free throws, hook shots, jumper from 15 feet, 20, or behind the 3 point line. He can block shots, rebound, lay-up, and slam dunk. This mans got more skillz than shaq, believe it or not.
Michael Jackson
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 14:03:11 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

When any player have a big game and score a lot of points like Yao Ming did then also a lot of teams are going to limit him with different defense strategy. That's what happen to Yao, when he had some big games, coaches change their defense around him, putting double even triple team on him.
HACK-A-YAO
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 07:57:50 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

What's shaq gonna do when Yao takes 8 foot jumper? Answer, HACK A-YAO. So he gets his foul shots. But not much Yao can do either when shaq going to the basket which he loves. The point is, Yao has shots, if no one is guarding him, he could hit them all day. If you guard him one-on-one, he usually still makes them. shaq need to hack-a-Yao.
HACK-A-YAO
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 07:48:38 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

More stupid Yao haters out there. Not a long time ago there was this center who was whipped and schooled, beaten up and embarassed by another guy. So beaten up, he didn't manage to win one single game in the NBA Finals. His name was Shaquille O'neal and his Orlando Magic team was swept in the finals by Hakeem Olajuwon. Of course Yao is not as good a player as Shaq, he doesn't have to be, but I guarantee you if Yao ever makes it to the finals, he won't get as badly beaten as Shaquille O'neal did when he was young. Yao's just a rookie, SHUT UP AND WAIT!
dino
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 at 06:07:09 (PST) [198.81.26.235]

The truth,
Your right. If you look at the site NBA.com there is a question asking if people wanted to take their last shot in a game, who would they choose to make their last shot. 60% percent of a total 22384 people voted for Yao. This means they are confident with him making the last scoring point. And also, in the NBA page at Yahoo, there is also a question about who people think will start the western center for all-star, a week ago 51% voted for Yao. Now it's down a little but still a lot of people voted Yao, and I don't think it is chinese people from China doing the voting. So if all these people believe and have high confident in Yao, why are we surprise that Yao is SECOND to shaq is all-star as a center for the western conference. Cause he's a rookie? Bad reasonning.........

And if anyone ever seen it, there was also a question asking people who they think the best international NBA player is? Again most people choose Yao, second up is Dirk Norwinski, michael olowokandi was last. Even Bradely surpass him in getting votes.

Most people also believe that Yao should get more touches of the ball. I tell you he's got more and more popular and it's not just among asians.
votes
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 23:46:10 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

Shaq is whaq,
Ya, your right. That guy who said shaq should be in wrestling is right, cause all shaq does is wresting moves on the court. He can't shoot for s*** one reason why his Free Throw is so low compared to everyone else. The big man does some wrestling moves on his defender, I kid you not. The man ain't joking about pro-wrestling.
baller
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 20:13:52 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

You guys, not all Koreans are against Yao. In Korea, they are following his success with fanfare. I don't know about Japan, perhaps it's the same over there?

But, don't believe the hater(s) on this board. Yao is definitely loved by all Asians.

I think whites like him, while blacks are a bit jealous or sarcastic based on what I hear and see at the bars.
Asian basketball
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 19:14:13 (PST) [64.130.235.33]

Hey counterpuncher, if Yao isn't an all star center, who is in the western conference? Genius, pure genius...(sarcasm). Rather, it's ethnic envy on his part, especially considering his infinite array of Chinese allusions when downplaying Yao's success. As most of the brothaz in the league say, heed these words: "playa don't hate".
chinatown

*Some of you Chineesse are too funny!
So anyone who doesn't think Yao is an all star caliber player is a "hater?" Whatever happened to democracy among you Chineesse? Difference of opinion?
It must be that commie brainwashed mentality. Since the beginning I said I hoped Yao would proved me wrong and does well ( go back few months and re read)and he has. BUT he's no all star.

*Nobi, how can Shaq suck when he has three championship rings?? Do you think Yao is better than Shaq??

Counter puncher,
With the kind of mouth you have. I bet you get mug or jump all the times. lol
nobilli -
Counter puncher,
LOL, your a funny dude. Well, first you think Yao sucks. Now your reconsidering that Yao is so far better than all the rookie. What's next, your going to fall in the tolit and not be able to get back up?
kimchi

*Scrub try settling on a tag name instead of pretending to be Corean. This seems like a common method used by brillant Chinese scrubs. Geeez...I don't remember saying Yao is far better than any other rookie. Failed your ESL classes? Fall in the "tolit?" I think you did fail your ESL classes.
Coreans dispite their MUCH smaller numbers had more professional representation than the Chineese, we could of had a Corean TEN YEARS BEFORE any Chinese, North Corean commies would let the boy play in the NBA. Coreans had representation in the NFL, NHL, MLB so what's there to be jealous of the Chinessse? I don't recall any Chinesse who has a World Series ring or a Stanley Cup rings? If I was such a racist why don't I trash Ichiro? Traditionally the Coreans dislike the Japanese. Ichiro is a true all star.
I don't buy into all the Chineesse hype. I guess if I was a Chinese with only Michael Chang (tennis, sports??) as their sports hero I would be all over Yao too. Merry Christmas!
Counter Puncher
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 19:09:37 (PST) [152.163.189.134]

To Yao hater,
Shaq can't shoot, this is the truth. All he does is dunk and lay-up. If he is more then 7 feet away from the basket he will not make most of his shot. He only makes them at 3 to 4 foot range, big dunk, thats about it. If some of you think other-wise then you are completely wrong and don't know much about how shaq plays. His free throw is just barely above the 50% line, this is not GOOD AT ALL,
[compare to Dirk at .85%.] not good because no one is guarding him and yet he can't make free throws. shaq does better in his FG percentage then he does his free throw and the reason why is because he's heavy. If he doesn't have the body and strength he has, he is by far worst then Bradly, YOU KNOW IT, I know it. End of story.............
Hoopster
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 17:27:04 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

To the one who says Yao is popular only because of "Chinese hype", take a look at the people who have really praised him and are calling him the next big thing:

http://yaomingmania.com/#theyaresaying

Funny, I didn't know that Isiah Thomas, Bill Walton, Steve Francis, Alvin Gentry, Rick Barry, Gregg Popovich, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Vlade Divac, Jeff Van Gundy, Doug Collins, Michael Jordan, Rick Fox, Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, Larry Brown, Olden Polynice, Allen Iverson, George Karl, Paul Pierce, Steve Nash, Baron Davis, David Benoit, Jerry West, etc. are all CHINESE.
Yao fan
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 15:03:10 (PST) [172.146.193.118]

BasketBall Guru,

Come on "Mailman" Marlone earned his nickname. The man can and will deliver rain, sleet, snow, or shine.

But it was a really exciting game that night.

I think Rudy like to alternate Yao and Francis. Probably save them both wear and tear to the end of the season.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 14:15:10 (PST) [24.136.115.189]

"B" as in "bictory"
Off course I know that B dude. But look at shaq's FT, is worse than all all-star believe it or not. His FG is better than his FT, which is pathetic because FT no one is guarding him. But I definitly think Ming should get more shots since people are wondering if he will make a diffence. So give him the opportunity and we'll see.
Michael Jackson
Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 11:07:23 (PST) [24.239.152.113]

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