|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Yao Ming: The Next Asian Superstar?
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:38:56 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?
|
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?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
CONTACT US
|
ADVERTISING INFO
© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
Yao is better than any other rookie that was drafted out there with the exception of stoudemire. Jay Williams? hahahha no one talks about him anymore. Mike Dunleavy? hahahha The bottom line is Yao Ming is only a rookie and he is by far the best on out there. Also Yao Ming is on a playoff bound team and he still gets good stats. Guys like Caron Butler gets the green light to shoot every night because the Miami Heat are not going anywhere. If you actually watch a Whole Rockets game you will see Yao Ming does alot more than is actually on paper.
Man the Rockets are the most improved team in the league as of now and its because of Yao Ming.
Personally I think Yao Ming is better than Stoudemire skills and IQ wise but Stoudemire has the athletic advantage, but what do you expect hes black.
Yao VS Shaq...Shaq will not destroy Yao like everyone thinks. Yao will be prepared for this game you best belive.
philthethrill
Wednesday, January 15, 2003 at 05:25:46 (PST)
[172.150.50.28]
I think the Rockets will not cut Yao Ming as much slack as the Lakers do Shaq. Since Yao was the first round pick then the rest of the world and the Rockets are going to expect a lot from him.
Yao Marto
Wednesday, January 15, 2003 at 04:47:35 (PST)
[66.31.72.228]
-----He's just not supersta material. Why is he getting points? Simple, he has 2 of the quickest guards in the league. They draw away so much attention that Yao is just having it too easy. If yao was on another team with lesser talent, a lot of defensive focus would be on yao and he would simply get buried every night.
only 13 and 8. BIGDEAL?!?
Posted on Jan 7,-------
Agreeing with You're wrong
Yao must average like 10 attempts per game even though he shoots like 56% (2nd highest in the league). Francis isn't a point guard, he has that mentality that he has to be the focal point of the team and being that the ball is in his hands 90% of the time, he picks who gets the ball (which is either him or Mobley). Theres no doubt that these two guards are very talented, probably one of the best back courts in the league but the thing is that they'd rather shoot than pass. If Yao played on the Sonics (ball distribution with the likes of Payton and Barry), I'd guarantee you that he would be getting alot more touches. thus, he'll would get alot more points considering his shooting average. On another note, Yao tends to pass first and shoot 2nd. When you're cutting to the lane, you can expect the ball from Ming almost 99% of the time.
Yao averages 13 pts and 8 rebs, thats good enough for me. He may be no superstar but he shut alot of his critics up without uttering a word.
-He didn't go to training camp
-never weight trained in his life before
-he speaks very little english
-almost everybody in the NBA is out to get him, almost everybody was making a mockery of him before they even had a chance to see him play
-he is adjusting to the American culture.
-The freaking chinese government takes 50% of his pay
I don't how he did it but he did it.
Yao should be the poster boy of the asians' story of rags to riches.
Big Dave
Wednesday, January 15, 2003 at 00:44:09 (PST)
[172.141.252.193]
Did I say it was going to continue if we don't do something about it. Well, it did continue from sep.
-----O'Neal made his comments on "The Best Damned Sports Show" on the Fox SportsNet last June. Never mind that it was broadcast way back in the summer. The comments have been taped and replayed as recently as mid-December, the ugliness replicated like a bad virus. [by article.]-------
I mean, I'm not offended as much by his remark but.. because I didn't hear it or see it. But if I happen to see or hear it, and have it directly aim at me. Then, you better believe it is a "BIG DEAL". I had such thing happen to me by little kid around the block and I got angry too. But to have it made by Shaq is even worst. Million of his [Shaq] follower will just imitate him and be just as racist.
This bring out of Shaq's taunt reminded me of the summer. I remember, I was playing basket ball and there was some kid, african american and spanish. They were sitting at the bench and they mention something about what Shaq said to Yao. I had no idea what they were talking about, cause I didn't see or hear it. Now, I do.
100 years to change? No, time is now.
Asian never make themselves heard.
Well it's about time. If this thing is broadcast and let people know that this is not right. Then it will be good for asains in any situation. Even in works where people will think twice before having suchs hatred toward asians or minorities in general.
This is a time for asians to strive for political power. We are not going to be silent any more.
P.S, I don't buy Shaq's taunt as a joke, he, I believe may be racist. But I'll give him the benefit of a doubt.
Apple
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 23:27:37 (PST)
[24.239.152.113]
Shaq is scared; like most big guys with no real B-ball skills just WWF type muscle he is insecure...Yao should take it in stride, like I posted on another site, black people are very territorial when it comes to BasketBall...its more than just a game to many them; its the only place other than prison where they are the majority.
TheEdge
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 18:10:06 (PST)
[152.163.189.134]
>>Today, Yao threw down a two-handed jam in Theo Ratliff's face after being harrassed for the first 3 quarters, and screamed an obscenity in his face, in Chinese probably. =) On ESPN, I think they said "he speaks Chinese, English, and smack." Hahaha.
I think that people are starting to get the idea that Asian guys are no pushovers, ever so slightly and slowly.
I'm proud of Yao<<
No, Yao has not said any obscenity, nor any Chinese. All he did was screaming "Yahhhhhhhhhh, Yahhhhhhhhh" (according to Theo Ratliff) in an extreme loud voice. I guess the official has never expected this.
Yao Fan
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 16:35:54 (PST)
[165.189.41.11]
>>Yao Ming is a great player, but sometimes I wonder if he is too much of a nice guy for his own good.<<
here is a paragraph. and read it, and then you will know YaoMing can be very powerful.
http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/1101021118/story.html
“Another misunderstanding concerned Yao's attitude. Perhaps grasping at straws, some NBA team executives speculated that because he had not indicated he would defect, he wasn't strong-minded, and that would be reflected on the floor. Instead, he used his recent tour of North America to exhibit not only toughness but a healthy nastiness as well. During China's 94-66 exhibition loss to Canada on Aug. 16 in Vancouver, he broke the wrist of 2.03-m forward Andrew Kwiatkowski during a rebounding skirmish. Then, with a wave of his long fingers, he dared 2-m guard Prosper Karangwa to attack the basket during a two-on-one break—whereupon Yao hip-checked Karangwa a good 10 feet, bruising the Canadian's ribs so badly that he required a flak jacket throughout the rest of the worlds. Make no mistake, Yao is not a gentle giant. “
Yao fan
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 16:19:38 (PST)
[165.189.41.11]
Yao Ming is well on his way to becoming the next superstar center. He is sporting himself very well in his first NBA season.
Shaq on the other hand, has no class and deserves to lose product endorsements for his stupid comments.
Hapa Q
taipeipa@comcast.net
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 12:35:12 (PST)
[68.85.28.153]
I believe that it is great that an Asain Basketball player can dominate in a sport mainly driven by African-Americans.
Blonde
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 11:15:07 (PST)
[66.140.223.90]
Big Dave,
I'll smoke the peace pipe with you.
But in my book Shaq is whack. Unless he comes to term with himself and Yao.
I never heard him talking smack about Wang when he came into the NBA. Or Bateer.
This issues isn't about asian coming to terms with Shaq comments in the media. Even though those are real issue.
This issue is more importantly Shaq coming to terms with a rising star in the NBA who happens to asian.
AC Dropout
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 09:46:13 (PST)
[24.136.115.189]
Apple-
I don't think that it's okay to target rookies. All I'm saying is that the NBA, as well as other major league sports, have histories of singling out rookies, particularly budding superstars. In the 1985 All-Star game, there's the famous theory that Isiah Thomas urged the East All-Stars to freeze out Michael Jordan. In 1993, the West All-Stars reportedly went out of their way to double and triple-team Shaq every time he touched the ball down low. Why did these things happen? When Shawn Bradley was picked as the no. 2 pick overall in the NBA Draft, people were licking their chops at the opportunity to dunk on him. Why? For no better reason than that they were rookies entering the league with a bit of fanfare, and the veterans around the league wanted to brand them, figuratively speaking. It's not right, but it would be naive for a rookie to come into the league and expect everyone to respect him like a 10 year vet.
I don't have to explain why motormouths and trash talkers are targeted. So, imagine if Yao entered the league in Jeremy Shockey fashion? You don't think that guys wouldn't mind giving him a hard foul, an undercut, or a few cheapshots? It's hard enough that he's a highly-regarded rookie, and he's 7'5" (it's always macho to dunk over one), and he's not African-American. He's already a target. All I'm saying is that if I were Yao, the last thing I'd want to do is to give other teams bulletin board filler, and entice guys to come at me all-out. Hey, that's just the way I am, but if I already had the concentric circles on my jersey, I wouldn't want to further accessorize it with a "kick me" sign.
As for whether or not Yao could tussle with Shaq, I don't know, nor did I make an implications about those possibilities. Though if I were a Vegas handicapper, I'd point out that Shaq's heavier, and has a thicker body. Yao's got proportionately shorter arms, so their reach is about the same, despite Yao's height advantage. However, Shaq can't punch worth a lick, as Brad Miller could attest to, and Barkley took him down once. So maybe it'll be a good fight.
AC Dropout-
Heh, the "Mr. Robotech" comment is pretty funny. Not a fan of it, very much prefer the Japanese original. Incidentally, I read arguments that Robotech is actually racist against Asians, seeing how they changed the international cast into an all-American one, minus the Asian sex symbol. How white boy centric... Who knows. But getting back to the topic, I didn't defend Shaq's comments. In fact, I even called him a "big ignoramus," a claim that could easily be supported by doing a simple Google search on "Shaq" and "chlorophyll." I'm just saying he's definitely got game, and is still the best center in the West. Does this mean Yao sucks? Of course not. I think Yao's plenty talented, and he will eventually be the premier big man in the game, after a little seasoning in the NBA. Again, being the no. 2 center in the world ain't too shabby, especially for a 22 year old. And here's hoping there's no Isiah Thomas in the West to freeze out Yao, or that the East doesn't go out of there way to make him look bad.
MrMacross
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 09:43:49 (PST)
[206.31.28.1]
nah that guy on the globetrotters is eurasian i believe...alot of these russians look asian
phil
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 09:35:09 (PST)
[172.141.13.249]
People, relax,
You're very naive. Did you remember MDS once also mentioned "Shaq-Fu". If you don't stop this kinds of behavior it will only continue. You're Naive.
Bruce Lee
Tuesday, January 14, 2003 at 08:52:49 (PST)
[24.239.152.113]
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|