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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?
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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.]
A beautiful and exciting game between the Rockets and Lakers last night. Hats off to Yao with his double double performance and great defense against the Laker offense.
By drawing must of the Lakers defense onto himself and brillant screening, Yao Ming's contribution to the Rockets offense is undeniable.
Hats off to Francis with his brillant 40 point in that game. Notice without Yao, Francis never came close to his all time NBA high.
But one cannot overlook Shaq and Lakers offensive performance that night. During the 4th we finally see Shaq putting on some fancy footwork. But in Yao's defense, hey no point getting into foul trouble while entering OT. We saw Yao is a much better defensive center that night. Even nice clean blocks against Shaq the first half.
The only defense Shaq did was a flagrant foul on Francis...hehehehe.
However, do the Rockets have what it takes to beat the Kings. Who in my opinion are the ones to beat on the west.
AC Dropout
Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 08:10:31 (PST)
[24.136.115.189]
As a Chinese-American and Asian-American, I got to feel a lot of pride at what Yao is doing for himself and for Asians.
I haven't seen an Asian male athlete do a TV commercial in a long time since Michael Chang did one.
Tonight, when we were watching the game, my father and brother, both of whom are lifelong Laker fans, couldn't understand why I was cheering for Yao all the time?
Yao's left hand really bothered him tonight, or else he would have been even more fantastic.
Can't wait until Feb. 18 when they play each other again.
My hat off to Yao tonight for showing Shaq and other anti-Asian racists and doubters, that we (Asians as a whole collective group) have pride, dignity and will never back down as wimps.
It was as if every block and shot that Yao had over Shaq was made for all the insulted Asians and Chinese of this world.
Thank you, Yao, my boy!!!
Yao Ming, lanqiu sheng
Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 04:11:01 (PST)
[64.130.235.33]
Anyone who watched the game tonight, know very well that Yao's presence and play was the deciding factor.
In the first half, he did a good defensive job on Shaq. Very few can block Shaq like that.
And, the commentators on ESPN were divided along race. Bill Walton praised Yao while the black dude was sort of defensive about everything Bill said.
North Korea should let the guy go pursue a dream that is achieved by few. Let's hope the NBA would give him a chance!
Foreign players (white and Asian) in he NBA are dispelling a lot of myths. Please give them credit. Basketball is not genetically predisposed to be a black man's sport. A lot of young white, Asian and Hispanic kids who play the sport will now have realistic dreams.
NOW LET'S CHEER FOR YAO AT THE ALL-STAR GAME!!!
Asian basketball
Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 03:59:36 (PST)
[64.130.235.33]
Also, in addition to my last post
Shaq is nowhere near a dirty player as everybody else Yao has faced. Shaq doesn't scratch, push or grab Ming like 99% of the other teams do. Shawn Kemp, Brian Grant, Ratliff and everybody expect Shaq played dirty against Yao. You guys have to atleast give Shaq a nod on that.
Big Dave
Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 03:05:43 (PST)
[172.141.68.12]
After watching the Rockets and Lakers match up (AWESOME GAME BTW), Yao is a stud. He might've just scored 10 pts and 10 rbs but the man had 6 blocks! 5 of which are on Shaq! No doubt that Oneal is still the king of the court but Ming is still a rookie and is a stick compared to the Big Nasty. I must say that Yao played the best defense I've seen played on Oneal (despite having 31 pts and 13 rbs, most of which are on a tired yao and Cato). The game lived up to the hype, Francis and Mobley were awesome, the game itself was awesome.
As for my opinion of Shaq,
I think we asians might've blown this out of purportion. He did call us his brothers and what not. Afterall he is a military kid so he was probably around alot of asians. Yao sent him a christmas card and giving thanks for Oneal's best wishes. Which gives me the impression that all this trash talk was just a publicity stunt. Granted that there were no real animosity between the two, I think Shaq was just being insensitive and not thinking before anything else. Afterall, he has been known for such quotes as "I slept with Aliyah, Venus Williams, Cindy Crawford...blah blah."
With that being said, I hope Shaq and other athletes have heed this situation that we asians are not to bullied and we deserve respect just as any race on this planet.
PS, Yao even invited Shaq for dinner at his house.
Trent Lott you're next! LOL
Big Dave
Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 02:50:53 (PST)
[172.141.68.12]
Whipeeee!!! Houston Rockets crushed the LA Lakers tonight! It was a close game...but I was praying hard that Rockets would nuke the Lakers. That's what happens when Shaq is so arrogant...and stupid to say racial comments against Asians on TV. Also stupid to make a flagrant foul against Francis (whose performance I adored tonight)...as well as Yao Ming of course. His slam dunk in the last part of the 4th quarter was like saying to Shaq [insult omitted.]
Anti-Los Angeles
Saturday, January 18, 2003 at 01:41:52 (PST)
[66.171.52.5]
Anyone find it ironic that NBA scouts head to Asia to find quality big men? With the stereotypes surrounding Asian men, I would've figured NBA scouts would only look to Asia for point guards.
MrMacross
Friday, January 17, 2003 at 12:05:36 (PST)
[206.31.28.1]
Tonight's the night. Shaq vs. Yao. Excited yet?
I must say Yao's performance against Amare Stoudemire makes me nervous. Actually, Yao's performance over the past week or two makes me nervous. He hasn't been shooting the ball all that well and he hasn't reached 12 and 10 since his knee injury. I hope it's not a serious injury.
AySee Dropowt - (You mangle my handle, I'll mess up yours ^_^)
I was not trying to excuse Shaq. At best, his comments were ignorant. At worst, racist. With this in mind, maybe not getting to start the All-Star game is apt punishment. His apology was weak.
Yeah, Robotech's got obvious Japanese influence, but I'm surprised you don't find anything wrong with making two main characters white Americans instead of Japanese. Oh well, it's just a cartoon.
MrMacross
Friday, January 17, 2003 at 11:49:21 (PST)
[206.31.28.1]
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