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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.]
Not just Yao Ming, but I think Wang Zhizhi and Menke Bateer will soon improve. They are still young and learning the game. The biggest asset is their size. There are very few effective centers these days. Wang has proven he can score if you allow him the minutes.
Basketball image is more crucial than tennis or baseball, because I know for a fact that young Asian guys play and play basketball. It is really a boost to finally have some Asian guys up there in the NBA. I mean, just look at how young men dress nowadays? Basketball attire is hip.
Ball up
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 19:26:55 (PDT)
Dan Wang, varsity power forward
At WORST, he'll become a Rik Smits type of player. By your statements on how well he'll become, I assume you haven't seen much of what he can already do and what he is also capable of doing. I watched many minutes of Ming video clips and two full games on the Internet. I have also read many reports of Ming from scouts and GMs.
He plays like a 4 on Offense and he's a 5 on Defense. There is no question about his Offensive skills. This guy often shoots the ball without jumping and no one can guard that(playing with opposing teams' centers who are 6'11" to 7'3" tall). He has a sweet hook shot which is unstoppable within 10 feet. He is really not a perimeter player and definitely a true center. Although he is a high post player, he makes most of his baskets in the 2-10 feet range.
He averaged about 21 points 13 rebs. blks in 27 minutes with a approximate 75%FG in the recent 4 country tournament with Italy, Yugoslavia, and Austrailia. Basically all his shots are made with easy like his Free Throws.
The only problem I see is that he'll have trouble guarding guys one-on-one; which may lead to foul trouble. But when he does get backed down in the paint, he'll have weak-side help from his team-mates like how it is with the current NBA play.
As you stated, he can definitely block shots and make shots as well as pass and move nimbly. I say he'll be an impact player from the first year on. I'll go on to say that he'll be an all-star and possibly the most dominant center some years down the road.
Basketball aside, he seems to be a very intelligent person with a good sense of humor (I've read a lot of his quotes).
Visit http://www.clutchcity.net for Yao Ming news and Houston Rockets news.
MikeM
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 18:53:58 (PDT)
Barkely didn't bag on the guy becaue he was chinese, but because he wasn't impressed with his game.
Hell, I'm chinese, and I've been playing ball for years, and I'm not too impressed with Yao's game. There's certainly been some great hype since he's 7-5. I'll give you the breakdown. His shot blocking ability is there. He has some range and can knock a few from outside, and his handles are better than average, but that does not mean he's automatically going to be effective in the league. He's 7-5, but he doesn't play like a center. He floats too much around the perimeter. He doesn't seem to have too much post moves for a tall guy. And he has a relatively weak upper body. How is he going to hold down the block against someone like Shaq or Duncan?
I don't want to make this into a complete basketball analysis post, but jesus, people!!!!! Before you make everything into a race issue, look into it first. Yao Ming is good, but he's not thaaaaaaat good. I play in 3 ball leagues, and everyone knows that it's not whether you're black, white, or asian, but how good you are. Yao Ming, to most of us knowlegeable fans, just doesn't seem all that. Ok, he's a chinese rik smits, at best.
Give it a rest. The China Basketball League has a looooooooooong way to go to be near the NBA level. Even WangZhiZHi, who i like to watch just because he's Asian, is not that good. Same with Yao Ming. I would be interested in watching him play, but hell no, I don't think he's going to revolutionize and change the game. He's definitely overhyped.
peace
Dan Wang, varsity power forward
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 14:58:12 (PDT)
I'm not going to predict how he will play in the NBA, but I think he will be largely accepted by everyone. People will cheer when he makes his debut. He'll be a phenomenom kinda like Wang Zhizhi of the Dallas Mavs. Wang is a bench player and look at how the people go crazy over him (ESPN covers his play on their NBA game recaps everytime he contributes to the team many time overlooking other bench players who may have contributed more!), just imagine how much coverage Yao will get seeing how he will be a starter!
In addition, about how black people were unhappy about Jay Williams going 2nd, I think they have the right to feel that way but I don't think that they will hate Yao Ming because of it. I also think that the Chinese players that comes to play in the NBA doesn't play dirty nor talk trash so I don't think they will make any enemies on the court.
dc abazn
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 13:40:48 (PDT)
Yao is going to be a good NBA ball player. In a year he will become dominant. He is still training to get bigger and once that is achieved, he will be unstoppable offensively and defensively.
Ray
Sunday, July 21, 2002 at 13:23:42 (PDT)
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