It was inevitable that the Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming would get more playing time as the season went on. But to think that he’d be making an impact this early in the season was unthinkable on draft night last June.
Ming was just a 7-foot-5 question mark whose playing experience went no further than the vaunted courts of the Chinese Basketball Association. Though Ming did play against the so-called Dream Team of the U.S. in international competition, there is no way that the lackadaisical American team treated that game as seriously as the Chinese did.
All of the drama and red tape that the Rockets had to go through with the Communist Chinese government could not have been worth the potential talent that Ming offered. If Houston management really believed Ming would be the team’s starting center for a possible championship dynasty, it would defy history. Through the hallowed halls of great centers, the NBA has never featured a bona fide star taller than 7-foot-2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. While extra-tall players Manute Bol, Gheorge Muresan and current player Shawn Bradley have tried to play, cabbage cologne is all they’ve left.
Even after all the negotiations with the government, Ming was still essentially on loan from the government. Ming’s salary was chopped up into little pieces and given out to Uncle in Beijing and Big Brother in Foochow, and other people who somehow deserved a piece of his money. Yet throughout all the infighting, Ming was still in China when Houston Rockets training camp started. Of all people, Yao was the one who needed to be there most urgently. So when he finally arrived in the States, he was already behind on the learning curve.
But, despite these obstacles and the constant blitz of media from just about every American and Chinese newspaper and television station, Ming has managed to come to his own just one month into the season. This past Tuesday, the Ming Dynasty overran the Alamo as the former Shanghai Shark posted 27 points and 18 boards against last year’s Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.
In perhaps his most anticipated match-up to date, Ming stole the show against the dominant Dallas Mavericks and their giraffe-like, 7-foot-6 Bradley. Yao poured in a career-high 30 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 16 boards in the process. And against a Shaq-less Lakers, the legend of Yao began when he shot a perfect 9-for-9 from the field for 20 points, forcing Charles Barkley to kiss Kenny Smith’s butt on national television.
To say that Yao Ming will win this year’s MVP award is shortsighted. For every one of these breakout games, Yao has had five or six mediocre games where he has had little to no impact. Smaller players continue to make Sportscenter highlight reels by dunking over Ming, and then, there is always the language barrier.
But the future looks bright for Ming. First, Yao has shown that he is not the next Wang Zhi Zhi or Mengke Bateer. While his two fellow countrymen sit on the bench this season, Yao continues to gain the necessary experience to succeed in the league. He has a better all-around game than the others, and he is young as well.
Though Yao must live with the responsibilities of being a number one draft pick, he was extremely fortunate to have been chosen by the Rockets. If Ming had gone to the hapless Golden State Warriors or the Denver Nuggets, the situation might not be so optimistic as it is now.
Last year Houston had a 43-39 record and barely missed the playoffs in the Western Conference. Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich has a good track record with centers in Hakeem Olajuwon, and has brought Ming up slowly. Before this season, the clear-cut leader of the Rockets was Steve Francis, and Ming has not usurped this position by any means. The team also features good talent in the frontcourt in Eddie Griffin, Kenny Thomas and Maurice Taylor. Ming is not left out to hang dry against the more physical interior players of the league.
With NBA All-Star voting now available in the most populated country in the world, it is no longer a guarantee that Shaq will be elected the starting center for the Western Conference. If China were to mobilize its over one billion people to vote for Ming, there is no way Shaq could compete with that. However, Yao is gradually making the case that he could be voted in on merit in the future.
