Yao Ming is a superstar. No doubt about it.
However, during his 6 NBA seasons with the Rockets, I couldn’t stand to see what Yao’s real role in Houston Rockets and the NBA:
Marketing asset
Sad. Annoying. Even humiliating.
We all know that China is probably has the largest basketball fan base in the world. Like many countries in Asia, the NBA is basketball, and th basketball is NBA.
The NBA and Houson Rockets knew that Yao Ming is good for basketball and sports business world. Unfortunately, I sense that the latter is being prioritized more than the former.
Yao Ming, born on September 12, 1980 in Shanghai, China, is the tallest NBA player today. At 7-6 and 310 lbs, he is a formidable presence in the paint.
But he deserves more. More than a marketing asset. He need to be better as a player, and I believe he could.
His numbers looks good, but could be better – 33.9 minutes a game, 19.7 points a game, 9.9 rebounds a game, 1.7 blocks a game, .537 from the field and .863 from the free-throw line in this NBA season’s first 24 games. Among the best in the NBA, but again, he could be better.
The ‘only’ thing that keeps Yao thriving in the NBA is his size and shooting prowess.
I view his game is not improving well in Houston – the fact: Yao, even T-Mac, is not ‘enrolled’ in the Race to the MVP.
My opinion: With all due respect to the Rockets fan, if you want Yao to be better, he should be traded and stop being treated as a marketing asset to rakes in dollars after dollars for merchandise endorsement.
Yao deserves more and he need better organisation that could bring the superstar out of him. I would said Orlando Magic, because I fave the team :) – But seriously, try San Antonio Spurs, that in my opinion, has the best basketball management team of all.
But then again, NBA basketball today is a bit too much commercialized, don’t you think? In the NBA, money often comes first, basketball second. What do you think of this: The NBA considers having a non-US city basketball franchise. Why? Because the European basketball market is huge, no matter how illogical the decision could be.
Good luck, Yao.