Remember because…part 2

[by Mark Nilrad] - "China Hoops; or, Lessons from China". If I had subtitles for my blog, that is what I would call it (it would also put me in good company: Frankenstein, or Modern Prometheus and Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress are two of the more well-known classics with subtitles).

As a blog is nothing more than a class on a screen, then you can consider my debut article nothing more than an introduction. It was the reason you walked into class, but it had nothing truly substantial, because after all, it was only the attention-grabber, the eye-catcher.

However, how do you go beyond the opening speech if most of your students are uninitiated with the class material? I estimate (roughly, since I don't know my demographics very well) that 95% of those reading this blog know no more about Chinese basketball than the face of Yao Ming. To get Chinese Basketball 101 on its feet, and to get my readers on their feet, my articles over the next few weeks and months will be the core curriculum for this blog, the base on which any of the unknowledgeable can stand firmly. After the series is done, you can read any article I publish and understand it perfectly.

So, to start off on the "amazing journey of learning" (which is what they always say in a pamphlet for a class), I will start very slowly and gradually. After all, in every class, you start off easy, and then build up to the final exam. Therefore, the subject of my first article will be Yao Ming.

Virtually (and I could almost use literally) every basketball fan in the world has heard the name of Yao Ming. He is obviously the face of Chinese basketball, and a representative for all of Chinese sport.

But with so many cameras on Yao, you don't need me to tell you how he is doing in the NBA. Indeed, the local Houston Chronicle writers are doing a much better job than I could ever do.

No, indeed, what most won't or can't tell you about is the mysterious relationship between Yao Ming and his national team. The general consensus is that Yao Ming is hurting himself and his NBA career because he plays so often during the summer, but beyond that nothing much is said.

But there is so much more to understand. When Yao Ming came to the NBA, he was very timid and mild. Now, he is much more aggressive and angry (well, the latter only sometimes). But, when he plays for his country, he is an animal transformed. He dunks very, very hard, and hangs on the rim (ala Shaq). He also screams very, very loudly, and is clearly the undisputed, unchallenged leader of his team. None of this you see when he plays with the Rockets. The NBA no longer sees him as a mild-mannered giant anymore, but he is no beast either.

He is also the only reason that the men's national team is ranked 11th in the world (you could also give him credit for the women being 10th in the world, but that's a stretch). It is no coincidence that the upsets of Serbia & Montenegro and Slovenia in 2004 and 2006, respectively, came after Yao Ming had monster games.

However, the road to 8th place in the '04 Olympics, and 15th in the '06 World Championships was not a smooth one. The most widely publicized incident between Yao and his country came after an opening game loss to Spain in the Athens Olympics. As most of you might know, Yao Ming said that he had "lost all hope" for his team, and threatened to retire. The sudden outburst was quickly hushed up, and not a word of it is breathed about now, but it was a critical juncture for Yao and China.

It was at that time that the Chinese administration that Yao was no longer under their absolute control. The most significant change since then is that Yao no longer plays in every tournament for China (witness his absence from the Asian Games last December).  One might think that it would be normal for Yao to miss a tournament during the NBA season, but when Wang ZhiZhi was a rookie, he was required to play in the East Asian Games two days after the NBA season ended, as well as compete in the National Games, which forced him to miss the start of the next season. It changed when Yao spoke out, and has benefited not only himself, but also Yi Jianlian coming after him, and any other Chinese players succeeding him.

So, when you think of Chinese basketball, remember Yao Ming, not because he is plastered, life-size, on an advertising billboard near you, but because he stands up when no one else can or will, and because when he is wearing "China" on his jersey, he is, really, the greatest center in the world.