10.10.07
Early read on Yi: All is well in Brewtown
Yi Jianlian, the number six pick in the 2007 NBA draft, is doing well in his first couple of weeks in Milwaukee, according to this report by SI.com’s Marty Burns. Great to hear, especially after all of the drama created during the draft and afterwards, with all kinds of hand-wringing by Yi’s representation that he needed to be in a bigger media market with a larger Asian population. Yes, Yi fouled out of his first NBA preseason game last night, but do you remember your first day at work after college? How did it go? Did you work the equivalent of 25 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes on the court, or did your professional success take a little while as you figured things out in this new world? Food for thought, especially in our sharkish sports media culture. Some things are better left untranslated, and Yao Ming himself has said that when he first arrived in the States, there were times when it was a good thing that English was his second language.
Anyone who has ever taught or coached knows the great maxim of developing talent: sometimes it’s better being a slightly bigger fish in a slightly larger pond when you’re just developing. That goes for university students, young professionals, and yes, world-class athletes as well. Give Yi a chance to breathe that nice Wisconsin air and stretch his legs in the NBA before expecting the world of him. Who knows – given all the right training and support, he could turn out to be just as much a cultural icon and leader inside China – as well as a world-class basketball player – as Yao Ming has become in his sixth season in Houston.
That reminds me: the CSB is off to Houston next week for a look at Yao and the new gang around him. The places for all Houston Rockets-related news are the Rockets’ official NBA website and the Houston Chronicle’s Rockets section, where longtime NBA reporter Jonathan Feigen and his team have all the latest on all things Yao.