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Yao Wows Oakland On First Official West Coast Swing

Golden State Warriors’ Erick Dampier tries to block the shot of Houston Rockets’ Yao Ming during the first quarter of the Nov. 27 match-up. Photo by AP.

By Brian Kluepfel
Special to AsianWeek

What did we find out about Yao Ming that we didn’t already know before his first visit to Oakland as a Houston Rocket? He likes the new Harry Potter film (he gave it a five-star rating). He wanted to go to San Francisco’s Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf, but due to the breakneck NBA schedule, did not have time. His English is fairly good — he’s been studying since high school, and he has a wry sense of humor. The most useful word he’s learned in America thus far, he said, has been “traffic.”

Oh, yeah, and in between the media blitz, the Warriors found out the guy’s got game.

The vibe around the 7’5” Shanghai ambassador’s visit was somewhere between the state tour of a foreign dignitary and a Backstreet Boys concert. The Warriors had to hold a special press conference for Ming two hours prior to the game, and overflow press were assigned nosebleed seats in the building’s upper deck. “This is more media than they’ve had for the first five games combined,” cracked one regular.

Peppered with questions in two languages, Ming fielded all queries with aplomb, humility and a winning smile. The only mystery left after the press event surrounded the red bracelet he wears. He refuses to answer any questions about it.

Yao’s fans. Photo by Brian Kluepfel.

Thus, fans were bombarded with images of Ming before, during and after the game. Five-game ticket packages were advertised with fliers emblazoned “Got Yao?” The package, of course, includes the Chinese giant’s return to Oakland in March. Fans could also pose next to a life-size cutout of Ming (Win free tickets if you’re as tall as Yao!) and sign up to win an autographed Yao Ming Houston Rockets jersey. All promotional material was printed in two languages, and a video was broadcast at halftime with Ming speaking to his ethnic fan base, asking them to come back and check him out next time he’s in town.

The fans couldn’t have been happier. Gary, a computer science/business major at Sacramento State, came down to Oakland with three friends to see his countryman for a simple reason — the Sacramento Kings sell out almost all their games, and he was more certain of buying a ticket in Oakland. “We came all the way here to see Yao Ming,” he said. “King’s tickets are a hot item.” As for Ming’s play, “he’s been a little inconsistent, but as time goes by, he will be good,” said Gary.

“I haven’t really seen him play, this is my first time,” said Janice from Daly City. This was also her first Warriors game, and she got free tickets to see him play. (The Warriors did extensive outreach into local Chinese communities leading up to the game.) “So far he’s OK. Better than we’ve expected,” said Guofeng Yin of Union City. “He’s getting better, much better,” agreed Wong, who came from UC Davis with several other friends. “This is my first time at a Warriors game. We just came to see Yao,” he said.

Of course, there was a game to be played, and Ming earned a hearty ovation during pre-game introductions. After having his first shot blocked, he then showed the kind of skills that convinced the Rockets to pay him $18 million over the next four seasons. In the first eight minutes of the game, he scored nine points on a variety of jump shots, tap-ins and an amazing baseline slam-dunk. He looked on track to perhaps top his professional best of 30 points, and earned the ultimate NBA respect — hometown fans began booing him every time he touched the ball.

But Ming remained on the bench until halftime, when fans were treated to a Dragon Dance and martial arts exhibition from a San Leandro dojo.

Ming returned to the court to start the second half. Before the game, he had remarked that adjusting to the speed of the NBA was the biggest change he had to make. In the third quarter, it showed — he scored another five points, but also picked up four quick fouls, for a total of five. On the verge of disqualification, he remained on the bench for the rest of a rather desultory game, as his Rockets teammates defeated the hometown Warriors rather easily.

Ming’s replacement at center dominated the game in his absence, scoring 22 points.

As Ming passes through each NBA city during the nonstop regular season, the novelty will wear off, and opponents will eventually treat the Rockets player as just another opponent. For the sake of ticket sales, the Warriors’ management will be happy to welcome another large Chinese fan contingent to Oakland in March. They will be less happy to see the big man on the opposite side of the court.