2010-08-27 03:57:15 +0000 #1
Link: blogs.chron.com/nba/...out_and_it_feel.html
Quote:
While visiting with Yao Ming, I did ask about that "retire" comment out of China last month.
As we surmised at the time, he was not predicting anything, but was speaking of the Chinese basketball program as a whole and the need to develop and team and style that will last longer than his career. Of course if he cannot play basketball without his feet breaking, he cannot play basketball. But that was not the point he was making.
"That entire interview was talking about the future of Chinese basketball," Yao said. "I told them however long I can play, one day I will retire. This team needs to learn how to play without me, either now or later. Sooner is better than later.
"I also told them, the worst case, I'm just saying the worst case, the worst case, is that I don't go through the season and have to retire after the season. They only put that part in the story. That interview was only about how to develop Chinese basketball."
Quote:
While visiting with Yao Ming, I did ask about that "retire" comment out of China last month.
As we surmised at the time, he was not predicting anything, but was speaking of the Chinese basketball program as a whole and the need to develop and team and style that will last longer than his career. Of course if he cannot play basketball without his feet breaking, he cannot play basketball. But that was not the point he was making.
"That entire interview was talking about the future of Chinese basketball," Yao said. "I told them however long I can play, one day I will retire. This team needs to learn how to play without me, either now or later. Sooner is better than later.
"I also told them, the worst case, I'm just saying the worst case, the worst case, is that I don't go through the season and have to retire after the season. They only put that part in the story. That interview was only about how to develop Chinese basketball."
