Chron: Is Yao like Beatle? Yeah, yeah, yeah

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/1624757

Oct. 19, 2002, 8:54PM

NBA NOTEBOOK
Is Yao like Beatle? Yeah, yeah, yeah
By JONATHAN FEIGEN

There were no parades for Eddie Griffin. The Rockets said they would have spent the No. 1 pick of the draft on Griffin and traded three first-round picks to get him, but he arrived in town quietly.

There were no pep rallies to herald the arrival of Steve Francis. He was the second player taken in the draft, and it took what was then the largest trade in NBA history -- three teams and 11 players -- to get him. But there were no billboards featuring oversized images of Francis to announce his arrival.

The Rockets have completed trades for Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler and Scottie Pippen. But none inspired airport welcomes.

Yao Ming will arrive in Houston today to find himself the object of Beatlemania. And it will not stop. Every game, good or bad, and especially on the road, will bring media masses to him. He will be on magazine covers before he plays a regular-season NBA game. Television crews will shadow him. He will be asked to describe his meals, his home, his car, his friends, his family, his opinions and, on occasion, something about basketball.

In some ways, it might be refreshing that there is some understanding of how remarkable it is that a player from Shanghai, China, only a few decades removed from Mao Tse-Tung, the Cultural Revolution and Ping-Pong diplomacy, could reach the West in such a grand fashion. Few expect Yao to take over the NBA, but most understand what an incredible story this still is. Still, it will not be easy.

"His translator (Colin Pine) is going to have a sore throat from all the talking he's going to do," Francis said. "He better get some Altoids, because he's going to be talking al the time."

The rest of the Rockets, meanwhile, will be treated as Yao's nameless backup singers. Yao will carry their bags and get them doughnuts, as all rookies must. But the rest of the world will treat them as anonymous stand-ins.

The Rockets insist they understand all this. Many said they would enjoy having fewer media responsibilities. But human nature does not appreciate having accomplishments ignored. Cuttino Mobley did not hire a publicist to become anonymous. Kenny Thomas feels and is underrated. Picking up Yao's crumbs will not help.

"That's the way it was with Charles," said Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who hates to have players considered separate from the team. "It didn't matter what happened during the game. After the game, the attention was on Charles."

Barkley could handle it. He flourished with attention, and on the rare occasion he didn't want it, he had no problem telling the media to get lost. But Francis was never comfortable becoming "Stevie Franchise" before the title was earned. He said the Rockets would understand the attention paid Yao but that Yao might not.

"For him, it's going to be hard," Francis said. "I'm sure in China, whoever scores the most or plays the best gets the most attention. Now, everybody is going to see how he's going to react to the NBA life and the media attention. I think he'll say something about it. Hopefully, we can help him with it, because it's going to be real hard.

"I'm going to say something, but not right away. I'm going to give him time. I'm not going to be his dad, in his ear right away. But then I'll tell him not to worry about it. We understand."

Yao has said he must adjust to the Rockets, not they to him. He said he would immerse himself in English and the culture of the NBA.

Part of his appeal is that he has a sense of how unique he is while still fitting in with teammates. But from the moment Yao lands today, he and the Rockets will see how difficult that will be.