Why didn't Yao Ming go to the draft?

"When my name is read, you can pick up the receiver and ask david stern to put the Rockets' hat on the phone. If an American journalist wants to interview me, you can act as a middleman and charge them an interview fee of 10 yuan. Haha, there are too many people who want to use me to make money. You must have made a lot of money this night. "-Yao Ming

The meeting on June 23rd, 2002 was of decisive significance for Yao Ming. After his family delegation announced an agreement with Shanghai, the 22-year-old center, the leading figure who led the Oriental men's basketball team to win the CBA championship two months ago, no longer belongs to Shanghai Oriental.

This is an extremely difficult struggle, and the price of Yao Ming's buyout contract hovers between several million dollars. Although I promised Yao Ming that I would never disclose specific figures, CCTV and the sports world obtained accurate information through other channels and made it public within a few hours. On the same night, ESPN Sports Network also released a message, announcing that Yao Ming had spent nearly 10 million dollars to realize his dream.

This is the most expensive freedom to introduce international players in NBA history. When Nowitzki joined the Mavericks, it only took about $2 million to buy out the contract, Gasol paid 2.5 million, and Chakalidis of the Suns even spent only $300,000. Therefore, when a family delegation composed of Fang Fengdi, Zhang Mingji, Heisenberg, China agent Lu Hao and lawyer Wang Xiaopeng appeared in front of reporters, the air was somewhat tragic.

No one wants to disclose the details except the sentence "We have reached an agreement with the Oriental Club", but everyone actually knows the real meaning. Yao Ming's agreement to buy out the contract has become an anomaly in the history of sports economy in China and even the world. Lu Hao said, "I hope this agreement will not be imitated in the future. We don't want to be sinners in the history of China's sports industry. "

Tonight, when Yao Ming joined the Rockets, the dust settled. The afternoon before, chinese basketball association just held a press conference to announce to the media that Yao Ming would not go to new york to attend the 27th draft, thus making Yao Ming the first No.1 pick in the 36-year history of NBA draft. NBA officials have invited chinese basketball association and Yao Ming many times before, and Zhang Xiuqing of Asian company called me many times before and after to inquire about the development of the situation, but chinese basketball association's final decision made them extremely disappointed.

According to the official statement of the Basketball Association, Yao Ming will stay in the national team for training and prepare for the four-nation men's basketball invitational tournament starting in July 1, but this is actually closely related to the "No Return of the King" incident that was raging at that time. Wang stayed in the United States because he wanted to play in the summer league. The Basketball Association was worried that Yao Ming would get out of control once he went to the United States. Although Yao Ming's family representatives have repeatedly stated that "our position is to obey all arrangements made by chinese basketball association", Yao Ming finally lost the opportunity to appear in Madison Square Garden.

I always thought that this would be a lifelong regret for Yao Ming. With his talent and personality, Yao Ming will become the first China person to be looked up to and worshipped in the history of American professional sports. The new york Madison Square Garden Theatre on June 27th should have been the first step for him to show his talents and embark on the road of being a hero.

I was expecting good news until chinese basketball association made a final decision. I promised Yao Ming that I would go to new york with him to witness that great historical moment. At the beginning of June, my plane ticket, American visa, interview application and hotel reservation in Sheraton new york were all completed, just waiting for the departure date of Yao Ming.

/kloc-around June of 0/5, Yao Ming once told me, "I may not be able to go to new york."

I didn't give up at that time: "Is it finalized? I can wait a few more days until you finally confirm the news. "

Until June 20th, Yao Ming sent a short message saying, "Go by yourself and come back and tell me about it." His tone is very firm, which let me know that his absence from the draft is certain. On June 24th, I set foot on the road to new york alone. Before I left, I wrote: "In front of me, there is a coronation without a king."

New york's personality is very different from that when I came here in the summer of 200 1 year. After the 9 1 1 incident, I ran from Williamsburg Bridge to Manhattan. In the distance, there are only white clouds in the sky, and there is no shadow of the Twin Towers. When we arrived in new york, it was already 4 pm local time. The first thing I did after I put down my luggage in the hotel was to go to Chinatown and buy a phone card so that I could call Yao Ming, who is far away in Beijing. Before that, I have arrived in more than a dozen American cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Chinatown in new york is the most crowded, noisy and largest place in China. However, the hard work in the world capital has added wind and frost to the faces of Chinese here. You can't see the comfortable posture and fair skin of China people in Los Angeles or San Francisco. They all look a little depressed. They have no houses and cars, but they are busy in the crowd from morning till night.

I remember Knicks boss Langton once said that there is a huge China market here. But at that time, I suddenly believed that even if Yao Ming really came to new york, I'm afraid China people here would not be in the mood to buy tickets for Madison Square Garden in such a complicated and difficult life. Another China center, Bater, once told an American reporter in Denver when talking with the Knicks in Shanghai: "Yao Ming should not like a big city like new york". This is really Yao Ming's heart. He has lived in a noisy city for 22 years. Maybe he shouldn't go to another noisy place. Houston is vast and quiet, and the media is moderate, which is probably more suitable for the development of Yao Ming.

The next morning, I dialed Yao Ming's cell phone. It was the night of the 25th in Beijing, and this guy was still playing games.

"how about it? Are there any posters of me in the street over there? "

"Stop dreaming."

"Also. During my trial training in Chicago, it was said that one of my signed jerseys could fetch $65,438+0,000 in new york. Now that new york is hopeless, it is estimated that no one will care about me. "

He said with a smile on the other end of the phone.