Melo Keeps it Hood in the Forbidden City

Nash, Melo, Baron Davis and 'others' in China
from Yao Central

Check out these candid photographs of Steve Nash and friends in Beijing just days before their charity game to benefit under-served children in Western China. Peep Melo and BD kicking it all tourist like with Chairman Mao at the Forbidden City. Melo busts the 80s rapper squat with arms akimbo; and BD goes Big Daddy Kane on the cam... twice. Awesome. Nash looks like a fan who inched into the frame.

All these pics and more come to you courtesy of Yao Ming Mania, who along with virtually all other media coverage, refers to the group as Nash, Carmelo, Baron Davis and "other NBA players." It's kinda true, those other players being Leandro Barbosa, Amir Johnson, Chuck Hayes and a couple of guys even we don't recognize... is that Keyon Dooling? The NBA doesn't seem to want to release the names either.

Ah, the NBA hierarchy. Nevertheless, it's a great idea and a better cause; and certainly Yao and Nash are grateful to have all these guys come out.

In the meantime, it looks like Nash and "the others" are having a ball just doing the tourist thing... despite the elitism. But notice how they're not getting mobbed. Good security or no Kobe?

Yao, Yi and the Science of Tall (Pt. 2)

Yao, Yi and the science of tall (pt.2)
from Yao Central

I apologize for the lack of posts, business had unfortunately dragged me away from the blog. But Yao is finally playing basketball again and in just two games back, the results with him just being on the court is apparent. It's not that facing the Australian pro Melbourne Tigers is particularly challenging (to their credit they are three-peat NBL Champions) but it's pretty much the whole Chinese National team here. It should be dominating win. But still, it's been awhile since Team China picked up a W--five games in fact.

The first game, however, was just such a win, a 69-56 win, but in one of those "worse than the score indicates" situations. Yao only needed 20 minutes and 12 points to put China in position and Yi Jianlian took care of the rest. It was all really more of a Yi highlight reel. His time in the U.S. facing NBA summer league teams seems to have benefited his agility, power, but more importantly, his instinct. His reactions on offense and defense are noticeably quicker. And as Yi has been promised a rotation spot with the Bucks, the guaranteed time should only improve on this. If he's as quick a study as it seems he has been this summer, it should be positive for China in '08. But this and the win might be the only things positive in the Chinese camp at the moment. Much of the national team is under heavy scrutiny mostly from themselves and coach Jonas Kazlauskas has been under the gun of the Chinese media. Yao, however, has been speaking out publicly in defense of the Lithuanian Kazlauskas as he has done for many a coach before him.

Accordingly, China's second game with Melbourne, also a win (84-78) but no cakewalk, seem to support the notion that there are indeed kinks to work out. Call it pride on the Melbourne side or simply nonchalance from China, the second game was a fight and China with four NBA players on the roster (Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhi Zhi and Sun Yue) to Melbourne's none (unless you count Chris Antsey), just scraped out a win. Yao finished with 25 pts, 8 rebs; Yi with 20 pts, 9 rebs. They need shooters like the U.S. needed Michael Redd.

Get your pics at Yao Ming Mania. Yao looks like he's dribbling a mini-ball at a Jordan Jammer.

Wired.com has found a height gene... in that they've found the article about the scientists who've found a gene linked to height--a scientific first!

It's called HGMA2, and a pair of mutations in the gene can add a whole centimeter to your height.

That's right, a centimeter: .39 inches. About one percent of the difference between Yao Ming and Earl Boykins.

I'm sorry, is that actually a picture of Earl Boykins posting up Yao Ming? The guy is fearless or out of his damn mind.