PrintWhat They're Saying About Yao
Yao Ming continues to draw rave reviews throughout the league. The following is a sampling of quotes from other NBA players and coaches on the 7-6 Rockets center.
Updated: April 2, 2003
“In a couple of years, he's going to be the best player in the game.”
"He's big. He's the biggest thing I've ever seen in my life. His legs are stronger than anything, you really can't move him. You definitely have to respect him and I give him a lot of credit for what he's learned this year."
“He has a great upside. He’s a very talented young man who’s learning how to play the game. He’s stronger than I thought. He showed he can shoot the ball, and he has good hands. All he needs is experience.”
“He’s huge. It’s like playing against a tree. Everywhere you look, he’s got you within reach. He’s so long, so athletic and he’s got a good basketball IQ, so it’s like he can reach you from everywhere.”
“He’s a great player already. He’s going to keep getting better. It’s amazing how he already is playing in his first year. He deserves it. He's making the game more globalized. China is watching every game now. He brought a lot to the NBA. I think he deserves all the hype.”
“Yao is the real thing. He can be a scary player.”
“I’ve watched him as the year’s gone on, and he’s got unlimited talent, not just skills, but the way he sees the game and the way he understands the game. The pressure he is under, I don’t know how he’s doing it. I just watch his composure. And he’s really very even-keeled. He has up games, but he’s not down after he has a tough game. He keeps playing. He’s very gracious to the people he plays against, but he’s a competitor. You could have a situation that could be very tough, but he could handle it.”
“Every time I play him, he continued to play better and better. He’s definitely going to be a great player in this league. I really like the way he thinks on the court, plays very unselfishly and understands the concept of the game.”
“He’s going to be a household name for a long to come. Every time he gets out on the court he gains confidence. And time will tell how good he can be. He has so many skills on the offensive end and he is a great fit for Houston’s team.' ”
“He made a couple of quick spin moves and stuff that I really didn't expect him to do. He caught me a couple of times, and I was kind of like, 'He's for real. He's for real.' ”
“Unbelievable, remarkable improvement in what he's doing. He's improving from game to game, not from week to week.”
“I really like him. You don’t see a 7-6 guy with his skills and footwork and really there aren’t many 6-6 guys that have his footwork. He’s a talent and definitely worthy of the first pick. He will be scary for years to come. The sky is the limit and I really like his game.”
“He is a wonderful player. The real deal. It’s great to see a guy with such wonderful skills and a strong work ethic that can do so many things. This franchise has a lot to look forward to with him.”
“He has a lot of nice moves on the block. He's pretty strong. I thought he would be flimsy and kind of lanky. But he has a strong base, and that really shocked me. He has touch around the basket and good hands. He has knowledge of the game. You see him do a lot of things out there that shows you he has knowledge of the game.”
“There is no question that he changes the complexity of the game. He's going to be a great player in this league. He's big. He knows how to play. He has a calmness and doesn't seem to get rumbled.”
“He is remarkable. What he has done in only a month is just fantastic. He has a great attitude and approach to the game.”
“I really like him. He’s a very good player. He is a great example of hard work and he is a really fast learner to make the adjustments he has so quickly.”
“Anybody who criticized him his first couple of weeks in the league has egg on their face now. He's gotten nothing but better, and he's going to keep getting better.”
“He can definitely play. He’s tough and he can score. Once he gets comfortable with the game over here, he will be an All-Star.”
“Every game he gets more and more comfortable. He is learning the game on the go, and he is playing with a great group of guys and a coach that knows how to play with a big man.”
“He’s going to be successful because he is tall and he has skills.”
“I think he’ll be pretty good. He has some good skills for his size and an excellent touch for a shooter.”
“The guy can play. I like him a lot. My boy Steve Francis is a good friend of mine and he’s going to have a good time with that big guy down there. He’s going to block a lot of shots that will lead to some fast breaks and he can score inside.”
“He was very impressive tonight. He has a great touch and he is bigger than you think he is in person. He shot the ball better than I thought he could. We had a hand in his face and it didn’t matter.”
“He earned our respect. To play against him was eye-opening. He’s really a massive player.”
“He’s special. He’s a gift from God.”
“He’s for real. Look at that 30 and 16. He’s getting better and better.”
“His size reminds me of Wilt Chamberlain’s size when Wilt Chamberlain had a lot of size on people. Wilt had that fade-away on the backboard. No one could block it. No one in the league could get near it. Wilt had more athleticism. This kid is not a bad athlete. He’s more of a basketball player than an uncoordinated big man.”
“He’s a big boy. He’s got a turnaround jumper can’t nobody block because he’s so big.”
“He surprised me. He’s a lot better than I expected. He did a good job and he’s a big guy. I think the learning curve is definitely on the upward swing with him.”
“We just ran into a buzzsaw in Yao. Nobody we put on him could stop him.”
“I believe Yao will have a very good NBA career. He’s going to create his own legacy. He’s going to have a great impact on the league. Houston is really fortunate to have him.”
“With his height and competitiveness, this guy has unlimited potential to raise the bar to another level.”
“He has all the tools. He can shoot. He can dribble. He’s no slouch.”
“He is the real deal. He’s solid all around. He’s very fundamentally sound for a guy his size. He’s got a soft touch. He can run the floor and is very agile.”
“He’s a natural. He is going to be a big time force in this league. He is a hell of a player.”
“He’s going to be good. He’s long and skilled. He can make shots. He’s going to have an impact in this league. There haven’t been too many guys in this league who made me feel short. There’s been one or two. Wow, he’s big.”
“He is a good player. But good players need time to learn. He will get better and better.”
“I think he’s going to be a phenomenal player. I think he has all the skills. It’s just a matter of him getting used to the league. He’s got everything you want a big guy to have.”
“He’s got a nice touch and a couple of post moves, a couple of good moves around the basket. To my surprise, he was a whole lot better than I thought he was. I was surprised by his awareness on the court. When he caught the ball deep in the paint, he didn’t waste time; he went into his move and made shots around the basket. When he caught it outside he turned and faced up and was able to find the open guy. That was impressive for a guy 7-5.”
Updated: April 2, 2003
RICHARD JEFFERSON, Nets
“In a couple of years, he's going to be the best player in the game.”
ANTONIO DAVIS, Raptors
"He's big. He's the biggest thing I've ever seen in my life. His legs are stronger than anything, you really can't move him. You definitely have to respect him and I give him a lot of credit for what he's learned this year."
“He has a great upside. He’s a very talented young man who’s learning how to play the game. He’s stronger than I thought. He showed he can shoot the ball, and he has good hands. All he needs is experience.”
CARON BUTLER, Heat
“He’s huge. It’s like playing against a tree. Everywhere you look, he’s got you within reach. He’s so long, so athletic and he’s got a good basketball IQ, so it’s like he can reach you from everywhere.”
DIRK NOWITZKI, Mavericks
“He’s a great player already. He’s going to keep getting better. It’s amazing how he already is playing in his first year. He deserves it. He's making the game more globalized. China is watching every game now. He brought a lot to the NBA. I think he deserves all the hype.”
“Yao is the real thing. He can be a scary player.”
RICK ADELMAN, Kings coach
“I’ve watched him as the year’s gone on, and he’s got unlimited talent, not just skills, but the way he sees the game and the way he understands the game. The pressure he is under, I don’t know how he’s doing it. I just watch his composure. And he’s really very even-keeled. He has up games, but he’s not down after he has a tough game. He keeps playing. He’s very gracious to the people he plays against, but he’s a competitor. You could have a situation that could be very tough, but he could handle it.”
VLADE DIVAC, Kings
“Every time I play him, he continued to play better and better. He’s definitely going to be a great player in this league. I really like the way he thinks on the court, plays very unselfishly and understands the concept of the game.”
ANTAWN JAMISON, Warriors
“He’s going to be a household name for a long to come. Every time he gets out on the court he gains confidence. And time will tell how good he can be. He has so many skills on the offensive end and he is a great fit for Houston’s team.' ”
BRIAN GRANT, Heat
“He made a couple of quick spin moves and stuff that I really didn't expect him to do. He caught me a couple of times, and I was kind of like, 'He's for real. He's for real.' ”
DON CHANEY, Knicks coach
“Unbelievable, remarkable improvement in what he's doing. He's improving from game to game, not from week to week.”
JAMAL MASHBURN, Hornets
“I really like him. You don’t see a 7-6 guy with his skills and footwork and really there aren’t many 6-6 guys that have his footwork. He’s a talent and definitely worthy of the first pick. He will be scary for years to come. The sky is the limit and I really like his game.”
JERRY SLOAN, Jazz coach
“He is a wonderful player. The real deal. It’s great to see a guy with such wonderful skills and a strong work ethic that can do so many things. This franchise has a lot to look forward to with him.”
TROY HUDSON, Timberwolves
“He has a lot of nice moves on the block. He's pretty strong. I thought he would be flimsy and kind of lanky. But he has a strong base, and that really shocked me. He has touch around the basket and good hands. He has knowledge of the game. You see him do a lot of things out there that shows you he has knowledge of the game.”
FLIP SAUNDERS, Timberwolves coach
“There is no question that he changes the complexity of the game. He's going to be a great player in this league. He's big. He knows how to play. He has a calmness and doesn't seem to get rumbled.”
LON KRUGER, Hawks coach
“He is remarkable. What he has done in only a month is just fantastic. He has a great attitude and approach to the game.”
JASON TERRY, Hawks
“I really like him. He’s a very good player. He is a great example of hard work and he is a really fast learner to make the adjustments he has so quickly.”
HUBIE BROWN, Grizzlies coach
“Anybody who criticized him his first couple of weeks in the league has egg on their face now. He's gotten nothing but better, and he's going to keep getting better.”
ERIC SNOW, Sixers
“He can definitely play. He’s tough and he can score. Once he gets comfortable with the game over here, he will be an All-Star.”
CHRIS WEBBER, Kings
“Every game he gets more and more comfortable. He is learning the game on the go, and he is playing with a great group of guys and a coach that knows how to play with a big man.”
VINCE CARTER, Raptors
“He’s going to be successful because he is tall and he has skills.”
MAURICE CHEEKS, Blazers coach
“I think he’ll be pretty good. He has some good skills for his size and an excellent touch for a shooter.”
BARON DAVIS, Hornets
“The guy can play. I like him a lot. My boy Steve Francis is a good friend of mine and he’s going to have a good time with that big guy down there. He’s going to block a lot of shots that will lead to some fast breaks and he can score inside.”
TIM DUNCAN, Spurs
“He was very impressive tonight. He has a great touch and he is bigger than you think he is in person. He shot the ball better than I thought he could. We had a hand in his face and it didn’t matter.”
MICHAEL FINLEY, Mavericks
“He earned our respect. To play against him was eye-opening. He’s really a massive player.”
ALLEN IVERSON, Sixers
“He’s special. He’s a gift from God.”
MICHAEL JORDAN, Wizards
“He’s for real. Look at that 30 and 16. He’s getting better and better.”
GEORGE KARL, Bucks coach
“His size reminds me of Wilt Chamberlain’s size when Wilt Chamberlain had a lot of size on people. Wilt had that fade-away on the backboard. No one could block it. No one in the league could get near it. Wilt had more athleticism. This kid is not a bad athlete. He’s more of a basketball player than an uncoordinated big man.”
SHAWN MARION, Suns
“He’s a big boy. He’s got a turnaround jumper can’t nobody block because he’s so big.”
REGGIE MILLER, Pacers
“He surprised me. He’s a lot better than I expected. He did a good job and he’s a big guy. I think the learning curve is definitely on the upward swing with him.”
DON NELSON, Mavericks coach
“We just ran into a buzzsaw in Yao. Nobody we put on him could stop him.”
STEVE NASH, Mavericks
“I believe Yao will have a very good NBA career. He’s going to create his own legacy. He’s going to have a great impact on the league. Houston is really fortunate to have him.”
HAKEEM OLAJUWON, Raptors
“With his height and competitiveness, this guy has unlimited potential to raise the bar to another level.”
SHAQUILLE O’NEAL, Lakers
“He has all the tools. He can shoot. He can dribble. He’s no slouch.”
PAUL PIERCE, Celtics
“He is the real deal. He’s solid all around. He’s very fundamentally sound for a guy his size. He’s got a soft touch. He can run the floor and is very agile.”
GREGG POPOVICH, Spurs coach
“He’s a natural. He is going to be a big time force in this league. He is a hell of a player.”
DAVID ROBINSON, Spurs
“He’s going to be good. He’s long and skilled. He can make shots. He’s going to have an impact in this league. There haven’t been too many guys in this league who made me feel short. There’s been one or two. Wow, he’s big.”
ARVYDAS SABONIS, Blazers
“He is a good player. But good players need time to learn. He will get better and better.”
ISIAH THOMAS, Pacers coach
“I think he’s going to be a phenomenal player. I think he has all the skills. It’s just a matter of him getting used to the league. He’s got everything you want a big guy to have.”
BEN WALLACE, Pistons
“He’s got a nice touch and a couple of post moves, a couple of good moves around the basket. To my surprise, he was a whole lot better than I thought he was. I was surprised by his awareness on the court. When he caught the ball deep in the paint, he didn’t waste time; he went into his move and made shots around the basket. When he caught it outside he turned and faced up and was able to find the open guy. That was impressive for a guy 7-5.”
