Yao Ming – will the big fella be around for the 2012 Olympics in London?

Yao Ming and the Chinese team were eliminated in the Olympics by Lithuania. It was a quiet exit for the super tall super star. Not quite what the Chinese were envisioning.

Now it looks like Yao may be done as a Chinese National basketball star.

“That is four years away,” Yao said later. “In 2004, I thought that 2008 was far away. Now I look at 2012 (the next Games in London) and maybe it doesn’t look so far. But since 2004, I have had three major surgeries.”
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Don’t get me wrong, China had a great Olympics all around, but Yao was a disappointment.

There were two Chinese athletes that China was really counting on. Yao and Lui Xiang the former world record holding hurdler.

Lui had to remove himself with leg problems that had started months ago.

Much of the Chinese advertising effort was based on Lui Xiang first and then Yao Ming.

Now you have to wonder if either one of them will be in the London Olympics in 2012.

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China wants a very tall well known man as the “Face of the Olympics”.

Who could be better than Yao Ming?

Yao Ming looms big for the Chinese Olympic team and the Olympics!

Image details: 2008 Stankovic Continental Champions Cup – Day 1 served by picapp.com

Everyone loves Yao. Top it off; Yao is a great player as well.

It appeared that leg injuries would keep Yao out of the Olympics and the Chinese Olympic organizers were worried. This Olympics is very important to the Chinese. They want to show the world that they have arrived, that they are the power and the place to be in the world.

The injury has caused major concern among China’s Olympic organizers expecting him to become the face of the games and his return was certain to help them sleep easier. Yao is considered a leading candidate to carry the Olympic torch on its final leg into Beijing’s grandiose new National Stadium.

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Yao played last Thursday against the Serbia squad.

Even Yao expects a lot out of Yao.

Xue Zhen, basketball editor for leading newspaper Titan Sports, said Yao’s appearance at the Stankovic Cup served as a massive confidence booster, even if his form wasn’t 100 percent.

“This is Yao’s Olympic mission,” Xue said. “His presence is extraordinarily powerful, and the team is built around him.

“Without Yao, China will become a totally different team.”

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Six years and 111 million bucks.

But Gilbert Arenas took less.

The Wizards offered Arenas a max contract — $127 million over six years — leaving it up to the unpredictable Agent Zero to decide whether he would live up to his previous statement that he would take a lesser amount if it would help the team sign other players and improve the prospects of contending for an NBA title. Arenas negotiated the deal without an agent while traveling in China on a promotional tour for a shoe company.

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The Wizards have resigned Antawn Jamison and now have enough money to add one more player.

Could it be Gilbert Arenas wants to win? Even more than posting stats?

Check out this YouTube on Arenas and what he has been thinking.

Now that you know his thoughts, watch his scoring ability in this mix.

Gilbert just seems to be able to walk right through defenses for layup after layup.

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Without Chauncey Billups there will be more pressure on Rip Hamilton

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Chauncey Billups plays or does not play. He plays well or does not play well. Why, some even think he should not play.

What?

Not play? What are you talking about?

The Pistons can beat the Magic in a best-of-seven series without a fully effective Billups, but they’ll have no chance against Boston or Cleveland in the next round unless he performs at close to 100%.

And if Billups comes back too soon, allowing a nagging injury to derail the Pistons before they reach their championship destination, it will worsen the sting of the last two seasons, when playoff runs were halted in the conference finals.

Opportunities wasted are opportunities lost.

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Now your intrepid author does not pretend to know everything, but it seems to me that too many fans are taking the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard a little too lightly. Victory over the Magic without Chauncey Billups is anything but insured, in fact, it may mean certain doom. Sorry Rodney Stuckey, but Chauncey is special to this team.

Will Chauncey even play at 5pm today?

All the work has paid off, to a degree. Billups said his strained muscle felt “a little better” Friday, and he planned to test it a bit on the court with some light shooting. The team won’t make a decision about his playing status until close to game time today.

The trainer Arnie Kander had this to say.

But Kander said the fact Billups felt better — especially at the 10:30 a.m. practice — was a big step toward getting back on the court.

“Any time you feel better in the first 24 or 36 hours, that’s your worst time,” Kander said. “That’s where all the chemical reactions occur for muscle strains. And early morning. As you know, all of our bodies don’t feel great first thing in the morning.”

But Kander wasn’t shocked that Billups didn’t share his optimism. “If he was chirpy or happy, I’d wonder how he is that way,” Kander said. “He’s frustrated, he’s irritated. But at the same time, he’ll be OK.”

If Chauncey Billups does not play, then the Magic will be working more against Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince offensive sets. They will be ready for that.

If Billups is missing today an awful lot will be told about this series and the Pistons.

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Kevin Garnett is injured.

Kevin Garnett is old in basketball years. 32 in May. 13 seasons.

The man is also the Big One of the Big Three.

Boston needs an healthy Garnett.

Both of these items could spell problems for the Celtics.

Forward Kevin Garnett tried to convince coach Doc Rivers on the bus ride from the team hotel that he might be healthy enough to play against Orlando yesterday. Rivers, however, wouldn’t budge.

Garnett missed his first game of the season with an abdominal strain. Garnett missed part of the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ win over the Timberwolves Friday night with the injury, which he said has been bothering him recently.

“That muscle in the stomach is not anything you play with,” Rivers said. “From the history of other players that have had it, he can actually be injured and be out for a while. We’re lucky that he caught it early enough.

“He may play Tuesday [at Miami], may. But I doubt that. I just think we go day to day with it. It’s just not worth taking a chance.”  source

Injuries to Shaq and Wade derailed the Heat the last few years.

With the age of the Big Three, could this be an issue for the Celtics?

Keep in mind, just like Larry Bird was to the original Big Three, Kevin Garnett is the one player the Celtics can not afford to lose.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen would not be able to carry the Celtics for any long period of time and definitely not in the playoffs.

NBA Basketball Fan Question  Will age creep up on Kevin Garnett and the Celtics?

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Can Kobe Bryant keep on smiling?

No Bynum, no problem.

Just let Kobe take over and take over he did.

Kobe put up 48 on the Seattle Supersonics and pulled the game out in OT.

Kevin Durant shot a horrible 6 for 26 for Seattle.

Final Score – Lakers 123 – Sonics 121

The Lakers were recently dealt a severe blow when young center Andrew Bynum, the player not named later in the Kobe to the Bulls non-trade, injured his knee.

The Lakers had to come right back and play on the road again the night after the injury.

And if there is any doubt about whether Kobe Bryant is one of the best players in the league, if not the best, then look no further than this game.

“This is a tough one,” a tired looking Bryant said. “Tonight was one of those nights where I kind of had to read the mood of the team. Us kind of being a little deflated with (Bynum) going down, being a back-to-back, coming in on the road, it was one of those things where I just kind of wanted to be a lot more assertive.”

How assertive? Bryant scored the final six points of overtime. He took 44 shots, just three off his career high of 47. source

The Lakers had learned before the game that Bynum’s injury was much worse than thought.

They learned center Andrew Bynum could be sidelined for more than eight weeks because he suffered a subluxation of the patella and a bone bruise of his left knee in Sunday night’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bynum was injured when he landed on teammate Lamar Odom’s left foot in the opening minutes of the third quarter. He left Staples Center wearing a soft knee brace and said he didn’t believe the injury was that serious. source

No one is expecting Kobe to put up 48 per night to keep the Lakers rolling, but it will be a test for the whole team to keep going until Andrew Bynum can return.

NBA Basketball Kobe Bryant factoid - It was Bryant’s 87th career 40-point game, one behind Elgin Baylor for third all-time in league history.

Those that know Kobe, know he is ready for the challenge. The real problem may be that his teammates are not.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will Kobe tolerate his teammates if they begin to lose?

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Greg Oden was supposed to turn the Portland franchise around. Instead he finds himself sitting at home for the upcoming season.

He was with his mother at home when he found out how serious it was.

“I kinda looked at my mom and said, ‘I’m out for the season? You kidding me?’ ” he said.

Oden will be on crutches for six more weeks. Full recovery likely will take six to 12 months. He has started swimming, and a machine gently bends his knee for six hours a day. source

Next year, if Greg is fully recovered from micro fracture surgery, you will see the true power that he displayed at Ohio State.

But for now he sits.

He had spoken to Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, who have had micro fracture surgery and they warned him not to rush back.

Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds last season as a freshman at Ohio State, despite being hampered by a wrist injury. He led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the loss to Florida.

Greg, as usual, is trying to keep a level head and concentrate on getting ready for next year.

The NBA will have to wait as well.

NBA Fan Question Have you witnessed the power of the Oden?

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