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Shaquille
O'Neal: "When you are 60, hang out with 60-year-olds, not 20-year-olds.
That is all I got to say about Jerry Buss."
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HoopsHype.com Articles The
Tao of Yao
In his book Sacred Hoops, coach Phil Jackson meditated, “A basketball team is like a band of warriors, a secret society with rites of initiation, a strict code of honor, and a sacred quest – the drive for the championship trophy.” Now wishing that each of his ten fingers wear a ring, for the 2003-04 campaign Jackson added veterans Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster. However his best-laid plans almost went awry when his superstar Kobe Bryant was charged with rape and became a cautionary example of athletic ego run amok. Now, every game produces a verdict. There is a winner and a loser. And as jetlagged Bryant (flying from game to Colorado courthouse and back again) lifted the Lakers to victory over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2004 NBA playoffs two weeks ago, one might be tempted to conclude that he has tapped heretofore unknown reserves of athletic talent. But in an era of continuing scandals from all ranks of organized sports, fans are hard pressed to find durable heroes. This season, millions of eyes turned again to the surprise role model of last year…Yao Ming. At 7-foot-5, this Chinese giant was hard to ignore. But even harder to overlook were the wisdom and professionalism he has brought to the game of basketball. The first international player to be the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick, Yao faced enormous expectations on both sides of the Pacific. Therefore he cautioned supporters and skeptics, “Respect is something you earn, not something someone gives to you.” Quickly Yao won over teammates and opponents alike with his down-to-earth personality as much as his dependable performance. In awe, ESPN The Magazine remarked that Yao's refreshing attitude “blows through the NBA like a blast of fresh air into a collapsed mine shaft.” Perhaps this was because Yao's words and deeds are rooted in the eternal wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy. Credited for founding Taoism two millennia before, Lao Tzu advised, “When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” Second to only the Bible in the number of translations throughout history, Lao Tzu’s book the Tao Te Ching has been a spiritual pillar of Asian culture. Meaning “the Way,” the Tao is symbolized by a circle divided into two complimentary halves, the black Yin and the white Yang. Representing the cycle of life, these “opposites attract” and show how an individual should live a life in balance. In his chapter “The Tao of Basketball,” Phil Jackson wrote that his trademark triangle offense was “five man tai chi” since “it’s based on the Taoist principle of yielding to an opponent’s force in order to render him powerless. The idea is not to wilt or act dishonorably in the face of overwhelming force, but to be savvy enough to use the enemy’s own power against him. If you look hard enough, you’ll find his weakness.” Coming to America, Yao embodied these principles as he kept an even keel in the face of an imposing culture clash. “It is hard to pick out the one part that has been the hardest," he said. "I've had ups and downs like the waves of the ocean." Revitalizing the ritual of the media interview, Yao often perplexed the press: “Sometimes the hardest challenges are easier than the more difficult ones.” Reporters snickered. But as Lao Tzu counseled, “Begin the greatest task in the world, while it is still small…That is why the Sage alone regards everything as difficult and in the end finds no difficulty at all.” Yao’s controversial confrontations with Shaquille O’Neal were no exceptions. Their January 17, 2003 matchup and then running debate over who deserved to be the All-Star game’s starting center drew international attention. Afterwards, a chastened Shaq still bragged that he was top dog: “I took it away from Hakeem Olajuwon a couple years ago when he decided to leave, so now it's mine. And you have to outplay me at least a couple years before I give you the M.D.E. [Most Dominant Ever] title.” Surviving these and other bouts, however Yao maintained both his poise and perspective. “I hope I am a good textbook. It seems to me I am here to do more than play basketball,” he said. So in his second season, Yao helped the Rockets make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Though they made an early exit this year, Yao has laid the foundation for his team’s future success. Phil Jackson wrote, “What I’ve learned as a coach, and parent, is that when people are not awed or overwhelmed by authority, true authority is attained, to paraphrase the Tao Te Ching.” Standing out in the midst of sports cliches and falls from grace, a 23 year-old Asian center has become not only a cultural bridge between East and West, but also a beacon to those who believe that success is a journey and not a destination. Oliver Chin is the author of the book "The Tao of Yao: Insights from Basketball’s Brightest Big Man" (www.taoofyao.us) Tell us what you think about this article. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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