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Fans familiar with Yao Ming know that after going through a relatively green rookie season, Yao Ming rarely found himself at a disadvantage when facing Shaquille O'Neal again.
In the 2003-04 season, during the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers faced off against the Rockets. Although the Lakers easily defeated the Rockets 4-1 to advance, the showdown between O'Neal and Yao Ming was quite evenly matched.
Over the 5 games, O'Neal averaged 16.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 51.5%. Yao Ming averaged 15 points and 7.4 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 45.6%.
Judging from the statistics, O'Neal still had a slight edge over Yao Ming. However, Karl Malone performed well in this series, averaging 18 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, which created significant problems for Yao Ming, who had to take on the task of protecting the basket.
Moreover, O'Neal, who had been dominant in previous playoff seasons, averaged only 16 points per game against Yao Ming. This fact alone is enough to highlight Yao Ming's impact.
People said that O'Neal was getting old during the 2003-04 season, but why did O'Neal still manage to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game against Tim Duncan of the Spurs in the second round, Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, and Ben Wallace of the Pistons in the Finals?
CCTV naturally broadcasted the entire Christmas game between the Lakers and the Rockets.
In the studio, the two commentators responsible for covering the game were in place. As soon as the equipment was turned on, they immediately displayed professional smiles on their faces.
"Hello, viewers, and welcome to the 2003-04 NBA regular season. Today, we bring you a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. As we all know, December 25th is Christmas Day in the United States, and the NBA has always had a tradition of hosting Christmas games..."
Coach Yu spoke to the camera, explaining to the audience the significance of this Christmas battle.
Meanwhile, viewers saw the players from both teams warming up on the court, along with Wang Chong and Yao Ming chatting and laughing together.
"Oh, we see that Yao Ming is chatting happily with Wang Chong. I believe those familiar with the NBA already know who Wang Chong is, but I still want to introduce him to new viewers. Wang Chong is a Chinese American who entered the league through the 2003 draft as the 13th pick in the first round. He is the highest-ranked player with yellow skin in NBA history, apart from Yao Ming."
"Wang Chong has certainly lived up to his draft position. He has been outstanding, averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds per game in his rookie season. Last year, Yao Ming averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in his rookie season. However, their positions and playing styles are different, so it's hard to make a direct comparison."
"Today's Christmas battle can be considered a Chinese derby in a certain sense..."
The Lakers' starting lineup remained unchanged: Payton, Kobe, Wang Chong, Malone, and O'Neal.
The Rockets' starting five included Yao Ming, point guard Steve Francis, shooting guard Cuttino Mobley, small forward Jim Jackson, and power forward Kelvin Cato.
During the jump ball phase, O'Neal finally faced an opponent who had no height disadvantage.
In today's league, there are only a few centers taller than O'Neal (2.16 meters), and Yao Ming (2.26 meters) is one of them.
When the referee threw the basketball into the air, Yao Ming successfully won the jump ball with his height advantage.
Yao Ming is not only one of the few players taller than O'Neal in the league, but he's also one of the few, if not the only, inside players capable of matching up with O'Neal during this period.
This is not meant to be a compliment to Yao Ming.
While O'Neal was nearing the twilight of his career at this point, Yao Ming was the only center in the league who could go back and forth with him.
Of course, this excludes Tim Duncan. Although Duncan often plays as a center for the Spurs, his official position and his selections have always been at power forward (PF).
The duel between O'Neal and Yao Ming was hyped by the media before the game, so naturally, the two clashed from the start.
First, it was Yao Ming, who took a mid-range jump shot. O'Neal simply didn't have the mobility to contest it, only able to watch Yao Ming, who had a soft touch, make the basket.
However, when the ball possession switched, O'Neal wasn't to be outdone. He attacked hard in the paint, muscled Yao Ming out of the way, and scored a one-handed dunk.
During this period, Yao Ming had already begun bulking up under the guidance of coach Jeff Van Gundy, who favored traditional heavyweight centers. Yao's weight reached about 140 kilograms. Although he didn't look very strong for his height, his ability to withstand contact had improved significantly. However, this still wasn't enough against O'Neal. Yao Ming's footwork was still quicker than it would be after fully transitioning to a heavyweight center in the future. With his range for mid-range shots, he had enough firepower to counter O'Neal.
While the two top-tier big men were battling under the basket, the Lakers' and Rockets' perimeter players were also waging war.
The Lakers' key player on the outside was, of course, Kobe.
The Rockets' core player on the outside was Steve Francis.
Facing Payton, known as one of the best defensive players, Francis was fearless. He continued to attack the paint, scoring repeatedly after screens set by Yao Ming.
Kobe, however, had a cold shooting hand, failing to make any of his three consecutive shots.
Seeing this, Phil Jackson decisively adjusted his tactics and shifted the offensive focus to Wang Chong.
The Lakers have such an advantage now. Even when Kobe's performance is inconsistent, they always have Wang Chong, who is as steady as a rock with his mid-range shooting, providing a reliable backup. With a proven set of pick-and-roll tactics, no matter who the opponent is, they're often left helpless.
The Rockets were no exception.
After Wang Chong set a screen for Payton, he went directly in the opposite direction towards the free-throw line. When Payton passed the ball back to him, Francis, who was guarding Wang Chong, looked up at the 2.09-meter-tall player raising his long arms and was left speechless.
"Swish!"
With no real defense on him, Wang Chong made a smooth mid-range shot and immediately turned back to defend. Big F (Francis) couldn't help but ask Yao Ming next to him, "Are all players from your place this tall?"
Yao Ming opened his mouth, unsure of how to respond.
Compared to the U.S., basketball development in China was indeed relatively underdeveloped. Apart from the taller big men with good static talents, few others could stand out and have the opportunity to enter the NBA.
Before Yao Ming, the two Chinese players who successfully entered the NBA, Wang Zhizhi (Dazhi) and Mengke Bateer (Daba), were also inside players.
Wang Chong is actually an exception. Although he's 2.09 meters tall, he's a true perimeter player and a rare talent for China.
It's a pity... he is a Chinese American, not Chinese, so he can't join the Chinese national team. Otherwise, Yao Ming would have been more than happy to recommend Wang Chong for the national team and participate in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
End of this chapter
Note: I will continue uploading as promised 4-5 chapters every day until 100, after 100 1-2 per day, with stones, reviews, and collections I will upload more don't worry.