The much-anticipated public audition by 7-foot-5 Chinese basketball star Yao Ming was overshadowed today by charges that Chinese officials are trying to influence the NBA draft by discouraging teams from picking him.
At issue is a private workout held by Yao for the New York Knicks on Tuesday and another similar workout scheduled with the Chicago Bulls for Thursday. Most NBA teams believed Yao, projected by some to be the No. 1 overall pick in the June 26 draft, would hold only one league-run workout, today in Chicago, that all teams could attend.
"I don't think teams should be blackmailed," said Jerry West, hired Tuesday as the Memphis Grizzlies' president of basketball operations. "We've had that before in the NBA with agents saying the player isn't going to play here or isn't going to play there. . . . You cannot do that . . . I think it destroys the integrity of the draft."
The private workouts surprised NBA officials and angered some teams denied similar requests by Yao's Chinese representatives, who earlier had expressed a desire for the player to wind up in a city with a large Chinese community.
"We asked [for a private workout] and they said they didn't have time to do that," said West, whose team has the third-best chance of securing the No. 1 pick when draft order is determined by lottery later this month. "The two teams that seem like there was enough time to do it for were New York and Chicago. It's no coincidence that they have large Chinese populations. I don't think there are a lot of Chinese in Memphis [.72 percent of the population, based on the 2000 census]. It would not send the right message to me [to be scared to draft him]. If he were available and that's who we wanted to draft, we would draft him."
Yao, 21, and the Chinese officials at the workout would not speak to the media, instead issuing a general statement by Yao thanking the NBA and expressing the hope that "I have not disappointed you with my performance today."
Washington Wizards General Manager Wes Unseld, who attended today's session with assistant general manager Rod Higgins, Director of Player Personnel Fred Whitfield and scout Wes Unseld Jr., was told by a reporter about Yao's private workouts. He then checked on Yao's availability later this week, but was told Yao would be traveling back to China Friday morning. He left the alumni gym at Loyola University without further comment.
Washington, with a large Asian population and the MCI Center located in Chinatown, is believed to be one of the cities where Chinese officials would not mind Yao playing. The Wizards have just a 7-in-1,000 chance at getting the top pick. If Washington does not land one of the top three selections at the draft lottery later this month, it would pick 11th.
Officials from other NBA teams were unhappy Yao was working out privately for only two teams, but they declined to speak publicly. Today's hour-long workout was expected to be teams' only look at Yao before the draft.
Any team that drafts a foreign player holds his rights indefinitely, according to NBA rules. But Yao wouldn't be the first player who tried to dissuade a team from picking him. The most well-known incident also involved the Grizzlies, who drafted Maryland guard Steve Francis second overall in 1999 against his wishes. Francis did not want to play for the Grizzlies, then located in Vancouver, and eventually forced a trade to the Houston Rockets.
It's difficult to assess how today's developments will affect this year's draft. Yao's draft position is already complicated by the possibility of some unique issues in contract negotiations. Not only is the Chinese government expected to take as much as half of Yao's salary, but it also might force him to report late to training camp or miss part of the season because of commitments to the Chinese national team. And Yao's club team, the Shanghai Sharks, is expected to take a cut of Yao's salary and could demand other compensation.
Despite all that, the possibility of landing a 7-5 star drew representatives from 26 of the NBA's 29 teams, including Miami Coach Pat Riley, and about 150 media members. It is believed to be the first tryout run by the league for an individual player.
Many observers walked away with positive reviews of Yao, who averaged 32.4 points in leading the Shanghai Sharks to the Asian Championship this season. Former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo ran Yao and three other players through shooting, passing and defensive drills.
"He was impressive," said a Wizards official who did not want to be identified.
Knicks Coach Don Chaney, among the team officials who worked out Yao on Tuesday, said: "I think he made an impression in terms of a guy that size being able to do the things he did out there. He's a very good shooter, seems to have a high skill level and has a feel for the game."
West agreed: "This guy is big but he is more of a finesse player at this point. In time I think everyone would like to see him play closer to the basket. He can shoot the ball out there and if you've got people who can get into the lane who can find him, not only will he probably make the shot, he can make a good pass."
Yao has never played more than 34 regular season games but showed shooting range, good footwork on both ends of the floor and decent athletic skills. The contact drills with 7-foot-2 Oregon center Chris Christoffersen were limited. Christoffersen pushed Yao away from the basket on a drive and blocked a feeble hook shot once.
"My goal was to have fun and make him look good," Christoffersen said. "I'm trying to get him into the league. That's what I'm here for."