Yao Ming willing to end career in Houston
(Houston Chronicle)
Updated: 2004-09-24 15:47

If ever there was a day in which Yao Ming would have been tempted to plot his exit from Houston, this was it.

Anthony Falsone, Yao's demanding, thick 5-foot-7 shadow, had just pushed him and a small group of Rockets' players and hopefuls through a long, grueling workout at Rice Stadium.

Yao had spent much of his offseason hearing Falsone's commands when, while splashing sweat and gulping air, he was asked if he would like to play his entire career with the Rockets.

"I'd like to stay here," he said. "I like Houston's people. They've been nice to me. I'm lucky I'm not here in the summer."

Yao added that while every player would prefer to play for one team, he has seen how things change in the NBA.

But when asked if, assuming the Rockets want him through his career, if he would want to play for the Rockets, he said simply, "Of course."

"You know what," Yao said, "in China most players play for the same team for their whole life."

He even said he was so eager to remain with the Rockets, that he would want to play in Houston even if Falsone remains the strength and conditioning coach.

"Will that change?" Yao said. "I don't think so."

With that, the summer conditioning program had seemingly strengthened Yao's resolve as much as his biceps.

"The Rockets sent Anthony to China to keep my shape up," Yao said. "Also, he helped the national team. He was a big help for me.

"I'm beginning to understand this summer a player has to keep working and have a big step in the summer and not just lie down and relax and get out of shape. That's what Anthony has shown me."

Part of Falsone's mission to China was to teach those lessons.

But he said Yao was always willing to work. The work itself has brought Yao back to Houston at 309 pounds with 8 1/2 percent body fat and in much better condition than at the start of his career.

Sprinting into shape

That's the warmup.

After that, Yao, Clarence Weatherspoon, Tyronn Lue and Scott Padgett ran four 100-yard sprints, four 80-yard sprints, four 60-yard sprints and 12 40-yard sprints.

The workout then moved to the stadium steps ?10 repetitions running up and walking down the lower bowl of Rice Stadium.

"We're in preseason mode," Falsone said. "We're lifting probably about four days a week, sometimes five if we can. Conditioning is six days a week. We do track work twice a week.

"His program has always been different because with Yao, we never had a chance to work with him in the summertime. It's always been a program that gradually increased as the year went on.

"When he went back to China, there was not the chance to do the same kind of program we would do here. This year, I had a chance to spend three weeks with him and the national team, and then I went back for 12 days. We've had a better opportunity to do our work.

"Coach (Jeff Van Gundy) asked me if I was willing to do it, and hey, if coach asks me if I'm willing to do something, that's what I do. It's my time to pull the wagon a little bit. Coach, he and all the coaching staff, really pull it during the season. Offseason is my time, and I love working with Yao. I'll go to Antarctica if I have to."

Conditioning a constant

"We made big changes in the summer," Yao said. "For me, I think it's like another rookie year. Lots of things are happening that we don't know. But conditioning, practice, shooting practice, whatever, those are things we know. We can do it so we have to do it."

Many can say such things, but Yao had just completed the sprints in his first days back in the Texas heat, he even sounded at home.

"Today is barbecue my feet," Yao said. "It's pretty warm here. It's soft (turf), but it's heat.

"But we're from Texas."

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