The Rockets, however, were sold on Ming’s potential and his desire to achieve greatness, and took him on draft day. There was just one problem: Negotiations with the Sharks stalled. Shanghai’s hesitancy to strike a deal was partly due to bad blood that had surfaced between Bayi and Dallas over Zhi-Zhi. When the CBA requested that the seven-footer return home to play for the Chinese national team, the Mavericks didn’t exactly cooperate. The Sharks feared a similar situation might develop with Ming.
With Houston trying to work out a deal, Ming prepared to join China for the World Basketbal Championship, in Indianapolis. While the Chinese were again smoked by the competition, he stood out on both ends of the court. He averaged 21 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.25 blocked shots, shot an eye-popping 75 percent from the field, and was named to the all-tournament team at center.
From there, Ming, still unsigned by the Rockets, led China to the silver medal at the All-Asian Games. Finally, in October, he inked a deal with Houston. His contract—four years at $17.8 million—included a $350,000 transfer fee paid to the Sharks, and allows the CBA to call him back to China for international competitions. In addition, an estimated half of his salary goes to various Chinese sporting agencies.
The team Ming joined was on the rise. Though Houston finished a dismal 28-54 in 2001-02, most observers agreed that the Rockets had talent. Guard Steve Francis had blossomed into an All-Star, Cuttino Mobley was a proven 20-point scorer, and forward Eddie Griffin had loads of potential. Ming was the man who might just bring everyone together. Tomjanovich and Dawson were most excited about the pairing of their rookie center with Francis. The duo promised to provide a solid nucleus for years to come.
By the NBA All-Star break, it was safe to say that Ming and the Rockets had surpassed all expectations. The big man listened to his coaches, learned from his mistakes, and maintained his implacable demeanor as he improved on a game-by-game basis. Not that he wasn’t good from the get-go. Despite scoring just 20 points in his first six games (thus eliciting a chorus of “I-told-you-so’s” from his detractors) Ming displayed soft hands, good anticipation, and an understanding of how to do the little things when the big things weren’t happening. It was no coincidence that the Rockets notched four victories in those games. As Ming’s minutes increased, so did his numbers. He also learned how to deal with the in-your-face style of the league’s big men, and now punctuates his glides to the basket with a dunk and a hint of a smile.
It didn’t take long for Ming to turn in some outstanding games. In a 103-90 loss to Dallas, he collected 30 points and 16 rebounds. A month later he torched the Indiana Pacers with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in a 95-83 Rockets win. The biggest moment in his young NBA career came in a highly publicized January match-up with Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers. Six months earlier, Shaq had cracked wise about Ming and his Chinese heritage. Though the rookie brushed the remark aside, the media dredged it up before the game.
Ming opened the contest by blocking three of O’Neal’s shots and scoring on a jump hook, a layup and a turnaround jumper. Shaq ultimately won the battle with 31 points and 13 rebounds, but Ming won the war as the Rockets emerged with a 108-104 overtime victory. Ming sealed the deal with a dunk on a pretty passing sequence with Francis, who dropped 44 on L.A. The victory was the 23rd of the year for the Rockets, putting them a couple of months ahead of their previous season’s pace.
From there Houston entered into a battle with Phoenix for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West. The club received disheartening news in March when Tomjanovic was diagnosed with bladder cancer, but still kept