In 1998 Yao Ming was first approached/pressured into entering the 1999 NBA draft. He declined, but eventually elected to enter the 2002 Draft and was taken with the first pick.
But, let’s say Yao enters the 1999 Draft after all…
With the #2 pick of the NBA Draft, the Vancouver Grizzlies select Yao Ming. After Chicago chooses Elton Brand with the first pick (as all NBA analyst predicted) some were surprised at Vancouver’s pick of Yao with the #2 pick. He was seen as a lock for the top ten, but few thought that he would be picked higher than Steve Francis or Lamar Odom and although most experts expected Vancouver to make a move on Yao, the common assumption was that they would trade down to the #4 pick with the LA Clippers to possibly sweeten the pot with a third round pick. However, pressure from owner Arthur Griffiths prompted GM Stu Jackson to err on the side of caution and select Yao with the #2 pick. Griffiths hoped that the selection of Yao could energize sagging attendance and perhaps attract the substantial Chinese-Canadian population in Vancouver to support the struggling basketball team. The plan worked beyond everyone’s wildest dreams. Yao-mania became a sensation in British Colombia, with season tickets selling out within a week of the draft. The Grizzlies surpassed the Canucks as the hottest ticket in town, and all talk of selling the team to an American group out of Chicago ended when the Grizzlies saw it’s attendance numbers skyrocket to the top of the league. Although the addition of Yao did not result in a negligible increase in the number of wins in the 1999-2000 season, with 29 and a last place finish. However, with the additional revenue, owner Arthur Griffiths was able to make more noise in the free agency market. Yao led the Vancouver Grizzlies to its first playoff appearance in 2002 and to its first NBA finals in 2005. Griffiths, who became an extremely popular figure in the Chinese-Canadian population in Vancouver, was elected to the Vancouver-Burrand riding in the provincial elections in 2008.
But, let’s say Yao enters the 1999 Draft after all…
With the #2 pick of the NBA Draft, the Vancouver Grizzlies select Yao Ming. After Chicago chooses Elton Brand with the first pick (as all NBA analyst predicted) some were surprised at Vancouver’s pick of Yao with the #2 pick. He was seen as a lock for the top ten, but few thought that he would be picked higher than Steve Francis or Lamar Odom and although most experts expected Vancouver to make a move on Yao, the common assumption was that they would trade down to the #4 pick with the LA Clippers to possibly sweeten the pot with a third round pick. However, pressure from owner Arthur Griffiths prompted GM Stu Jackson to err on the side of caution and select Yao with the #2 pick. Griffiths hoped that the selection of Yao could energize sagging attendance and perhaps attract the substantial Chinese-Canadian population in Vancouver to support the struggling basketball team. The plan worked beyond everyone’s wildest dreams. Yao-mania became a sensation in British Colombia, with season tickets selling out within a week of the draft. The Grizzlies surpassed the Canucks as the hottest ticket in town, and all talk of selling the team to an American group out of Chicago ended when the Grizzlies saw it’s attendance numbers skyrocket to the top of the league. Although the addition of Yao did not result in a negligible increase in the number of wins in the 1999-2000 season, with 29 and a last place finish. However, with the additional revenue, owner Arthur Griffiths was able to make more noise in the free agency market. Yao led the Vancouver Grizzlies to its first playoff appearance in 2002 and to its first NBA finals in 2005. Griffiths, who became an extremely popular figure in the Chinese-Canadian population in Vancouver, was elected to the Vancouver-Burrand riding in the provincial elections in 2008.
