Will Pitino Ding-A-Ling For Ming

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

                          Inside the NBA
                          CNNSI
                          Posted: Tuesday  
                          May 11, 1999
                          03:01 PM

     
                          Eddie-fyin'

                          Charlotte's Eddie Jones has schooled doubters

                          By Jackie MacMullan
                          <snips>

                          Really Big Country:
                          Ming Travesty

                          NBA scouts and agents burn up big chunks of their T&E
                          budgets beating the bushes worldwide in hopes of
                          unearthing an unpolished gem with the one thing you can't
                          teach: size. That's why the announcement last week that
                          Evergreen Sports, a Cleveland-based sports-management
                          company, had signed 7'5" Chinese center Yao Ming sent
                          several general managers scrambling for their checkbooks.
                          Ming, who is 18 years old, played in a Nike all-star game
                          in Indianapolis last summer and piqued the interest of
                          scouts with his soft hands and touch. How well does Ming
                          move? "That depends on who you compare him to," says
                          Billy Knight, the Pacers' senior vice president of
                          basketball operations. "If you compare him to Gheorghe
                          Muresan, Ming's a ballet dancer."

                          The consensus among the NBA scouts was that with a few
                          more years of experience, Ming could become an impact
                          player. Mavericks assistant Donn Nelson, who has been to
                          China to watch Ming play, is certain he would be a
                          first-round pick in this year's draft. To be chosen,
                          however, Ming has to declare himself eligible for the
                          draft by May 16. As of Monday he hadn't. In fact, last
                          Friday, Ming told the Chinese media, "I am not thinking
                          about playing in the NBA. At least not now."

                          That was bad news for Michael Coyne, the president of
                          Evergreen Sports, who claims he has a signed agreement
                          with Ming to serve as his management consultant. Coyne
                          also says he has documents from Ming's Chinese team, the
                          Shanghai Sharks, releasing him from his contract.

                          League sources told SI that Ming was talked out of
                          entering the draft by both U.S. and Chinese basketball
                          contacts, who feel he needs more heft (he weighs 270
                          pounds) and more experience. There were also concerns
                          about Ming's deal with Evergreen. Two sources who have
                          read the contract say that it calls for over half of
                          Ming's earnings to go to Evergreen and the Sharks. The
                          agreement was forwarded anonymously to the players'
                          association, and sources there say executive director
                          Billy Hunter proclaimed it invalid because Coyne is not a
                          certified agent.

                          Coyne says Hunter has no jurisdiction over his deal with
                          Ming precisely because he's no longer an agent. Coyne
                          says he will provide comprehensive management services
                          for Ming, such as assisting him in arranging his
                          departure from China, helping him adjust to a new culture
                          and learn a new language, finding international tax
                          consultants for him and placing him with a certified
                          agent.

                          Coyne denies Ming backed out because of his contract with
                          Evergreen. "I think we disturbed the plans of bigger
                          powers here," says Coyne. He declined to say whether
                          those bigger powers were the NBA, the People's Republic
                          of China or an even more formidable force in sports,
                          Nike.

                          Of course it's also possible that Ming just wanted to
                          wait another year before going to work for Coyne.


                       
                          Issue date: May 17, 1999


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