TRANSFORM-YAO!

How big is Yao Ming?

So big he has his own Transformer action figure.

IM CONFUSED!

I'm pretty sure it's just the 3rd week of the season and yet...why are tempers flaring, tension running high and fights breaking out?

Take this Rockets-Suns game. I know they have a history but come on! It's the third week!

WHEN YOU'RE 7FEET AND SIX INCHES TALL...

...is this still supposed to happen to you?

SOME OBSERVATIONS...

After day 2 of the NBA season:

HOW DID THEY DO IT? We saw how the new and improved Dwayne Wade made the Olympics his own personal playground. We've read how Michael Beasely has about a 40% chance of winning Rookie of the Year. We know Shawn Marion is one of the most versatile defenders in the league. We also know that the Knicks are dysfunctional, over paid, overhyped and have a new coach and a new GM. Their starting center and point guard from last year aren't even in the rotation.  So how in the hell did the Knicks beat the Heat?

THERE'S A NEW BIG THREE IN TOWN and they are from the Rockets. Yes, I saw how good the troika of Yao Ming, T-Mac and Artest can be and they are going to go deep in the playoffs, maybe even reach the Conference Finals. What scares me even more is that once they get Battier back, they can lock down the best SG's and SF's in the league from minute 1.

THE LAKERS ARE FOR REAL. That's two blowout games for you. Kobe hasn't even heated up yet. Pau, Bynum, Fisher and the rest of the gang have stepped up early. Trevor Ariza looks like he's going to be a monster this year and Chris Mihm looked good, making other teams even more wary of the surprisingly deep Lakers.

CHEERING FOR CHINA...

Last Sunday, I spent my evening at Nike's "The Commitment" basketball museum at the Fort. The food was good, the memorabilia was fascinating but that wasn't why I was there.

I was there to see the "Redeem Team" crush China. After all, the US has won over China by an average of about 40points in Olympic history...who's to say that this game was going to be any different?

Except that, it was different. From Yao Ming's first basket (a three pointer, no less, giving China a 3-0 lead) to a scrappy comeback from 21-28 to level it 29-all, to the Chinese fans roaring on even when the outcome of the game was long decided, it was indeed a historic moment for Olympic basketball.

Incidentally, I was cheering for China the entire time.