"The Franchise" Steve Francis was the most dynamic and cunning little guard of the early 2000s. To this day, although Fu Laoda has never been as well known or recognized as the four major shooting guards of "Comai Aika", in such a specific period and those two seasons, Chinese fans were more willing to believe that he was 
Yao Ming The influence of
In 2002, Francis became the cover character of the famous basketball game NBA LIVE. In the same year, he was selected into the All-Star Western Conference starting lineup. However, in terms of Rockets record, Francis missed many games this season due to injury, and the Rockets also entered the offseason ahead of schedule with a record of 28 wins and 54 losses.
There are always positive factors in any negative thing. The good news is: the Rockets have an 8.9% probability of winning the No. 1 pick, and their good luck has come - the Counterattack Warriors and Bulls each have a 22.5% probability. In the end The Rockets used the No. 1 pick to acquire Yao and hundreds of millions of fans in China.
In 2021, Francis talked about the feeling of playing with Yao Ming on the Knuckleheads podcast and Yao Ming's impact on the globalization process of the NBA.
"I think from my point of view, (being teammates with Yao Ming) is almost like meeting a rock star... To me, it means a lot - I learned to be humble and patient, because like Yao Ming, he has a lot of people behind him. In a country, everyone's expectations are on his shoulders. I hope he will become a pioneer in Chinese basketball and help basketball fans build confidence to break down various barriers. "
" If you go to China, the basketball atmosphere is extremely strong. , every corner, day and night, imitating some basketball players. All of this stems from Yao Ming's first step. "
Steve Francis, Knuckleheads Podcast
This is indeed the case, because of Yao Ming's existence. The NBA has quickly opened up the market in China, and every basketball fan has their own favorite star or home team. Of course, the most popular ones are Yao Ming and the Rockets - the weekend with the live broadcast of the Yao Ming and Rockets game is different from ordinary days.
Franda and the growing Chinese giant
Franda was also surprised by Yao Ming's sobriety in his rookie season. Although he was surrounded by spotlight and had flowers and was even more doubtful, Yao Ming was very calm. In the first game against "Big Shark" O'Neal, Dayao showed a strong performance of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks. Although he did not gain the upper hand, the team defeated the Lakers 108-104 and won the game. Gain the respect of your opponent.
In this game, Freddie scored a career-high 44 points. In the last 20 seconds of overtime, he deflected a pass from Kobe and Yao Ming dunked to seal the victory.
The Rockets had good chemistry and a family atmosphere. In the 2003 All-Star Game, both Fulton and Yao Ming were selected as starters in the Western Conference. The Rockets improved greatly this season to 43 wins and 39 losses, but they still failed to catch the last train of in the playoffs.
In the second year (and the last year) when Fred and Yao Ming partnered, the head coach was replaced by "brother-in-law" Van Gundy . Coach Van Gundy Jr. attaches great importance to defense and half-court position, and lacks tactical flexibility and player potential exploration - players can only adapt to his tactics and cannot express their individuality, which is undoubtedly detrimental to famous stars or potential rookies. (So the Rockets' ball is not good-looking: there is a lack of energy on the court, and there is even some constipation)
Florida's technical style obviously does not conform to the head coach's system. In the 2003-04 season, Florida's statistics declined seriously. Although he won a playoff spot, he was very poor. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers 1-4, Freddie was traded to Orlando at the end of the season, and the Rockets also entered the Yao-Mai chapter.
came to Houston as the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft. During the two seasons with Florida, Yao Ming adapted to the environment on and off the NBA court. These two seasons also witnessed Yao growing into the core of the team.
Francis is like a big brother who gives spiritual strength and supports young people when they encounter difficulties. Just like Francis' nickname "The Franchise" in the Rockets, it sounds like he can protect his family.
In his five years with the Rockets, he averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.63 steals in 374 games.
(Text/Jiuxiangguan, Sports¤Reading¤New Knowledge)
