Yao, Scola discuss deal for Artest

'I'm gonna be with him,' forward says of his new teammate

By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

July 30, 2008, 11:49AM

Elizabeth Dalziel AP
Yao Ming heard about the trade while he and Luis Scola were at a tourney in Nanjing, China.

NANJING, China — Half a world away, reaction to the news of the Rockets getting Ron Artest was a pair of Olympic thumbs working overtime.

Yao Ming and Luis Scola spent Wednesday morning furiously exchanging test messages and opinions after word of the deal broke out of Houston.

"For some reason, I like (Artest)," Yao said. "Because in the games we play against him, I hate him.
"When I text messaged with Luis, we talked about team chemistry. That's only what worries us.

"We worry about the new attitude to the team. We are adding talent to the team and we need that, but building team chemistry is important. This is not bad. I don't mean he is not welcome to Houston. But a new player always needs some time.

"Also, he was the biggest part of a team in Sacramento. He was a star player. We need more chemistry and more communication."

Yao and Scola are playing for their national teams in the FIBA Diamond Tournament, a  pre-Olympics tuneup before the scramble for the basketball medals begins on Aug 9.

Yao's Team China lost 67-55 to Australia, while Scola and Argentina had the day off. But the news from Houston put a jolt of excitement into the air.

"He's a good player. Why should I not be excited?" said Scola. "He brings defense. He brings talent. He brings athleticism. That's a lot."

Artest also brings plenty of personal baggage with him, his foray into the stands that touched off a riot at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich., being the lowlight of a turbulent-but-productive career.
"There's worry. Obviously, yes," said Yao. "We will think about it, of course. Hopefully, he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands.

"I haven't talked to Ron yet, so it's hard to say. I have to find a way to talk to him and see what we can do as a basketball team. He has a history. But we know he is a physical player. He is a good player. He really can help us. And Ron is on a contract year, too.

" I think Ron Artest is a good player if coach (Rick) Adelman can control the team well."
Scola said he wouldn't listen to old stories and gossip about Artest.

"I've never talked to him," Scola said. "I've played against him three times, four times that I remember. I don't know anybody that knows him personally. So I'm not gonna judge him for anything that I don't know.

"I'm gonna be with him. I'm gonna play with him through the whole season and then I'm gonna have my own opinion of him before God. I'm not gonna let myself be influenced by what anybody says about him. Because I just don't know him. All I know is him as a player."

Both players agreed that Artest could bring the missing edge to the Rockets' game that has been absent in the playoffs.

"If we could have played with the whole team for the whole season and we would have lost the way we did against Utah, I would probably think that way definitely," said Scola.

"I'm not really sure what would have happened if we had the whole team. I'm not saying that it's not true. It is probably true, but I'm not sure about it.

"It's always a help. Great players are always welcome. Hopefully, we will be able to make a good team out of everybody."

Yao thinks the Rockets, to use a poker analogy, are all-in for next season.

"I think it's kind of a gamble," he said. "Because we're getting rid of rookies this year and next year and we're getting an experienced player. That's a team that needs to win right now, not in the future.
"I think this team has no problem being a good team in the regular season. How good can we be depends on how we show up in the playoffs. It's very clear. The playoffs, we already know, are a different game. It's playing fundamentally. That's how Utah gets success two years in a row against us. I think, for some reason, Ron is that kind of person. He plays very fundamentally. Body up, physical, defensively, offensively."

While Tracy McGrady was at home in Houston talking up championship dreams, Yao was reining in his thoughts.

"I want to think about one step and one step," Yao said. "I know I'm 28 already. I don't know how many steps I can go. But still, one step and then another step. I hope I can get two steps at a time. That's my personality. I don't want to go too far with what I think. First, I want to win in the first round."