1/

Liu: Yiming, you just mentioned competing for Rookie of the Year, is that your own goal?

YJ: It's kind of a bet I made with Coach Mike [D'Antoni]. I think he motivates the players to have their own unique set of things, and he knows very well the personality of each person, the style of play, and the dynamics of thinking. He will work out the corresponding tactics and objectives based on these things. For example, he sent me to the Development League, and he made a bet with me that I would score more than 100 points in three games. He knew that I had the introverted and humble character of the Oriental, and in order to stimulate the sharpness of playing, he resorted to this trick. I think it's the same thing as betting on the best rookie in the same way. A good NBA player must first have enough ambition, and with ambition, he will fight for it on the court. For example, James Harden, I think if he was content to be the best sixth man in the Thunder, behind Willis and Durant, there would be no league where it is today, and the Toyota Center would not have his MVP call.

Liu: So what's the bet between the coach and you?

Yang: Regular starting position. If I can get Rookie of the Year, Mike promises to start me next year.

Liu: Do you have confidence in yourself? Do you think it's more difficult for you to win the Rookie of the Year or James Harden to win the MVP?

Yang: Of course it's him (laughs). After all, the Rockets alone have Chris Paul and Clint Capela, both of whom compete with him for the MVP rankings. I won't have this kind of trouble, just focus on dealing with Brother Ball, Simmons, Tatum and them.

Liu: The Jazz's Donovan Mitchell has been on a rapid upward trajectory lately, and you just played against him yesterday, what do you think of him? Is it a threat to your target?

Young: I think his chances are very good, and Mitchell should be in an environment that all rookies would envy: no performance pressure, the team has a passer (Rubio), a veteran who can be a role model (Joe Johnson), a center who doesn't need much of the ball (Gobert), Mitchell is given unlimited firing rights, and this kind of team arrangement advantage is something that neither I, Simmons, nor Tatum can enjoy. So to say that you don't envy his current state is probably a lie.

Liu: You did a good job of restricting him in the last game.

Yang: Well, he probably didn't think of it either. Coach D'Antoni will have a small forward player to defend him as a shooting guard. My height still caused some disturbances for him. But you can see that he has a lot of confidence, and even if he is blocked, or misses, he will continue to shoot, and that's what I'm talking about when he stands out from other rookies. In time, he will surely grow into a leading scorer.

2/

Liu: Compared to Mitchell's scoring, Simmons' all-roundedness, Lonzo Ball's playmaking, it seems that you put your game more on defense, is this the coach's arrangement?

Yang: Not really. The Rockets' tactics themselves are a bit like the all-offense and all-defense in football. According to the coach's thinking, every player on the field needs to defend and also share the task of attacking. This is the only way to make sure that the opponent has no weaknesses to attack and no shooting points to give up, which is why you can clearly feel that even Harden, who was previously said to be eye-defending, is strengthening his defense this season - fans must stop being impressed that we are no longer a team that wins by scoring more points than conceding points. However, a team, even if it is full of offense and defense, will have a focus, such as James and CP3, may be more offensive, correspondingly, I think that as a newcomer, I can just do more on defense. That's actually why I'm trying to defend.

Liu: Your defensive performance is very good, especially in the area of blocking, do you have any special secrets to teach?

Yang: It's not convenient to say anything in front of so many audiences, hahaha. To be honest, there are no cheats, all the achievements of athletes are a little bit of talent, plus a lot of hard training. My prediction and second reaction are okay, and the rest was also developed by myself in the NBA. The NBA is the highest stage of basketball in the world, and the competition on this stage is so fierce, there must be something to gain a foothold. I'm glad that my capping skills are now recognized.

Liu: The term "recognition" seems a bit modest. You're now averaging 2.0 blocks per game, which ranks first among all rookies and is in the top 10 in the entire league, even higher than some centers. Especially since the away game against the Portland Trail Blazers, your blocks don't seem to stop, can you tell us a little bit about what happened?

Yang: I've become more focused. Like I said before, the atmosphere in our team is very good right now, everybody is doing their job. I used to think too much when I was on the court, trying to score, trying to shoot a three, and taking the time I had to show myself as much as I could. Now I focus more on the one thing of sealing, and I find that the effect has suddenly improved, and other things seem to come naturally. Other than that...

Liu: What else?

Yang: In addition, I would like to thank this domestic basketball smart wearable device company. The pro version of their equipment helps me better manage my blocking moves and understand my opponents' flaws. There are also some fan versions of their products, and I believe they can also help ordinary basketball lovers as much as I did.

3/

Liu: After talking so much, let's ask some more personal questions about you, which I believe are also the most concerned by the majority of Chinese fans. Do you usually play 2K? (laughs)

Yang: I can also play, and occasionally play against friends or teammates. But I'm a good eater, and I can't beat them.

Liu: Which team will you use? Team Rocket?

Yang: No, maybe it's because this generation hasn't made me into the game yet. Because I'm a dish, I usually pick the Warriors. I like to use Curry, all kinds of singles and strong three-point shots. In reality, there is no skill like his, so you can only enjoy it in the game.

Liu: What other hobbies do you have? Will it "eat chicken"?

Yang: I've beaten it, it's okay, but once I actually ate chicken, maybe it's luck. But I don't usually play games much, probably because I'm worried about my addiction. Go to the gym, watch the game analysis, and usually read books and kill time when playing away games.

Liu: What kind of books do you read?

Yang: There are a lot of them, and I like to read novels the most, and the plot is gripping. I will also watch some of the slightly more difficult ones, such as the recent reading of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series. In fact, I always thought that if I had the opportunity in the future, I would like to try writing a novel myself.

Liu: Yes, you can use your experience in the NBA as a model.

Yang: Yes, that's also an idea.

Liu: Do you have any idols in the league that you worship?

Yang: Kobe Bryant, who retired yesterday, must be counted as one. I've always been a fan of Little Emperor, and seeing him perform so well this year, I hope he can play like Kobe for 20 years, at least give me a chance to go head-to-head with him.

Liu: You've already played him head-to-head and blocked his killer ball. What does that feel like?!

Yang: Super excited. In fact, my whole body was shaking after the cap, and I felt that my hands were like burning charcoal, and they were so hot that they were red. After the game, James came over and hugged me. I'm really sorry, LeBron, I'm your fan, you're playing so well. He said to me, no, Yang, don't apologize, I didn't play well enough, you blocked my shot, that's a fact. We'll have another winner in the future. I still remember this scene very clearly, and every time I think about it, I feel my blood boiling.

Liu: Are there any other noteworthy Chinese players that you think will be able to appear on the NBA stage in the future?

Yang: First of all, of course, I hope that Zhou Qi will come back from injury as soon as possible, and I can compete with him. He's recovering quickly now, and it's possible that he'll be able to do confrontation training around New Year's Day. The first thing to do when playing in China is "Ding Foreign Aid", I think he already has the capital to gain a foothold in the NBA... It's a shame that he didn't stay with the Mavericks this summer, but grinding this year in the CBA should make him more prepared. In addition, I have played against him many times in the Xinjiang team, and from the games of all ages, I think he also has full potential to try it out in the NBA.

Liu: Okay, then Yiming, let me ask you one last question.

Yang: You say.

Liu: Your English name, Julius, confused many people for a long time when the Rockets were officially announced. Did you come up with the name yourself?

Yang: Not really. The name was given to me by my father, who was a fan of Dr. J (Julius Erving). He was an important person on my way to basketball. Without him, I probably wouldn't be where I am today... Before, you said that you would contact him and let him participate in this interview program, I don't know if it succeeded in the end?

Liu: I'm really sorry, we can't convince him to let him be on the show.

Yang: Hmm... I see, thank you.

Liu: Thank you for your time.

Yang: You're welcome, and thank you for your time.