The art of booing

Beijing Ducks were fined 110,000 yuan ($15,860) for uncivilized gestures from its fans during the first game of the CBA Finals. The rowdy crowd of more than 18,000 at the Mastercard Center spat out curses in chorus at the visiting S Tigers during the game, and some of them even threw drinks at the S Tiger players, who lost the game 108-101.

The Ducks were also warned of a possible shift of home court if similar scenarios occurred during the fourth game, as they held a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The spectators were urged to behave. But the hysteria was revived soon after. Instead of booing the S Tigers in Beijing dialect, which most frequently goes, "Shabi (Dumbass)", they found another way to unleash their excitement – chanting for Su Wei, starting center for the S Tigers.

"We want Su Wei!" roared across the area for nearly the whole game, after the 2.12-meter hunk played only 4 1/2 minutes in the first quarter and was benched for the rest of the game. The stat line was unimpressive as usual, as he missed all of his shots and hit neither of the free throws. Every time the big clumsy man made an unskillful move in the post and ended up missing a 2-foot right-handed hook shot, it was just regular entertainment for the crowd to laugh about.

The origin of the Beijing fans' malicious reaction to Su can be traced back to the first game, when he was engaged in trash talk with the beloved local hero Stephon Marbury - a business he seems to be good at.

So no wonder the chants from the stands. And of course, it must be devastating and extremely bitter for Su Wei, as he looked pale on the bench, with vacant eyes, and cracked an awkward smile when captured by the camera.

Adding more to Su Wei's pain, he was not even welcomed by many of S Tiger fans, especially when he squandered tons of easy layups and committed stupid fouls on the defensive end. In S Tigers' first two home games, he piled up 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting. The crowd burst into sighs of disappointment when they see those gawky signature moves from him time and time again.

If you count the fact that he is on the national team, it would probably be enough to make you jump out of your skin and question Bob Donewald, who watched Wednesday's game courtside, why he put Su Wei on the roster.

For me, the miracle of his spot on both the Guangdong and national teams somehow stands on firm ground. With Yao Ming's repeated injuries in the past three years and a kiss good-bye to the game last July, the national team has been desperate for a substitute. The 22-year-old Su is a combination of size and strength that is wanted by every team in need of a post presence.

He did have his flashes. In last year's CBA Finals, he pulled off quite an impressive effort on containing Mengke Bateer from the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, forcing a fair amount of turnovers from the former Most Valuable Player in the league, which was a key factor in S Tigers' seventh title in eight years, and, despite the lack of a soft touch, he is a solid rebounder with the use of his natural gifts

More in Su Wei's defense, unlike most of his peers, he didn't pick up the ball until he was 15, when he was generally considered a national prospect in rowing. And he did not go pro until 2006.

The decision to shift his stage from water to hardwood is just another analogy for his game style: reckless, hard, slow but full of love and power.

To be fair, Su Wei deserved all the harsh comments because of his poor plays on the court. All he can do now is laugh it off and try to not be crushed by them. Just like what he wrote on his micro blog last night:

"Life is full of ups and downs, bitter and sweet moments. It will be more colorful if one experiences more. I thank those who enriched my life with their love and hatred. I will walk tall for the game and life. S Tigers have never been prone to complacency, and we will fight as a team, more united in hard times."

So, good luck to Su Wei and his S Tigers, who are trailing 3-1 in the finals, on Friday night.

Win, or go home.