I remember this game very well. The atmosphere is electric! Yao has three straight blocks on Shaq to start the game!
I'm pretty biased, but I would say both Yao and Shaq were the very best of their generation, and I think Hakeem was both the best of his and the best center of all time, or at least in the modern NBA.
I was there that night...it was a great night resulting with Barkley having to kiss a donkey's behind. I thought Yao deserved Rookie of the Year...Howard and Shaq always struggled playing against Yao.
See Shaq can be complimentary and normal, he should be like this on inside more. Tnx for sharing, that was great.
Yao was amazing, I really wish he would have given it one more try.....but I understand why he hung em up when he did. An all time Rocket great! DD
I never used to like Shaq, thinking he was too much of a blowhard, but he has always given players, especially other centers, their due. He said Hakeem was the best center in the NBA when they were both in the league, and here he is given Yao his due props. I think he's a lot more...hmmm, humble isn't the right word, I'm sure, but something similar...than he often makes out to be.
I never used to like Shaq, thinking he was too much of a blowhard, but he has always given players, especially other centers, their due. He said Hakeem was the best center in the NBA when they were both in the league, and here he is given Yao his due props. I think he's a lot more...hmmm, humble isn't the right word, I'm sure, but something similar...than he often makes out to be.
Yao always had Shaq's and especially Howard's number in games they played one another. It really showed how much of their game relied strictly on their size, power, and physicality. Saying that. Yao is vastly overrated and should be no where near a discussion of 'great' centers. He was very good and with his personality you just had to love him. I don't understand how anyone could have disliked the great wall of Yao. I was a big fan. However, he's highly overrated. I will also say, maybe he could have been great one day-- the foot problem hindered him during his prime, When he went down it was heartbreaking as he was playing the best basketball of his entire life. One thing that will always perplex me was the Rockets inability to acquire players who were consistently capable of passing the ball into the post. Seeing professional players unable to do that was comedic.. if I was a neutral fan, but as a Rockets fan it was damn insulting to have a really good post up center and not surround him with anyone outside of T-Mac that could pass into the post.
What a great piece. Love seeing Yao get the respect he deserves. As skilled of a true big man as you will ever see. Wish Yao was able to have a longer career, but I appreciate getting to be a part of its entirety.
What part of his number was overrated? He was dominant inside every game when healthy. He had trouble against smaller quicker Cs like Boozer, but killed the slow plow ones. Nukic would be destroyed by Yao today. In the end, when healthy, he and Tmac had a couple of runs in the playoff that just came a bit short. But, outside Shaq, in that era, Yao was the most dominant center. Not sure what do you mean by he is overrated? That those numbers he put was not real?
