BREAKING: Yao Ming is Retiring

rvpals · Jul 8, 2011

I'm sad by the news. Such a classy person and great player. Unfortunately, his body is just too big to handle the stress of seasons and offseason works. One of the most professional, humble athlete, dedicated to the team and works very hard.

J.R. · Jul 8, 2011

Wojnarowski/Yahoo Sports: Yao leaves lasting impact on NBA

Remember Yao Ming(notes) on that Olympic night three summers ago, grimacing, hobbling off the floor, a fist finally thrust straight into the air to say simply: I did it. Here was the start of the Olympic Games, and basketball’s seminal figure, 7-foot-6 and falling apart, had gone the distance for the sport.

From the Chinese government and sports machine, to David Stern’s NBA, to the American basketball icons Kobe Bryant(notes) and LeBron James(notes) across the floor on that night in Beijing, Yao had pushed and pushed until his body betrayed him. This was the summer night in 2008 when his worlds collided, and everyone could see the magnitude of the connection that he created between East and West, between basketball’s yesterday and its tomorrow.

Finally, Yao has decided he’s done with the comebacks, done with the endless rehabilitations of his reconstructed left foot. Yao Ming’s decided to retire, sources told Yahoo! Sports on Friday. He leaves the game a conquering hero, a forever figure in the sport.

He’s 30 years old, played parts of nine seasons in the NBA, and yet he’ll remembered as a historic icon. In a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame full of political appointees as ‘contributors’ to the game, Yao deserves enshrinement for a global impact perhaps impossible to measure. You can’t write the history of basketball without Yao Ming, and that’s why his legacy ought to someday be recognized in Springfield.

So many others reaped the riches of his journey, and Yao lived with the consequences of carrying a burden too big for even this gentlest of giants. Yao was one of the most talented, refined and dominant centers to ever play, but his lower body couldn’t withstand the game’s grind, especially that of a Chinese basketball federation that overworked and overused him.

Yao had come back too soon from foot surgery in the summer of 2008, and it was clear the moment he walked into the arena to play Team USA that night. These were his Games, his creation, and the reason this gathering of global icons in China promised to transcend the American stars and the American game. Most of all, Yao had an incredible will, a humble, self-deprecating wit and a persona perfect to play the part of franchise star and ambassador.

“Yao was trying to do what no man his size had ever done before: Be the No. 1 option on a really good team,” former Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy told Yahoo! Sports on Friday. Van Gundy was emotional on the phone, subdued, because Yao is probably the man he admires the most in the sport. “People forget that when Dwight Howard(notes) and he were young, that was a mismatch. An utter mismatch. Yao scored on him at will. Give Howard credit, because he’s gotten a lot better, but there’s no doubt if Yao had remained healthy, he’d still be the best center in basketball.”

Looking back, Yao never should’ve played for China in those Olympics, but he considered it an obligation. China needed its biggest star to carry that flag into the opening ceremonies and be there for the center jump with Kobe, Howard and Chris Paul(notes). He wasn’t in shape to play well that night, but it spoke so much of his character that he was willing to look bad on the stage out of duty, responsibility. ... Before Team USA crushed China, there was a moment with Yao. Before a basket had been scored, he stepped back behind the 3-point line and delivered a long, true shot. The arena erupted, and even the Americans found themselves enamored in the moment. As much as anyone, Yao Ming always defied range and reach.

“I felt honored to be there watching that,” Paul said. “It felt like a storybook when he hit that shot.”

There was never a storybook ending for Yao Ming, who ultimately crumbled from the weight of his incredible gift, his unprecedented burden. Someday, he belongs in the Basketball Hall of Fame because his won’t simply be a story of what could’ve been. Just take a look around the world now, to the Far East and back, and you’ll understand the unparalleled part Yao Ming played in what is and what will always be. The game’s great giant, his body battered, finally sits down now. His work’s done, and it will last forever.
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verti89 · Jul 8, 2011

Good game sir, it was a pleasure while it lasted. Best of lucky to you in your future.

Deckard · Jul 8, 2011

What a depressing moment. :-(-

saleem · Jul 8, 2011

It's one of the saddest days in Houston Rockets history. Yao Ming will always be a hero to me. If he had been healthy,we could have done much better over the years. He could have been a big part towards a championship,if he had a true superstar and a strong surrounding cast along with him.

I wish him and his family, best wishes for the future. I hope he will remain associated with the Rockets some time down the line. He can become a big man coach with some experience.

RV6 · Jul 8, 2011

Anyone want to start a favorite Yao move thread, with poll? The behind the back dribble against Portland should be one choice....what else? the ratliff dunk comes to mind, but that's not really a "move". It's been so long i can't even recall what Yao has done

VanityHalfBlack · Jul 8, 2011

Damn this one hurts like hell.... Is this a sign for good fortune to come, please....

qiankun · Jul 8, 2011

Have been watching Yao playing ever since his first pro game with Shanghai Sharks. Thanks for all the joys and inspirations you brought, on court and off court. Best wishes to you and your family!

Carl Herrera · Jul 8, 2011

leebigez said: ↑

I felt like he was done 3 yrs ago, but this makes it official. Great guy and teammate an d great example for other. Hopefully he continues the work and fullfills whatever other goals he has in life. Thx for everything.
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3 years ago, as in July 2008?

J.R. · Jul 8, 2011

Mannix: Yao's legacy tough to quantify

He came to the United States shrouded in mystery, a 7-foot-5 basketball phenom from a part of the world that had not produced many. No player, not Daryl Dawkins, not Shaquille O'Neal, not Kevin Garnett, entered the NBA with more pressure, the kind that can only come with the expectations of 1.3 billion people riding on your slender shoulders. As time goes by the career of Yao Ming, who sources say has decided to retire, will be scrutinized and dissected under the social media microscope but his contributions to the game will never be forgotten.

It's easy to forget just how good Yao was when a troublesome left foot robbed him of all but five games in the last two seasons. But at his best, Yao was as smooth and polished as they come. In the first week of his rookie season with the Rockets, TNT analyst Charles Barkley famously told Kenny Smith he would kiss his backside if Yao scored 19 points in a game, a debt Barkley paid up on (sort of) two weeks later. Yao averaged 13.5 points in his first year and increased his scoring average over each of the next four seasons. He finished like a center, shot jumpers like a forward and swished free throws (83.3 percent for his career) like a guard.

"He was so big and so mobile in the post," said Mavericks forward Caron Butler. "And he had that jump hook that was just impossible to block."

It's just as easy to consider Yao's time in Houston a failure, and that criticism is valid. The Rockets never measured up to the high expectations (and payroll) they had during the Yao Era. Chronic foot trouble -- an all too familiar problem for men Yao's size -- interrupted too many seasons late in his career. He was drafted, developed and signed to a five-year, $75 million deal in 2005 with an expectation of winning and Yao, thanks largely to his fragile foot, failed to deliver.

But what Yao gave to the game can't be measured in wins and losses, points or rebounds. China was relatively uncharted territory for the NBA back in '02. Yao was the league's way in. Deals with CCTV, Shanghai TV, Beijing TV and others were quickly cut, exposing the NBA -- and its merchandise -- to hundreds of millions of people eager to embrace it. They signed sponsors, conducted clinics and began playing preseason games in the country's major cities. Yao's face was everywhere in China and the NBA milked every possible marketing opportunity from it.

"America is learning things about the Peoples' Republic of China," David Stern once said. "And a lot of people in China are learning about America through him." Indeed, Yao made China cool. His Visa commercials ("Can I write a check?") were brilliant and his Apple spot with Verne Troyer was a huge hit. His quiet, humble nature made him likeable and the grace and class with which he conducted himself in front of the media made him respected.

This is the legacy Yao leaves behind. He created a bridge where none existed and introduced many in two countries to cultures they may not have been familiar with. He made millions for himself, yes, but in singlehandedly opening the Asian market to the NBA he made so much more for others. The NBA office in China is the league's most valuable foreign asset, a truth for which they have Yao to thank.

The next referendum on Yao will come in five years, when the Basketball Hall of Fame will likely put his name on a ballot. On paper, Yao's numbers (19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds per game in eight seasons) don't measure up. Spencer Haywood, Bernard King and Mel Daniels have credentials as good or better than Yao's and they are still on the outside looking in. But what Yao has done for the game cannot be quantified, cannot be judged on a piece of paper. Yao wasn't the first Chinese citizen to play in the NBA, but he was unquestionably it's most important. There should be a place in the Hall to recognize that.
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cookies18 · Jul 8, 2011

He is the reason why I got into Basketball and the Rockets. Im gonna miss the Big Man. As an Asian, this hurts a lot.

Almu · Jul 8, 2011

I feel sad today.

Sad that he had to retire and sad that we got another 5-7 years of probably not seeing another championship around here.

Damn good man...what could of been.....

Dreamin · Jul 8, 2011

Man this is so sad.

jocar · Jul 8, 2011

What a damn shame. Most skilled center the league has seen since the Dream. This guy deserved a ring.
On to greener rice fields.. GL whatever you do Yao, u'll always be an H-town Rocket to me!

Hou_rox · Jul 8, 2011

I'll miss the big fella even more when they show him on the big screen at Rockets' games and everyone cheers.

J.R. · Jul 8, 2011

Updated story with some quotes from current/former Rockets and Shaq.

Yao appeared to be nearing his peak when he averaged 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds over 77 games in the 2008-09 season. But after helping lead the Rockets past the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, he broke his left foot in a tough series with the Los Angeles Lakers. Yao underwent a complicated surgery – similar to the one that saved the career of Miami Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas – and missed all of the next season. He never truly regained his form, lasting just five games last season before suffering another stress fracture.

“A career is almost like a car race,” Yao told Yahoo! Sports’ Marc Spears in March 2010. “You push the gas to see how good the car is. It takes time to get from zero to 100 miles [per hour]. This is the same thing. You don’t want to hit a hard brake. This is a hard brake for me. If you want me to start up again, you probably need me to take some time.”

The injuries kept Yao from ever fully reaching his potential – and prevented the Rockets from continuing to build off their success in 2009.

“If he was never injured, he would have been one of the greatest centers ever,” said Rafer Alston, a point guard for the Rockets from 2005-09. “You can’t guard him. You had to foul him. He’s 7-6, so he has a height advantage. He had the jump hook over the shoulder.

“If he was healthy we would have gone far. He would have been one of the greatest centers of all-time if he was healthy.”

The Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady prior to Yao’s third season in the league, hoping to give their center a superstar complement. Injuries to both, however, limited the Rockets to just one playoff series victory in their tenure together.

“I feel very honored to have not only played with one of the greatest big men in our league, but to also call him my friend,” McGrady said. “I wish Yao continued success in all his ventures in life.”

The Rockets traded McGrady midway through the 2009-10 season after acquiring Kevin Martin. Martin played just five games with Yao before Yao’s latest injury.

“I wanted to have an opportunity like Steve Francis and T-Mac [to play with Yao], but, unfortunately, that won’t happen,” Martin said.

Yao’s work ethic and sense of humor endeared him to teammates and opponents alike.

“Yao was one of the greatest people on earth, so it wasn’t selfish [for him to retire],” Alston said. “He was one of the hardest-working guys. He was about the team.

“He didn’t like the spotlight. He just liked being around the guys.”

The NBA loses one of its few remaining star centers with Yao’s retirement. Shaquille O’Neal, a rival and friend of Yao’s, ended his 19-season career in June.

“Yao will definitely be missed,” O’Neal said in an email. “He is in my mind one of the best centers ever to play. He is the one of the greatest athletes ever to come out of China, and I will miss him.”

Rockets forward Chuck Hayes is in China as part of a promotional tour for a Chinese shoe company. He had lunch with Yao last week, but they didn’t discuss Yao’s health or future. He heard about Yao’s plans to retire when he awoke Saturday morning.

Hayes is one of many Rockets who have benefited from Yao increasing the NBA’s popularity in China.

“What has he done for the game? Because of him I’m in China now doing promos,” Hayes said. “He will still be involved in the NBA. He’s a global icon.”
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Zfan · Jul 8, 2011

Great player retired. Finally we have something to talk about in this lockout season.

delta69er · Jul 8, 2011

I remember myself in 2002, a 10 year old Chinese kid who had just moved to Houston after living the first 7 years of my life in Shanghai, China, when I found out that Yao Ming was drafted #1 by the Houston Rockets. This man not only gave me inspiration to get on the basketball court, but his work ethic to this day impacts the way I live my life. To Yao, I give the ultimate props as a basketball player, a professional, and ultimately, as a genuinely great human being.

hust · Jul 8, 2011

thx for all the best memories, YAO

tmac · Jul 8, 2011

Sad news for someone who was a great player and a likable guy. The best at his position when healthy, no doubt.

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