This is officially GREAT!!! news!!! http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Rockets_center_inching_closer_-213339-34.html During halftime of Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors, Rockets center Yao Ming had a routine check-up on his right knee and was informed by the team's doctor that he could return to the practice court. He wondered aloud whether he might make a more immediate appearance on the hardwood. "The doctor told me last night, 'OK, you can start practice (Thursday),'" Yao said. "I said, 'How about the next 24 minutes?'" Unsurprisingly, the medical staff didn't clear the Rockets star center for the second half. That's not to say he isn't getting closer to his highly-anticipated return. Nearly 11 weeks after fracturing his right tibia against the Los Angeles Clippers, Yao returned to practice Thursday afternoon without any limitations. He participated in full-contact drills, battling Dikembe Mutombo and Jake Tsakalidis in the paint. Yao jokingly told the media after the workout that he was most surprised by his ability to "go coast-to-coast dribbling past five people for a slam dunk." Team doctors haven't pinpointed when the the 7-foot-6 center will return to game action, but he almost certainly won't be on the floor when the Rockets visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. Still, the big man finished his first practice in months feeling like he wasn't too far away from getting back in the lineup. "It's hard for the first day, but it went better than I thought it would," Yao said. "It was another step closer to playing." The Rockets (35-22) could certainly use a lift from the big fella. Despite mostly playing well since Yao has been out of the lineup, the Rockets have suddenly hit a rough patch. Houston has dropped four of its past six games and has been outrebounded in six consecutive performances. Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has been disappointed with the tenacity of his big men on the glass of late. Van Gundy would like to be playing Yao sooner rather than later since the center has been cleared for practice, but said he understands why others will determine when the center comes back. "He did alright," Van Gundy said of Yao's first practice. "I don't really understand why he's able (to participate in contact practices) and not play (in a game), but it's not for me to decide. Nor should it be. It's up to the doctors and Yao." Van Gundy added that Yao is still hesitant about wearing a knee brace. "He doesn't want to play with it so it seems like it's a little bit of a stalemate right now," Van Gundy said. The positive sign is that Yao feels like he is in good shape. During the past month, the Rockets center has been working with the team's training staff and showed up Thursday in fairly good condition even though he hasn't played an NBA game in two months. While the center isn't sure how his leg will react once he returns to game action, Yao said he was surprised by his energy level in his first full practice. Asked about battling his new teammate in practice, Tsakalidis said Yao held up well. "He was very good for his first practice back (since the injury)," Tsakalidis said. "He wasn't too tired during practice." The Rockets star center was in the midst of his best season when he went down against the Clippers. He is averaging a career-best 25.9 points per game to go along with 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. How soon could Yao be dominating the paint again? "I don't know," Yao said. "The knee is very important for a basketball player and I don't know if it's going to bother me in a live game. Practice and a game are still different." He's at least getting closer to finding out.
this is great news...makes me feel good that he is scheduled to come back in the near future since we are starting to slump a little.
Well, with doctors' permit, Yao Ming practiced even without wearing his brace. Yao ming pointed to his knee and joked to the reporters: "See? The king is wearing his new cloth !!" (referring to the famous fairy tale)......... But he said afterwards, when he returns to court, he has to wear the brace.
Man, this is great news! Just when the Rockets desperately need a pick-me-up, here comes the big fella!
Well, he has to wear the brace, no matter how much he dislikes the brace, or how the brace limited some of his speed.....That is what the doctors suggested, and it has not changed.
How da you know ?? It is MORE about his tireless weight-lifting, rope-jumping, jogging, and other strength and conditioning exercises than just the Alter-G treadmill thing.
I don't really understand why he's able (to participate in contact practices without the brace) and not play (in a game without it), but it's not for me to decide. Nor should it be. It's up to the doctors and Yao.
IMHO, it is all about the intensity of the physical contact. Team practice is team practice....i.e. team mates still play with some reservation.....unlike the real-life actions against real opponents. So he could do it without the brace in team practice, but he should wear it in real life action for protection/precaution purposes.
On the video interview Yao stated that it was up to Coach and Doctors in order for him to start playing and here in the interview JVG states that it is up to Yao and Doctors, so who is going to decide??
