[FOX26] Yao Ming Says He is Not Ready For Hall of Fame Consideration Yet

It opens up a yet another debate on whether a player contributed enough to be eligible for immediate induction. I think they should keep it simple and just put a rule in place -- if you played professionally, you must be retired at least X years to be included in the HOF. Regardless of whether you're going in as a contributor, player, or whatever.

 

I'd go one up on you and say you shouldn't induct anyone until they're dead. It minimizes the possibility they'll later do something to embarass you.

Going back to Jordan, he'd probably be pleased if the HOF now wanted to give him a contributor accolade on top of his player induction. But, would he feel honored or snubbed if he had been nominated for it before being inducted as a player? Part of the calculus here is the uncertainty whether Yao could be inducted as a player. Is his honor really greater than Jordan's because it comes sooner? No, it's lesser because it doesn't recognize him as a player. Not all inductions are worth the same in honor, so why complain he's getting better treatment than Jordan? He isn't. This is a consolation prize.

In fact, could it be that Team Yao wants to defer this nomination to see if he can't get in as a player first?

 

Is it possible to be in the Hall of Fame twice? One for being a being contributor and the other for being a great player? If so I agree with you, MJ should be in it twice along with Magic, Bird, and a few others. But Yao not having to wait five years is no disrespect to anyone in the Hall. He's going in for his contributions to the game, not his on-court performance. Jordan, while contributing greatly to the game, was inducted based on performance.

 

Sorry, didn't see someone had answered you durvasa

 

I wonder if him being retired means he can have contact with organizational trainers etc?

DD

 

Real Man， Yao

 

Yeah, he's coming back.

 

NBA salary & Hof not his backup

big heart

 

Lol good question....if not though, if he were to ever consider coming back, getting opinions elsewhere other than Rockets doctors/staff could be a good thing :/

 

You make sense. But there's also a perception that the faster you get into the Hall, the greater the honor. That's why there's always these debates on whether a certain player deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

I think its smart on Yao's part to just avoid any potential controversy by declining this and waiting the same number of years as any other player would.

 

You have a lack of knowledge on how the basketball hall of fame works.

 

I don't think he's saying "No, I don't deserve it" but rather "I literally just retired." I feel like the people who nominated him are on a different page, rather than this being some crazy conspiracy about exploiting Yao's humility for PR.

 

You watch your mouth when you speak of him! He's DeVry educated!

 

Kobe and lebron are 1st ballet HOFs so they can have a different attitude cause they know they belong.

 

Jordan un-retired twice. Good thing he had to wait for 5 years.

On the other hand, I think NBA don't believe Yao would be induced as player 5 years later so they want to induce him now as contributer.

5 years is a long period, name would have been forgotten.

 

Yao honorable man no want special treatment.

 

Rockets have found their center.

 

SPLASH!

 

I really don't think the Yao phenomenon is going to be forgotten. If he's nominated as a contributor 5 years from now, I think he still gets in. Yao the player, on the other hand, seems to have already been forgotten. Seems half the board has reverted to thinking he's a stiff and forgotten the night-in night-out 20/10 player he was back before the injuries.

 

I don't think his career is over.