Les Alexander Net Worth:$80 million Team Value: $443 million Unless for some reason the guy owns less than 20% of the team, this does not compute.
21 pts 7 rebounds 5 assist 2 steals during the championship season and 20 pts 6 rb 5.5 assist 2 steals during the so call twilight years of his career. Better numbers that Yao's time here. Did I mention, he was the reason we won the second championship?
Drexler was here for less than 4 years and the only all-nba team he made with us came in 94-95 when he played more games for the Blazers than he did for us. Drexler may have had better numbers than Yao, but Yao had a greater impact. In any case, I don't think Drexler's jersey would've been retired had he not had all his ties to the city of Houston. Really? Did he win the finals MVP?
Even if its mostly for symbolic reasons, Drexler's jersey deserves to be up. As does Rudy T's and Murphy's. Drexler, Murphy and especially Rudy T have been a part of the franchise AFTER their playing careers, and have contributed BACK in a BIG way. They actually earned their distinctions POST-jersey retirement. As far as I'm concerned, that still counts. I'm thinking that will be the approach behind retiring Yao's jersey. I don't think thats the best reason to retire a jersey, simply to retain services of players. But Rockets have already gone that route. And if Yao's # 11 goes up, that will mean Vernon Maxwell's number is also going up
Yes, Rudy T, the magical 0 time All-NBA player was a "godfather" and clearly deserving of having his number retired. I'll stop "dragging" him when you stop making moronic arguments in a feeble attempt to counter logical arguments, kid. If Yao doesn't get in because he didn't do anything on the court, then Rudy T doesn't get in either, plain and simple. He did less.
I'd support retiring Yao's number for a variety of reasons. He brought in a bajillion fans and a bajillion dollars all while displaying humility, professionalism, and a work ethic that you just don't see these days, all in the face of constant doubters, naysayers, and even people throwing in a racial jibe here and there. He stood up, faced, up, and overcame every obstacle that didn't have anything to do with his feet. I have Dream-like levels of respect and admiration for Yao, I truly do. I don't think people really comprehend what Yao meant for the franchise on an international level. As to the Hall, well, it's not the NBA HOF, but the basketball HOF. Again, what he did for the game internationally most likely makes him a deserving HOF'er. Just my two cents. I love the big guy.
Not really interested in reading the Yao love fest going on in this thread... I have nothing but respect for him, but if we were all objective non-Rockets fans I think we'd agree that it's a little silly to retire his jersey. Perhaps some other sort of honor would be appropriate, but not necessarily retiring a jersey. Will anyone 20 years from now be extremely grateful for the mark Yao left on the Franchise? Not a lot of Americans, I think.
Objective fans would agree that 6 all-star appearances and 5 all-nba teams is enough to merit a jersey retirement.
To be KINDA fair to Murph and Rudy on the All-NBA teams, All-NBA was just 2 teams until 1989 when they made it 3 teams. Yao was 3rd Team All-NBA 3 of those times times. (Never a 1st team). So in Rudy & Calvin's era, Yao would just been 2 time All-NBA. I'll remove Calvin from the discussion, but if 3rd Team was around then, we don't know if Rudy coulda padded his resume more with some appearances there. (Yes I know, there was also less TEAMS back then, but still there's some context to consider).
apparently you don't know much about the Rockets or iconic movies either. How many nba finals did Yao help us get to? Oh how many NBA finals has Rudy T been to? Why don't you just drag Moses Malone and Nolan Ryan into the arguments too? oh wait, you don't who they are.
The all star games are joke because yao would have made it last year. How many all nba teams would yao have been on if he played in the 90's. I would say 1 if he were lucky.
No player in NBA history didn't get his jersey retired after being the face of his franchise for a good 8-9 years. No player in NBA history didn't get his number retired after being an all star 8 times with one specific team. Not to mention 5 all NBA teams in that span as well. The odds of Yao's number not getting retired is much less than the odds becomes a Rocket.
Then its lucky for him he played in a weak era of centers. It allowed him to build an impressive resume that is clearly worthy of having his jersey retired.
When he talked about 6, he already took last year out. In the 90s? Yao probably would have done better. He'd see far less double teams on him and he could stay in the middle much longer with less fouls to offset his in mobility like Mart Eaton without 3 second defensive violations and restrict area. He'd see much less fronting too because illegal defense would be called more often.
The game was more physical, and he would still have faced the fronting defense (Hakeem faced that vs the Sonics plenty). Yao saw single coverage vs Utah/Okur, and he shot 44% and had his shots blocked once or twice a game. People underestimate how physicality of a game can take a toll on a player's body, moreso than the pace of a game.
