Can I also sum up Yao's Rocket career like this? <iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N72xclXlg8I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VEdC-eF0cl8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Malik Sealy played in minny for 3 years, 3 first round exits.. his jersey is retired in minny.. brad davis has his jersey retired in dallas.. i cant find any accolades on the guy..
The videos showed a guy who didn't shoot 100% from the field and didn't block every shot. The Toronto game showed a guy who wasn't even trying. Win or lose, I don't recall seeing Yao completely quit on his team like McGrady did in that game and on other occasions. Teams often honor players whose playing abilities have flaws. They tend not to honor players who quit on the team.
The Pistons are far too proud of an organization to retire Grant Hill's number. I don't have a real problem with the Rockets retiring Yao's jersey...because of the impact he had on basketball globally...off-the-court stuff. But if they drafted Yao as an American kid out of an American college, there's no way we'd be talking about a jersey retirement for him.
I think Yao was better than Calvin or Rudy T and he had a bigger impact internationally. He was a true professional and a great ambassador for the game and for the Rockets. I would have no problem hanging his jersey.
Who in the blue moon is T-mac? I only know She-Mac, the virgin who failed to reach the 2nd round in his superstar career.
<object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/svsHlH-IvbY?version=3&hl=zh_TW&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/svsHlH-IvbY?version=3&hl=zh_TW&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> this pretty much sums up yao's career he just doesn't have enough talent to be a great player. you don't let this happen to you if you want to get your jersey retired its so disrespectful to bring yao into the same sentence as hakeem its like comparing ron mercer to michael jordan player. all yao did making a ton of money for our owner. if he gets his jersey retired for that, then ok, whatever
Malik Sealy died tragically while he was with the T-Wolves. I don't think even the most anti-Yao person on this board would wish Yao to get his numbered retired that way. My opinion is 'No Yao shouldn't get his number retired." I love Yao as a player (when he's playing) and as a person but I think getting your number retired should be a very very high standard. While Yao did a lot for the Rockets he never could elevate the Rockets in a way that those other Rockets did. If the Rockets were to retire his number to me it would be as much for him as a global phenomena as a player. In that same vein though I think the NBA should make Yao a Hall of Famer for helping to open the NBA to China and as a global spokesman of the NBA.
Is "Rox2010Champ" OHMSSS in disguise? He's competing quite hard for most illogical troll of the year award.
Hill is still playing so you never know. Since the merge of NBA/ABA in 1976, Which American kid with 8 or more All stars with the same team didn't get his jersey retired? Gary Payton was the only exception. The only reason for that is the team moved to a different city and Payton explicitly said he doesn't want his jersey retired in OKC. I feel like if Yao was a natural American, there might be much less debate on this issues, just like I feel if Yao was American, he'd have been chosen by American media to win Rookie of the Year when he joined NBA.
I don't like using this analogy because that puts Yao in the same category as a Shawn Bradley. You do remember Shawn, right? A skinny 7-6 Mormon player who was on the 76ers and Mavericks. Do you believe that his number should be retired because he was the first 7 foot Mormon professional basketball player? Using this analogy trivializes Yao Ming to a certain degree.
You are comparing different eras here. When Calvin and Rudy T played, the NBA wasn't promoting its product on an international scale as much as it does now hence Yao has an opportunity to garner a bigger impact in that arena when compared to those two Rockets.
