Sad to see him leave so soon, and it was entertaining while it lasted. but we all saw it coming. He seems like a great guy, and is a great Houston Rocket, I wish him nothing but the best. Coolstorybrocontribution. I was using the elevator due to a stroller bringing my kid to one of his first NBA games (maybe the first, don't recall) at the compaq center and they used to wheel you right by the press conference area. As we walked by that day, Rudy was introducing Yao to the media. Seems like last week.
Chris Mannix talking Yao: Spoiler Josh and Greg, news is Yao has retired. How surprised were you? I wouldnt say surprised is the right word. Not totally unexpected due to injuries last couple years. 5 games last 2 season. That would frustrate anyone. At 30, hes on the downside of his basketball career. Houston did everything they could to nurse this guy back to health and nothing seemed to work. Dont think Yao wanted to go through the stress of all this again. Not unexpected. Ive talked to a few people around the league, talked to Caron Butler, players are shocked. Many expected him to give it one more go, even though Houston wasnt in title contention. Clearly Yao thought otherwise. I contend, even though he was good financially for team, they have to be relieved. I dont think there is any relief. Houston would love to have him back in a perfect world. They're trying to get any center they can. They're desperate for a dominant five. Moving on, its tough. Tough to put Yao behind them right away. He leaves a major void. Houston was waiting for him to come back and when he did, they could right the ship. The way the Rockets have restructured their roster, dealing away Battier, they saw the writing on the wall with this one. Future was without Yao. What is Yao's legacy? Great one, really. Only played 7 real seasons. Numbers were solid though basketball wise, will be remembered as guy with great potential who never lived up to it. Leaving great years on the table. Legacy has to go beyond that. Talk about bridge he built to China. Nobody like Yao who came out of Asia. Yao was bridgemaker/groundmaker. A pioneer in its field really. He carried the weight of all those people in China really well. Cant imagine the pressure on him daily. I contend that when they[the Chinese], not forced but "argued" that he should play [for his country], that had lasting effect. Probably wasnt best idea but he knew his obligations to his country. He didnt argue or complain, but did it. NBA in every single home in China. NBA China offices all over the country. A lot of credit directly to Yao. Not a great impact with Yao. Never really won anything. But talking about what he did bridging, etc. League reportedly lost 1.8 billion, what did it really mean? It still meant a lot. League has 2 major problems of why they're losing money. Revenue sharing and no modifications on financial structure since economy went into the toilet in 2008. Look at how many businesses have reshaped/restructed. NBA hasnt done that yet. Salaries remain the same. Revenues stayed the same or reduced. Way the NBA has been able to captilize on China market, all the different ways, it's the tip of the iceberg right now the way the NBA is making money. A lot directly related to Yao. Yao era is over. Put your GM hat on right now. First 2 things you do to turn this Rockets team around and playoff contenders? Starts with a center. Who knows what the salary structure will be. Rockets need a five. Two guys out there: Nene and Marc Gasol. Both will be tough to get though. Morey will have to get creative to find a five. Five is the linchpin to that team. They need a young upcming guy who can handle the middle. All starts right there. Need someone to man the position. Anniversary of the decision. One of the best years the NBA had. How much credit for the big boom goes to LeBron for the deicison? Not sure Decision had a lot to do with that. Brought LeBron into different light in the media. Where Decision helped the league is the playoffs. Them(Heat) hanging in there sent ratings through the roof. Keeping Miami out there for 2 extra months was terrific for ratings. Postseason for the NBA couldnt have gone better. Thanks so much. Anytime.
Yao Ming will always be my favorite player. He was the nicest, most humble guy in the league. He deserved to win the most out of anybody in this league. Such terrible luck. He was one of the last true centers in the game, and was dominating when healthy. The NBA will suffer with his loss, mark it down. He was my me and my dad's favorite player. Now I've lost both in the span of 3 months.
KHOU(Channel 11) reporting basically the same-- Yao has not retired(yet). According to a "close friend", he is still awaiting word/opinion of one more doctor here in the US before making a decision. *Also NBA League offices have not or did not recieve anything from Yao.(Although I believe Chris Mannix tweeted Yao didnt have to file paperwork or anything like that). *Yao currently in Shanghai Edit: Link to KHOU story
Why so early? Why didn't he waited out and see what happens? Well that sux, a guy like him doesn't need to be athletic to be effective. A lot of people compared him to Rik Smith, but I wouldn't my having a Rik Smith in the new season.
This doesn't feel early at all for me. It feels overdue. He can make a comeback when and if he wants to. You may not have to be athletic to make an impact at 7'6, but you at least have to be able to move up and down the court. Tchau big guy. Let's open a new chapter.
No one should be surprised, but everyone should be a little sad. He was a great player, teammate, and person. Time for the Rockets to finally move on past this saga.
Our last SuperStar gone... I can't believe we had two superstars not so long ago..WTF happened? Terrible luck and misfortune for MacMing
Great player and person. I know he'll go on to succeed and enjoy the rest of his life. His body took a toll and he hustled night in and night out for us. It has been nothing but a pleasure to watch Yao over the years. I think he's a lock for HOF based on international contributions alone.
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.
