Poll Question: 2000-2020: Most Iconic Rockets Player

Dumb question, wonder what the intent was for this..it's simple:
2000-2010 = Yao and 2010-2020 = Harden

 

The question wasn't 'who is the best player to Rockets fans'. The question was which Rocket over the past twenty years was most iconic, not the most talented or overall the better player. Yao was an international star. You have to look at it from a 50k foot view. Yao was the face of pro basketball for 1.3 BILLION people.

 

It really depends on the lens:
Year-in, Year-out USA Basketball fans would probably say Harden.
Worldwide basketball Fans, and general sports not really into basketball fans would probably say Yao.

 

I disagree with the "Harden 100%, no contest" opinion that many of you share.

The question isn't about who's the better player (obviously Harden). It's most iconic. On a global scale, I think more people know about who Yao Ming is, than James Harden.

Bearded offensive machine that should be deserving of more than 1 MVP award? That's cool.

7'6'' dude who could move like Yao does, shoots like Yao shoots and considered one of the last great centers in a bygone era? That's cooler.

 

Off topic. Would Harden be as iconic as he is if he didn't have a beard?

 

Harden and T Mac are more iconic globally. Yao had a 1 year wow presence because of where he came from. If he’s iconic, it’s more so the tall Chinese guy that plays basketball, everyone refers to. Movie quotes etc.

 

Make the cut off where you want, 2000-2020 is just silly because everyone knows it will give Harden haters the opportunity to choose anybody but him out of spite and it just makes it seem like Yao is an afterthought.