[Y! Sports]For Yao, patience has become a necessity

The_Yoyo · Mar 29, 2010

HOUSTON – Yao Ming(notes) gingerly navigated the short flight of stairs leading from the stage at the Museum of Fine Arts. He had just finished a short speech for his foundation gala Sunday evening, and the well-heeled crowd in attendance nervously watched each step by the Houston Rockets’ giant center. Once Yao reached the floor, he let out a deep sigh: He had forgotten to introduce the next speaker. So, back up the stairs he went, one slow step at a time.

“Whatever you do,” said Rockets announcer Bill Worrell, who was emceeing the event, “don’t hurt that foot.”

It’s been nearly 11 months since Yao broke his left foot in a playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers, a devastating injury that even now continues to weigh on him and his team. Yao expects to resume running in late May and his goal remains the same: He hopes to be playing before the start of next season. Yao also knows he must continue to be patient with his recovery. Can he return to playing at an elite level? Can he stay healthy? Not even Yao has the answers.

“A career is almost like a car race,” Yao told Yahoo! Sports. “You push the gas to see how good the car is. It takes time to get from zero to 100 miles [per hour]. This is the same thing. You don’t want to hit a hard brake. This is a hard brake for me. If you want me to start up again, you probably need me to take some time.

“With what we are doing now, we are trying to get me back as soon as possible. It’s not just the recovery of my body, it’s the recovery of me mentally, too. You have to get over this injury. You have to stop and think about how I had a surgery a couple months ago and when I’m running I will be worried if that would be bad for it. I’ve had [an injury] before, but I have never been out longer than a year.”

Given that Yao had begun to show just how dominant of a force he could be in the NBA, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.

He helped lift the Rockets past the first round of last season’s playoffs and beat the Lakers in the opening game of the conference semifinals. After another strong performance in Game 3, he limped off the court with what was initially called a sprain. Tests soon revealed a hairline fracture in his left foot.

“It seemed like everything was clicking for him,” Kobe Bryant(notes) said. “He kind of figured out what his niche was in the league. It takes players a little while to figure out what their identity is. It seemed like Yao had figured that out and his teammates had figured that out.”

A little more than a month later, Yao received worse news: The injury wasn’t healing properly and he needed surgery that would cause him to miss the 2009-10 season. Yao, who also broke his left foot in 2006, was far from excited about having to go through another grueling recovery process. He visited three doctors for opinions, including Mark Myerson, who did the foot surgery for Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes).

When asked if he had considered retiring, Yao said: “A little bit. A little bit. …I took my chances to play. I’m not old enough to retire.”

Carroll Dawson, the Rockets’ former long-time general manager who is still close to Yao, wondered if Yao would ever play again.

“When they said it wasn’t healing well and there was a problem, that was devastating,” Dawson said. “There were talking about, ‘He might play. He might not play.’ I was crushed.”

Yao said Ilgauskas gave him “a lot of confidence” he could return during a phone call the two shared before the surgery. Ilgauskas had five foot surgeries which limited him to playing in only 29 of a possible 212 games from 1998-2001. Of everything Yao learned from Ilgauskas, the biggest lesson was patience.

“You can ask 1,000 basketball players who aren’t just in the NBA and they’d say, ‘I’d like to play big minutes,’&” Yao said. “I would like to play every day, but I also have to learn to be patient. Keep your body fresh and learn how to rest your body. I have to do what I can do and then repeat.”

Yao said he is about “30 percent” recovered now, is riding a bicycle and expects to begin running on the court in late May. But even if the seven-time All-Star returns for the start of next season, what should the Rockets expect? The Cavs were cautious with Ilgauskas, limiting him to 20 minutes per game for two seasons. Don’t be surprised if the Rockets also limit Yao’s minutes for a lengthy period.

Asked what type of player he will be when he returns, Yao paused before deferring the question to Rockets strength and conditioning coach Darryl Eto.

“He can be as good or better,” Eto said.

“If not,” Yao cracked, “it’s your fault.”

Rockets coach Rick Adelman is understandably more focused on getting his injury-plagued team through the rest of the season, but admits Yao will have some hurdles to clear this summer, mentally as well as physically.

“I think confidence level is going to be the biggest thing for him no matter what you say,” Adelman said. “When you have an injury like that with someone his size, he’s going to be a little leery until he gets confidence.”

Yao could elect to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, a scenario a source close to him describes as “remote.” If he does return to the Rockets, he’ll be joining a team that is drastically different than the one he left. Tracy McGrady(notes), Ron Artest(notes) and Carl Landry(notes) are gone, replaced by Kevin Martin(notes) and Trevor Ariza(notes).

“I’m almost like a freshman for the Rockets,” Yao said.

In addition to working his way back into shape, Yao has stayed busy with his off-the-court endeavors. He and his wife are expecting their first child. Last summer, he bought his former professional team in China, the Shanghai Sharks. On Sunday, he was up at 6:30 in the morning to follow the Sharks on the Internet as they took a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. His foundation also continues to occupy his time. Through the foundation, Yao has rebuilt three schools devastated by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake with three more scheduled to be completed this summer. He has also helped refurbish numerous playgrounds in Houston.

“A lot of kids look up to me,” Yao said. “I just want to give something back. …Most of the kids, 99 percent of the kids, come from poor areas. It’s not their fault. They have the right to enjoy their lives and to create a better future for them.”

As for his own future, Yao is trying to follow the advice Ilgauskas gave him: Be patient. Stay positive.

For now, Yao is taking his long road back to the court one slow, measured step at a time.
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dont think it was posted if so please merge/lock

Karolik · Mar 29, 2010

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