If he's not done with basketball, he's more than likely done as a Rocket. I just can't foresee the organization moving on with him, unless he has a limited role with the team. But if I were him, I would retire from the NBA and collect my earnings from the Sharks. No need for him to put his body through anymore of this.
I can't see him accepting a Shawn Bradley type role. By the time Bradley hit 31, he dropped to 11 minutes per game. I can't see a guy who played at Yao's level accepting that. I think he'll choose retirement. This is just what happens to guys at this size. The 7'5" and over crowd in NBA history all retired in their early-30's...and their years past 30 were all marked by SEVERELY limited minutes. Yao wasn't happy with 24 minutes per game....I can't imagine he'd be happy with anything less.
Yao is not done. He will be back and find a niche in this league on a very small contract. Keep up the good fight my friend. 7'6, 300+, first into practice, last to leave, always with a smile on his face. He gave it his all for 7 seasons and did whatever genetics and his body let him. Can't hate on him for doing what he could.
Yes he is done. Has been for a while. When a player has a season ending injury EVERY year, then they should retire. The Rockets hitched their wagon to the wrong horse. I thank Yao for what he has done in his short career, however he needs to call it quits before he hurts himself bad enough to affect his life and family.
He's done being a featured player, no team can realistically expect him to be reliable for them. But when and if he decides to get this surgery. I can guarantee multiple teams will be willing to take a chance on him, just not depend on him. In his brief stint this season, his per 36 min stats were right in line with where he was before the injury, so even with the surgeries he's still productive when he's on the floor. You can honestly say nobody will want him. It's all up to Yao whether or not hes wants to keep trying, and I think he does. I thought Grant Hill was done, and he's turned into a solid player as an old man.
as the surgeon said the other day on 610...Grant Hill is a different story, because he's not playing on a 7'6", 300+ lb frame.
Only Yao and the staff knows he's done or not.. Right now we're just speculating because we are basketball fans and all we hope for is the best for the Houston Rockets... Time will tell if he will ever be in a Rockets uniform ever again.. I sure as hell know he ain't done yet....
He'll ben nothing more then a 50 to 10 minutes situational player from here on. He looked terrible earlier in the season so imagine what another surgery and 1 year older will do to him. He has to much prideto come back as a 3rd rotational type center.
Good point. People don't realize that. Yao is so big, so tall and that puts much more stress on his feet and legs in general. That's a big factor IMO
If Yao is able to come back, maybe he'll give the Rockets a couple of years at league minimum to make up for money already invested in him. I really like Yao as one of my favorite "good character" NBA guys of all time and as one of the best centers in the league when healthy...but it has indeed been painful watching the course changes in both his career and the Rockets team because of his injuries. It has been a sad, sad thing to see, especially the last couple of years. The only answer to the poll in my mind (given the options) is "Maybe." No one can say with certainty that his career is done and no one can say with certainty that he'll be back.
For pryuen sake lets hope he reurns because i cant imagine how pryuen would go in a life without Yao.
Especially Grant Hill. He was injured throughout his youth and then when he's old and playing for the Suns BAM no more injuries.
I'm not sure about evolving, but you're right, he could definitely be involved by coaching young bigs how to shoot.
I think Yao might be weighting his choice. Seems to me that depends how severe the broken bone is, and how long it takes to come back. If it takes too long to come back, Yao might decide to retire. Can't blame him, how could someone like Yao, so passionate about the team and basketball, to have endure several surgeries and numerous times a long process to come back, it really hurts mentally and physically. I'm starting to also think all those summers playing for the national team, without any rests, could be the reason that he's so injury pronged, besides the fact that he's huge. It's a shame that a once in a generation talent & model athlete, not able to really fulfill his potential. For someone with such talent & size & dedication, it's just not fair.
Even before Yao Ming step foot onto the hardwood this season I already knew he will suffer another fracture on his foot but not this soon... Lets face it, we all knew his career was basically over when he went down back in 09. After all that rehab and hard work only for him to go back down in 7 measly games is unbelievable. Its time for everyone including Yao Ming to finally realize its time to step down and hand the torch to a younger player.
its probably 1000000000x worst for Carl Herrera http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=192482 I doubt we'll ever see him post in here again
