Suffered a strained back in the 3rd quarter-left the game and will not return. Updates to come following the game
Well, it's nice to know that Yao can seemingly handle more of the load now IF Tracy is out of the lineup.
He must be made of glass, he leaves with things that look like minor injuries all the time. Tonight it hardly looked like anything, and he was good enough to shoot the free throws then had to leave. I hope he is ok, but man...I wish he was tougher. DD
Agree. I hope that the off-season really cures his back because if it doesn’t then the Yao/Tmac era in Houston won’t have the success we all envisioned when T-Mac arrived.
I agree ! Tmac is probably really hurting, but clearly he is not near as tough as some of the superstar players that have come before him. I don't rate Tmac as a superstar yet....he has a lot to prove as a winner, and as a leader. DD
I don't see how you can judge t-mac's lack of superstarness based upon his injuries as of late. Imagine trying to play 9 seasons with bestfriends/family members dying every year and a chronic back problem that seems to come and go. The guy cant win with the public, he talks about his problems and gets bashed for not having "heart"
I agree with a lot of that, but the guy has quit on a team, he has a career losing record, and sometimes coasts through games when he is needed to lead. Look, the guy can be one of the best ever, but he is not an all timer yet, he just doesn't have that competitive fire. At least he hasn't shown it consistently yet. I can not imagine, Jordan, Dream, Bird, Magic, Isaiah, etc..etc...etc... settling for losing records or quitting on their team. DD
I think this is actually a VERY valid question and one that hasn't been answered by Da. Severe back pain is one of the most debilitating feelings in the world. I suffered through almost a year of barely being able to walk. I could tweak my back by sneezing or reaching for something. What looked like nothing to someone else felt like someone shoving a Bowie knife into my lower back. It's really easy to say things look like nothing and to try and make comparisons to other players who are seemingly tougher, but bad backs have torpedoed the careers of many players in a lot of sports where torn knee ligaments, major shoulder damage, shredded achillies' and concussions have not. Given that no one knows just how severe the injury is, it probably makes more sense to give T-Mac the benefit of the doubt than to call into question where he ranks among the best players of all time.
