If you're going to base it on his game, then NO! If Elvin Hayes couldn't get his jersey retired, I don't see why Yao should. I know Hayes wasn't with the franchise as long as Yao, but he had much more game than Yao when looking at the stats. If we're basing it on his influence to basketball and how recognisable he is as a Rockets, I say YES! I honestly don't know which way I'd go though. Moses' stint with the Rockets isn't much longer than Hayes, so maybe I'll say no preferring Hayes' jersey retired first. Elvin, not Chuck. But I'd retire Chuck's Jersey to just for the sake of it.
Yao played three healthy seasons and then stayed on the court for only 50% of the games the Rockets have played in the past six seasons. Do you really think his on-court contributions deserve having his jersey retired? I mean, he was a great player when he played, but he barely played! Add to that the first round disappointments and it becomes even harder to justify this type of honor reserved for legends only. I mean, if Yao could have stayed healthy in the ‘09 playoffs and gotten us to the promised land it would be a completely different story that would have forever changed his on-court legacy. But it didn’t happen that way and you can only be remembered for what you’ve done. The fact is, Yao will have his jersey retired because of his cultural/marketing impact and the fact that he carried himself like a model franchise player for an extended era in Rockets’ history. Maybe that is enough for people to look back on him as a Rockets’ legend, but I personally feel he needed to do more on the court. I’m too young to have watched Calvin and Rudy play, but I do know they at least played enough to be top three scorers in Rockets' history.
I'm not really a Rocket 99er, like I said I became a fan during the Yao era. Aside from watching Dream destroy Robinson, I don't really know much about the Rockets of old. so I'd defer to the subject matter experts like Tinman to duke it out with you on whether Murphy or Rudy T deserved to have their jerseys retired. But IMHO you should put less strict standards on the previous generation simply because they were the pioneers of stuff like these. Its like how you honor guys like Bob Cousy or Pistol Pete as one of the greats when the reality is if they played in today's NBA they might not even be good enough to make a team due to the difference in athleticism, advances in training and science etc. Again, Yao got injured each of the years he was an All NBA. Remember the year Dirk won the MVP but then folded in the first round against GS? Yao was like that, except even worse since he didn't play at all. IMHO Tmac was better because he was actually around playing for the team when we needed him the most, not sitting around in a suit. But I digress, I don't think Yao or Tmac should get retired because their era was a failed one. Only one second round appearance in 7+ years and a series of first round beatings at the hands of the Jazz, I don' think that's the type of legacy you want your retired players to have. If you or wekko/any YOF out there thinks Yao is good enough to have his jersey retired despite not giving the team even 1 banner to hang during his stay here then that's your opinion.
If you consider a country that has no elections, and the government owns a controlling share of all the large corporations or banks, then sure.
I think there's a rather muddy line between Individual and Team accomplishments. Especially because people can't seem to freaking decide which one they rather put more weight on. Ever get the feeling that beneath the poorly hidden racism agenda and the obsessive nostalgia worshiping, tinman might just be....an really really old man whose only motivation is to get someone to respond to him?
I never said doesn't deserve to get in or that he wasn't a Rocket hero. I was saying that there are people who know nothing about the old school and drag their names into this discussion without any respect to what they've done. for example, calvin is a freaking hall of fame player. he helped the rockets reach the finals. I like Yao, regardless if some of his fans don't give a crap about the Rockets.
those old guys helped the Rockets go to the finals. Moses Malone was the NBA MVP. Yao has been with the Rockets for his entire career, Tracy hasn't. Tracy did play great for the Rockets , but not good enough given his expectations. Plus Tracy got booed by the home crowd, I don't think they want his number retired. The Achilles heel of Yao as a player is his dexterity, that guy couldn't play an entire game. He has been the face of the Rockets and represented the Rockets well. I felt he was beginning to become a great player, until the injuries happened. If he gets his number retired, I think it's because of his longevity as a Rocket, the fans love him, he's represented the city well, and he overall was a winner when he played. Was he as a good of a basketball player as Moses and Dream? No. Was a he great Rocket? Yes.
To me both Tmac and Yao should be inseperable, they both shouldered the heavy load of carrying the franchise and both failed. Tmac had really bad PR skills and he was lazy and had a prima donna attitude, but at the same time he was as much the face of the Rockets as Yao was, probably even more since he was the only one healthy in the playoffs ("its on me"). Just as Yao's fatal flaw is he was mister glass but was great at everything else, Tmac's fatal flaw is he wasn't mentally strong enough and immature. I think an argument can be made for Yao's number getting retired, but IMHO if intangibles are all you need why not retire Battier's number as well? The whole "production" aspect is completely ignored simply because Yao was great when he was healthy. I guess everyone has different standards when they retire numbers, but IMHO the end result should be due to a healthy mix of personal and team accomplishments. Yao has good personal accomplishments but the team didn't really go anywhere when he was the franchise player.
I guess you're forgetting about 08-09, when we were considered legitimate contenders in the preaseason b/c we had a big-3 of Yao, Artest, and McGrady and a supporting cast of Alston, Battier, Scola, Mutombo, and Brooks. McGrady had minor arthroscopic surgery during the offseason and didn't rehab properly. When the season started, he was incredibly out of shape and kept inserting himself in and out of the lineup, disrupting chemistry. Eventually, when there were trade rumors circulating, he scoured the country, looking for a doctor who would recommend microfracture surgery. After he found one, he announced to the media (not the team) that he was having season ending surgery. 2008-2009 was our best chance for a title, and McGrady intentionally screwed it up. And btw, in 2008-2009, Yao played 77 games, earned all-nba 2nd team honors, and carried us to the 2nd round of the playoffs. He also played a full season in 03-04 when he earned all-nba 3rd team honors. Out of curiosity, why do you think I'm a YOF? All my arguments are logical and objective. Essentially, I think he should have his jersey retired b/c there's never been a player in NBA history with a comparable resume who didn't have his jersey retired. You're the one trying to deny him an individual honor due to his team's lack of success despite his stellar individual play. You don't think that's being subjective?
You are completely ignoring the major factor that Yao is a Rocket lifer. Drafted as a Rocket and has not left. Yes you can separate Yao and Tmac cause Yao didn't start his career with Tmac, he started with Francis and lately there's no Tmac on the Rockets. Tmac screwed himself off the court and on the court too. Don't forget as Clutch mentioned, he didn't leave on good terms with the Rockets organization or fans (Rockets fans). To me, what the others are arguing.. Yao should get in cause he brought in a bunch of fans from China is not a legit reason . I'm sure you can agree with me on that one. It's the YOF attitude that the Rockets were nothing without Yao and marketing power is all that is needed for him to be honored that irks me. It's about the Rockets.
those saying no are crazy, acting as if the criteria is based on championships alone. Yao should get his jersey retired.. another player i wouldn't mind seeing get his jersey retired is the chuckwagon, the guy is a rocket.. retired jerseys arent solely reserved only for superstars.. Yao: 8× NBA All-Star (2003–2009, 2011) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2007, 2009) 3× All-NBA Third Team (2004, 2006, 2008) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2003) 2002 FIBA World Championship All-Tournament Team 3× FIBA Asian Championship MVP (2001, 2003, 2005)
Yeah, both of them are idiots. One started it and the other one actually took time to respond to it. It is hypocritical to call out only one of them.
Communism is an economic system. China has not been communist since the 1980s. It is totally incorrect to refer to China as a communist country in the current time.
