That's all I was getting at. Yao was super nice and very likeable. I was just responding to the guy who said we saw something amazing...yeah, I don't feel that way at all. But you're right, I don't blame Yao for it, either. Hard to blame a guy for injuries. I do blame the Rockets for holding on too long, and I said that way back then...but that's all water under the bridge at this point.
Would have been great if the #2 play wasn't destroyed afterwards by Brandon Roy's buzzer killer 3, but we revenged them in the playoff, was all good.
I didn't see anyone say the Yao Ming era was amazing until I read your post. Actually the team era since 1998 has never been amazing (the year that we got to the conference final. And yes I have been watching the Houston Rockets since Hakeem's days. Whoever thinks I have just started watching the team a few months ago because of my screen name is a dumb ass). Some guys in this thread said Yao possessed the talent, the skill, the attitude and the size to be an amazing player. And Yao made some amazing moves in the videos. I guess that's how the word "amazing" came into this thread. Yao was becoming an unstoppable force in the league at the time when his injuries started kicking in. It was very very unfortunate, both for Yao and for the Houston Rockets. Just like you, I don't blame it on Yao. And unlike some idiots, I don't blame it on the team physicians. I lay half of the blame on his summer schedule, and the other half on pure bad luck. Without the injuries, Yao was on his ascending way to become one of the most dominant low post players in league history. We had the chance to experience that amazing era. And we caught a glimpse of it from time to time. Too bad the unforunate injuries robbed us of the chance.
Yao and McGrady both turning into mush by age 27 was unforeseen and unlucky. That team with Artest, Brooks, Landry, Scola, Novak etc was one of my favorite squads ever. I loved that team and the 22 game stretch was pure bliss.
That was one great team on paper. It would have been the year to do it too, since a weakened Orlando came out of the East, and Yao had Dwight's number.
Even without Yao, they took the Lakers to 7 games and it came down to home court and the usual Kobe phantom fouls. Orlando didn't even last 7 games in the Finals.
Leave it to MadMax to come into a Youtube highlight thread to continue his negative remarks about Yao Ming . Yeah, we get it, you don't think he was "amazing". Are we still allowed to enjoy some highlights? Thanks.
Do you also loathe the Twin Towers era? Because it was damned depressing too. But you can't deny the thrill of two other-worldly big men playing side by side. And the Shot Heard Around the World embedded in the beat down of the mighty Lakers, even though we lost to Boston in the Finals. Yao's era was depressing not just because of Yao's injuries but a lot of other factors, including McGrady's health problems and the FO's utter inability to assemble a good supporting cast while the two stars were still good. But to me, I am grateful to have a player like Yao to be forever associated with the Rockets.
If it's water under the bridge why are you polluting a retrospective thread with your whining and moaning about the past (with QQ that isn't even correct). Yao came in at the midst of the SF3-Cat era when Houston was destined to be a low lottery team for the foreseeable future. Having Yao here brought Tmac and a decade of strong relevance and the high water mark since the glory days of Dream, which now is going on almost 20 years ago. It has nothing to do with super nice and very likeable. The POINT is that Yao was the best offensive center in the league for years and singlehandedly brought, other star players, notable coaching, as well as revenue and relevance for the franchise that was headed downwards. Do you comprehend? The point of OP is to remember Yao's skills? Look at the freaking video, look at Wallace's forearms in Yao's back and he still makes the play. The dude was swimming upstream his entire career carrying Houston on his back and scumbags can only come on here and passive-aggressively cry while pretending not to cry, or insinuate Yao's relevance is due to him being "super nice" or b**** about China overworking Yao. Dude was averaging 26 and 10 in his prime, you got some seriously jealousy/ female passive aggressive issues. If you're going to bash Yao do it with stats or some basketball knowledge. Not taking inane shots at the Rockets "holding on too long" and then covering your ass by saying stuff like "water under the bridge' Go the full 9 and post, "never liked this guy. thought he was stiff and he was only good because he was tall. in fact he never really was that good, but he got good press because he was nice. never liked the fact that he played for China, either." man up.
I don't agree with everything he said either. But what's up with your anger? Are you having a bad day so you just came over here to take it out at someone?
bloop's post was actually awesome. Rather see something like that than that repetitive passive-aggressive drivel he was responding to which we have been hearing ad nauseum for years.
