(Chron Blog)Even if Yao never plays again, it was a joy having him here

RocketMania1991 · Nov 11, 2010

Yes I know its Richard Justice and yes he is probably over exaggerating here, but he properly does put it into perspective how great a teammate Yao has been even through his injuries.

http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustic...oustonchronicle/sportsjustice+(SportsJustice)

No professional sports team in this town ever had a better person or a better teammate than Yao Ming. If that's his legacy, it's one to be proud of. There was something else to remember about Yao. That is, when he was healthy, he was a dominant big man, everything the Rockets hoped he'd be when they made him the first pick of the 2002 draft.

He was a 20-point, 10-rebound player for his final four seasons. Yes, he missed way too much time with injuries, but when he was on the floor, he was a monster.

Remember that final playoff series against Portland? He was just about unstoppable even though the refs let the Blazers get away with mugging him. Without Tracy McGrady, the Rockets had no other threat, and Yao got beat up pretty good.

I'll never forget the sight of his arms after games. They'd have an assortment of cuts, tiny little paper-type cuts, like he'd fended off an attacker. He has scar tissue on the bottom of his chin, an indication of how hard defenders came at him from below.

But the players who played with him and the coaches who coached him will remember him for his unselfishness, for his smarts on the floor, for the fact that he always wanted to do the right thing whether it was in basketball or the community. He was also funny, or tried to be even though his sense of humor was sometimes hard to figure out. In short, he was a joy to be around.

Star players sometimes are notified in advance of trades, but the Rockets stopped doing it with Yao because he would become so attached to his teammates and so upset when one was traded.

If this sounds like a career obituary, that's how it feels right now. He's scheduled to undergo a bone scan on his left foot, and it would surprise no one to hear there's more bad news.

If there's another crack, it might signal the end of his career. He's in the final year of his contract with the Rockets, and they knew the risks in bringing him back.

GM Daryl Morey has worked relentlessly to collect enough talent to make the Rockets competitive with or without Yao. While he knew Yao couldn't be counted on, he also knew that if the Rockets could get a productive season out of Yao, they had a chance to go deep into the playoffs.

Now just when they're cleared to increase his minutes, he goes down again, and there's no way of knowing when or if he'll return.

Will his absence mean the Rockets are a lost cause? Of course not. Don't be silly. Remember last season? The Rockets were tough, smart and resourceful. They never backed down, and they never quit. They weren't the NBA's biggest team or its most talented.

But they did themselves proud with effort, hustle and team work. Opposing coaches warned their players that that the whole of the Rockets was greater than the sum of the parts, and that's the highest praise a professional sports team can receive.

The Rockets' team was on the floor Wednesday night in Washington showed some of that same grit before collapsing in the final minutes. Even without Yao, they've got a potentially really good backcourt and depth at power forward. The failed attempt to acquire Erick Dampier hurts more than ever now.

I'm looking forward to watching these guys and hoping they're as much fun as last season. They're only a borderline playoff team without Yao, and Morey's goal is still to acquire an impact player.

Looking back on it now, it may have been a pipe dream to think Yao was ever going to contribute. Maybe we all thought with our hearts instead of our heads because we like the guy so much.

Before you write to say the Rockets should have gotten rid of him, remember this: He's under contract this season, and there was no risk in bringing him back. The 24-minute plan was flawed and contributed to the poor start, but there's no manual on how to handle these situations. The Rockets did the best they could with the circumstances.
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makman · Nov 11, 2010

Justice is clueless, I read what he writes he doesn't actually watch games and if he does he shouldn't be a pro sports writer. If we were playing hard I could take the injury but this team is horrible now and Yao going down doesn't make it easier to watch.

rocketsmetalspd · Nov 11, 2010

The End I Pray It Is Not. I will hope for the best on today's scan.

Slimjim19 · Nov 11, 2010

Is the injury really that serious?

arjun · Nov 11, 2010

man can this nikka shut the *** up

makman · Nov 11, 2010

Slimjim19 said:

Is the injury really that serious?
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Depending on how bad the sprain is. I tore 2 ankle tendons in July and it's a pain in the ass. My guess is he'll need 3-6 weeks.

coachbadlee · Nov 11, 2010

It's obvious the NBA is too much for Yao Ming.

RasaqBoi · Nov 11, 2010

Can't be mad at him for this article. The truth is, Yaos time is coming to an end. I honestly believe this is his last year no matter what.

anchel · Nov 11, 2010

what a huge fail

SageHare6 · Nov 11, 2010

We should start looking at this guy.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ba...-from-India-is-ready-to-follow?urn=nba-284256

7 footer from INDIA!!!!

:grin:

DaDakota · Nov 11, 2010

I hope that Yao saying "Scan" was just a mix up in language when he actually is getting an MRI....

Because bone scan is more serious, if that is what they are doing, whereas MRI might be looking for a strained tendon.

I don't know though, the fact that Yao was so down, and him grimmacing as he stepped, didn't look good to me.

They were fairly vague about "Where the injury was exactly"......

I hope it is not over for the big fella.....

DD

opticon · Nov 11, 2010

The only useful info from that article was Bone Scan.

If bad news is found I wonder how long before the Rockets Drop the bomb on us.

metalshred · Nov 11, 2010

RasaqBoi said:

Can't be mad at him for this article. The truth is, Yaos time is coming to an end. I honestly believe this is his last year no matter what.
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Why sound so pessimistic? Maybe he's fine. You never know :grin:

Come back soon to kick some asses Big fella!

javal_lon · Nov 11, 2010

Only person satisfied with Yao Ming is Les Alexander for that overflow of money he has received over the last 5-7 years.......

albuster · Nov 11, 2010

The obit might be a little bit premature. Let us wait for the test results before we write Yao off.

htownrox1 · Nov 11, 2010

Say it ain't so Yao!

xiki · Nov 11, 2010

javal_lon said:

Only person satisfied with Yao Ming is Les Alexander for that overflow of money he has received over the last 5-7 years.......
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I have more respect and regard for Yao Ming as the matrix of human being and basketball player than any athlete I have experienced in my scores of years on earth.

I am very pleased Yao Ming is a Rocket. I know I would have been in his corner regardless of the team on which he played (and thank all that is good it was not the Mavs/Lakes/Knix/Jazz).

macho87 · Nov 11, 2010

It really sucks to see it end this way. He had more heart, passion, and determination than you could ask of a guy. Even tho we didn't win anything more than a playoff series, ill always be proud of the big guy. His body just couldn't do what his passion for the game wanted.

MandM's · Nov 11, 2010

justice is a garbage reporter.

overreaction.

Rocketboi · Nov 11, 2010

If Yao never plays again, I want my money back.
-_-

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(Chron Blog)Even if Yao never plays again, it was a joy having him here

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