Do you think Yao deserves to be in the hall of fame based on basketball merits?

I voted yes.

 

Is there a hall of fame for basketball merits only?

 

Of course he does, it is not the "NBA only" hall of fame it also includes international ball, college, everything - so hell yes he deserves it.

DD

 

I want to know if u deserve to be a fan.

simple poll! Yes or No?

Nonsense!

 

Maybe. I see what you're getting at, I was opposed to the Hall-Of-Fame talk about Yao back in ~2006 on Clutchfans based on basketball alone.

However, knowing now how his career would end, and knowing his impact as a global ambassador and general awesomeness... yes, he's HOF worthy. We'll never be able to look at his stats in a neutral way.

It's sad to me that he'll always be fondly remembered for the 04-07 seasons while McGrady will be villainized. They both put their heart and soul into some teams with minimal support. They both embrace and rep Houston and I'm proud to count them both among Rockets alumni.

 

Yes. The hall of fame is all basketball, not just NBA.

the combination of NBA and the Olympics put him in.

Plus he actually helped a nba team win a playoff series

 

• 8-time NBA All-Star (although in 2010-11 he only played 5 games lol)
• 5-time All-NBA Team (Two 2nd teams, Three 3rd teams)
• Averaged 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 8 NBA seasons
• Averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds in 5 CBA seasons
• 2002 CBA Champion
• 2002 CBA Finals MVP
• 3-time FIBA Asian Champion
• 3-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP
• 2-time Olympian

 

Spoiler

 

If Bill Walton deserves it, so does Yao.

 

5 times ALL NBA in only 7 Full season.

The guy made ALL NBA team almost every season he was in the NBA, when not hurt.

 

I vote no!

 

How many retired NBA players that made 5 ALL NBA teams and not in the Hall of Fame???

 

It's borderline, but Yao isn't a HOFer based on on-court achievement, IMO.

However, he has earned the distinction of being the "GOAT shooting center".

First player I thought of was Tim Hardaway.

Yao did much more internationally though.

 

Based on his entire body of work in basketball, yes. Based on his short lived career in the NBA? Not at all. Walton at least had rings.

 

Yao Ming was the last of the great centers.

Enough said.

 

Walton's teammates also had rings. He wasn't even the starting center when he won. He played 18 mpg scoring 8 ppg in the playoffs when the Celtics won the championship in '86.

Yao Ming played more NBA minutes, scored more points, had a higher TS%. Yao average 20 ppg in the playoffs. Walton average about half of that.

Not saying Yao was a better player than Walton. I loved Walton's game. He could have been one of the greatest centers of all time if he could stay healthy. But the same can be said about Yao.

 

Did I miss something in the discussion, or are you forgetting about Walton's ring with Portland in '77 with Doc Ramsey as coach. They swept Jabbar 4-0 in the WCF in a year Jabbar won MVP (second in a row).

Walton was the dominating force to that ring.

18 ppg
15 rpg
5.5 apg

He was a thing of beauty.

 

for those of you who voted no,,, *** y'all!

 

Probably not, but depends on how exactly you define "basketball merits."

Based off just NBA accomplishments? No.

Including Olympics? No gold metal, so probably not.

But there are tons of other factors considered, he was important to the game of basketball, especially internationally, which is why he's in there.