Houston reeling from Yao’s bad news, and who wants Boozer?
Yao Ming
What started out as a rumor Monday morning was confirmed by the Rockets’ team doctor by the afternoon, then immediately became the dominant story of the year for Houston: Yao Ming’s broken left foot could not only take him out for all of next season, but also put his career in jeopardy. “At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing the next season and could be career threatening,” physician Tom Clanton told the Houston Chronicle. “One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery.” Just before that announcement was made, we were outlining ways the Rockets could find a good backup for Yao; now it looks like they’ll need a starter. Rasheed Wallace is a free agent (Orlando wants him too), and Mehmet Okur and Zydrunas Ilgauskas have opt-out clauses that could make them available. The Rockets could also get themselves into the David Lee sign-and-trade sweepstakes, see how the Hornets feel about Tyson Chandler, and maybe call up the Suns and see if they want T-Mac as part of a package for Amar’e Stoudemire … Since it’s all just guestimating at this point anyway, let’s go worst-case scenario: If Yao never plays another game, what is his legacy in the NBA? Is seven All-Star appearances in seven seasons, five All-NBA selections, 19.1 points, 9.3 boards, 1.9 blocks, stardom on the Olympic/international level, and a key role in increasing basketball’s popularity worldwide (and in the world’s most populous country) enough for a Hall of Fame nod? Would he be remembered as one of the dominant centers of his time, or just a fragile science experiment? … Tomorrow is the deadline for Carlos Boozer to opt out. Up until a few weeks ago it seemed like a lock that Booz was gonna make himself a free agent, but the list of teams with enough money to pay him more than he’s already making ($12.7M) is shrinking — it’s basically the Pistons and nobody else. If Booz opts out now, it’ll be less of a money thing and more because he just doesn’t want to play in Utah anymore … One of the teams who had a lot of money to possibly throw Boozer’s way was Oklahoma City, but they’ve instead set their sights on Paul Millsap. Not only is Millsap cheaper, some would say he’s actually better than Boozer … While the Bucks and Blazers didn’t extend qualifying offers to Charlie Villanueva and Channing Frye, respectively, making them unrestricted free agents, the Celtics made their offer to Big Baby Davis, meaning he’ll be a restricted free agent. Baby has said he wants to lose 30 pounds this summer, which would put him at 270, and claims he’s working on extending his range out to three-point land. Of course he could just be saying all this ’cause he’s a free agent and wants to look more attractive to teams, so we’ll see what Baby looks like by the time training camp rolls around … The Celtics are waiting to hear from Eddie House, who has a $2.9M player-option on his contract. If you’re one of House’s boys and you’re usually pumping his ego up, do you stick with it this time and tell him he’s good enough to command more money on the market, or be realistic for once and tell him to take the 2.9 and give thanks … If Shaq shows up at Cavs camp looking like he did at the height of the Fat Shaq era in L.A. (at least 340 pounds), blame Twitter. Is it us, or is the “THE_REAL_SHAQ” literally tweeting all day now? Yesterday he and Kevin Hart started up a round of the dozens with whoever would play along. Some of Shaq’s highlights: “yo mom so fat she stopped at the curb and her belly jay-walked,” and “yo mama so fat, even god couldn’t lift her spirit.” … And from Rudy Gay’s Twitter: “So bored about to go perfect my craft.” What are the chances he’s talking about Playstation 3 and not basketball? … And finally, one of our favorite NBA tweeters, Marcus Williams: “I think the dopest thing about nba2K9 is they really got my tattoos.” It’ll be even doper if NBA 2K10 has Marcus on it, period. His name hasn’t popped up at all when you hear about available free agent point guards … We’re out like the Ming Dynasty …
June 30th, 2009 at 5:50 am
QQ says:
Hope Yao plays…
Damn.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:54 am
BRUCE says:
We shouldn’t be too worried about Yao. Yao will return to China, drink a few elixirs, munch on a few tiger penis, and his foot will be as good as new. These Western medications aren’t going to work on Yao. He needs something from the Ming dynasty!
June 30th, 2009 at 5:58 am
BRUCE says:
No HOF for Yao. Are you serious? No personal records, no MVP, and best of all, NO championships. Yao is like that running back from Denver Super Bowls team, Terrell Davis, his career was cut short. As of right now, just not enough to be in. Yao hasn’t done anything and haven’t won anything.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:02 am
QQ says:
And LOL at the Eddie House comment. HAHAHAHA.
If I am one of his boys, I’ll probably tell him to shut the fuck up.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:14 am
alf (from melmak) says:
Boozer returning to utah would not do any good to both sides. Basically, between what Kevin O’Connor has said and what Boozer made known since December, a divorce is needed.
How about a straight up trade between Boozer and Amare? Change of scenery would do good for both.
Lastly my meal allowance says Yao is a mile away from the HOF. Nothing extra ordinary about the dude. He is just a 7 footer that could pivot inside the lane.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:23 am
That's whats up says:
Boozer for Gooden – Justice!!!
I don’t see Yao in the HOF – not now, not ever
Marcus Williams…? Is that Jason WIlliams brother?
If Eddie House is getting 2.9 Mill this year his agent deserves every bit of his cut
June 30th, 2009 at 6:27 am
sh!tfaced says:
Having Yao is like having a Hummer but can’t use it most of the time because it’s always in the shop being repaired or being used by the Chinese Government.
June 30th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Shrink This says:
Based on his numbers and on the floor accomplishments (which should make up most of the reason someone gets into the hall) I don’t think Yao gets in at this stage.
But if they consider the impact he’s had on the game in terms of bringing millions of additional fans to the NBA and helping it to grow as a truly popular sport globally, he might get in.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:02 am
K Dizzle says:
Since it’s the BASKETBALL Hall of Fame and not the NBA Hall of Fame, not to mention that Yao can get in as a contributor/builder to the game post-playin career for what he’s gonna do for hoops in Asia and growin the interest in the game in his homeland, he’s got a good shot. At the very least, I don’t know any 7 time Chinese all-stars…
Get outta your bubble
Now, back to Houston. First shots are unrestricted centers to replace Yao and you still need a back-up:
Pachulia, Gortat, Birdman(I like him for the rockets. Shoot, I like him for my Lakers), Mikki Moore, Sean May, Jerome James (lol – yeah, right), Lorenzen Wright, Sheed, Kwame, Rasho, Mihm, Magloire, Chris Wilcox, Robert Swift, that 300 lb. kid from Santa Clara….never mind. Good luck to Houston, but with the medical staff in Phoenix, Yao needs to request that trade
June 30th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Kudabeen says:
Yao’s people need to take to Big Z’s people about how to resolve these big man foot injury issues…
June 30th, 2009 at 7:23 am
MNTwolves says:
After how many days, no Rubio mention?
June 30th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Ashlov says:
Yao Ming = Ralph Sampson
June 30th, 2009 at 8:32 am
sans says:
Kubadeen–for real. Z had like 4 foot surgeries, 3 on one foot.
Yao gets in, like Dizzle says, as a contributor and a player, and probably a coach in China when its all over with–he made the NBA too much money not to get in. 7 nods in 7 years–100% All Star–not to mention the only guy over 7′5″ not to be a stiff (apologies to Muresan–another big guy with jacked feet). Sure, China stacked his ballot, but he was All Star worthy every time he played.
No MVPs, not a good playoff record, but when did Ewing do anything besides be a nemesis to Jordan?
Terrel Davis should be in Hall. I never saw Gayle Sayers play, but his career was short too. Bill Walton got an MVP and rings, but his feet were f’d too (although after a great college career).
Yao goes down as a fragile science experiment, market opening, dominant when available Hall of Fame big man.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:37 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
if Yao’s career does come to an abrupt end because of this injury, i think he could best be compared to Arvydas Sabonis… both had pretty unique skill sets for their size… and both of ‘em had their careers somehow cut short by playing full time for their respective countries in international play…
June 30th, 2009 at 8:38 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
@sans… pretty good observation there man
June 30th, 2009 at 9:07 am
rangerjohn says:
all i can say is yao made 7 allstars in 7 seasons because of china. just like tracy.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:09 am
KnicksFan84 says:
Yao Ming = Rik Smits
June 30th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Dennis Castro says:
Wait, Eddie House has boys?!?!?! This is news to me.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:20 am
PALakerFan says:
Boozer’s an a-hole. If Detroit was smart – big IF – they’d spend their money on Millsap or Odom at the PF and Gordon at the SG. No way Boozer is worth the $13-15 mil he’s asking for.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:28 am
silky says:
Lol yao is totally smits.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Phileus says:
Yao gets in for single-handedly making Chinese basketball relevant.
He wouldn’t get in with those stats if he were an American center.
I have no problem with that. If you’re the guy who makes one and a half billion care about basketball, well…
June 30th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Sanpitch says:
I love the irony in the Boozer saga. That guy is a nut-job.
Yao a HOFer…. hmmm….. I put him in, not based on his on the court stats but based on the fact that he globalized the game of basketball. Sure Jordan did his share of globalizing the sport, but Yao was born outside the US and become an NBA star. He has done more for the global domination of the NBA that Stern wants than anyone else has so far. He gets in.
Like has already been mentioned, how many other 7′5″+ guys have had the impact on the game that he has?? None, and I don’t think we will see anyone that height make that much of an impact on and off the court for a long time. (Apologies for Shawn Bradley for his SpaceJam role).
June 30th, 2009 at 9:46 am
BERN BROGDEN aka BINO BROWN STR8 UP N DOWN says:
YAO!!!
Welcome to the ‘SNAIL ZONE’ – your tour guide will be none other than ILGUASKAS…
…accompanied by a turtle who somehow happened to win a foot race with a rabbit.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Wake says:
Rockets should have picked Jay Williams. O wait…
June 30th, 2009 at 10:18 am
dk says:
Yao could have been great, but wasnt. Yao by no means is even close to being put in a sentence with the words hall of fame, dont be a retard. This is great news for the Lakers because hopefully Houston can make some good decisions and balance out some of these free agent signings. Im sick of hearing about the faggots in Orlando signing every one in creation, even though their letting their best players go…lol.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:20 am
dk says:
@22 Your nuts if you really think Yao globalized the game of basketball. Its been global, it will be global and 500,000,000 in China would have still been watching if Yao never was created. That is no reason to be inducted.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:22 am
dk says:
Maybe Yao goes in for biggest heart ” break ” . Since hes done that to enough people on and off the court. I know two dynasty keeper managers that are contemplating suicide right now….
June 30th, 2009 at 10:23 am
dk says:
@19 Yeah, 20,10 guys that arent Zack Randolph are a dime a dozen. Who needs that and a wealth of toughness.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:24 am
max says:
the NBA is putting YAO on ice for one season because he is gambling—just like MJ. his legs are totally fine. he just can’t stop putting money on chicken fights. he already lost over 30 millions USD
June 30th, 2009 at 10:43 am
dk says:
@29 Thres a chicken foot joke in there some where.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:49 am
jzsmoove says:
This is all McGrady’s fault…first it was the 1st round collapses. Now that Yao’s gotten past that, TMac jinxes him with the injury bug. Fucken TMac is a cancer.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:06 am
QQ says:
@25 – I agree. It’s sad to think the game might lose a player of his caliber.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:07 am
ToAn says:
@31
don’t forget what t-mac did to grant hill in orlando
June 30th, 2009 at 11:17 am
rangerjohn (cap and tax LMAO oops) says:
was thinking, does the new chinese ownership in cleveland still want yao after all this?
June 30th, 2009 at 11:33 am
srb says:
twitter is so freaking annoying
June 30th, 2009 at 11:42 am
sure says:
If you want to rid yourself of carrer threatening injuries. Go to Phoenix. They’ll rehab you back to form. Mcgrady,Yao,Vince,Steve Francis,T.Duncan,Ginobli. Workout w/ Phoenix or Denver’s staff for the summer and you’ll be back to tip-top shape. Grant Hill almost looks like his Fila days. A little exaggeration but you know what I mean. He gave Shaq life. Jason Richardson looks as if he never had surgery. Nash doesn’t play or look his age. Amare from 2 microfracture. You get the picture.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Dave says:
The Jazz have already putting a qualifying offer out on Milsap so he will stay in Utah because they’ll match any offer. If Boozer stays in Utah they’ll definitely be a trade in the works, probably either a sign and trade or a mid-season trade to someone who wants to dump salary. It won’t kill the Jazz if Boozer doesn’t opt out because he’s trade bait, but if Okur on the other hand opts out (which he will) and the Jazz don’t re-sign him they’re in trouble because they have no other center.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Amar says:
Dave is right, for the longest time the Jazz brass has come out and said that they will match any and all offers for millsap. having korver on the roster still makes money tight. i could see utah trading boozer to uzbekestan for a crate of rocks.
jazz are looking at shoring up their PF spot next season anyway with the unrestricted lotto pick of the knicks in the 2010 draft.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
BNZA says:
yes, twitter is annoying and yao does not belong in the hall of fame.
for both Yao and Twitter it is true that it´s ALL MARKETING HYPE.
I was so sick of Yao getting selecting to every allstar game just because he is chinese.
That felt like positive racism in a way
June 30th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Mr. BBall says:
“If Booz opts out now, it’ll be less of a money thing and more because he just doesn’t want to play in Utah anymore”
Not exactly true, he could be looking for a long term deal aka more money in the long term vs short term.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Mr. BBall says:
LOL @ YAO betting on Chicken Fights
June 30th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
That's whats up says:
Yao shouldn’t put his money down on McGrady if he wants to win
June 30th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
the cynic says:
Yao isn’t even close to the HOF at this point unless of course you mean the chinese basketball HOF
June 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
They’d be smart to go after Gortat, he’s an excellent back up who can start also. And his ruffneck style would fit in with the Yao-less/McGrady-less Rockets’ style.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
K Dizzle says:
Some o y’all are just dense. Got a Laker fan defendin the Rockets center. That stings a lil.
I’ll admit that Yao’s first couple seasons weren’t all-star worthy but look at his last 4 seasons:
05-06 – 22pts, 10 rbs
06-07 – 25pts, 9 rbs
07-08 – 22pts, 11 rbs
08-09 – 19.7ppg, 9.9 rbs
over 50% fg and +85% ft
Those are all star numbers. Dude got votes cuz he Chinese, but he earned his spot. I’m tired of the haters sayin stupid shit and never backin it up. Fans may mess up on votin for the starters, but Yao’s been one of the top two centers in the West for the last few years so if he didn’t get voted in, he woulda got put on by the coaches anyways.
Get outta your bubble. The world’s bigger than your neighborhood.
p.s. Carlos Boozer ain’t optin out. Dude looked around and realized the economy’s in the toilet and he might not get more than he’s gettin now so it would be smarter to play out this contract, pray he don’t get hurt, and try again next year when more teams than Detroit and Memphis got money to spend…
June 30th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
doc says:
Yao aint no damn hall of famer.If he one so is Smits ,Divac,Sabonis and all them good overseas bigs with skills.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Cousin Larry says:
Yao is a HOF lock right now, if they let Bill Walton in they should let Yao in. Yao has more All-Star selections, career points and rebounds than Big Bill. Throw it down big man, throw it down one time!
June 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Gotta go with the doc on this. GOD bless Yao but dude ain’t H.O.F.
Oh well Houston made their bed by not trading Yao a long time ago. All the signs were there of him being fragile. I been saying I wish they would have gotten Howard instead somehow.
I hate this for Tracy because he will likely be traded so they can get an o.k. center while trying to bring Ron back and hope the new drafts and Von can create on the scoring end.
Tracy is going to come back better and really be decent I feel, but I already know the people that hope in Tracy are of a dying breed but I still got hope for ya boy.
I don’t think Sheed and Ron would be a good combo. Ron needs to be the only Alpha on the squad. Perhaps out of the names thrown around okur looks like the best bet…which is sad.
If Tracy goes to NY I will still be a Rockets fan always but I will have to get my cheer on for NY too.
Wow you can be so high one minute (Rockets advancing and taking LA to 7) and then be so low (injury ish).
What a kick in the nuts!
June 30th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Collaboro says:
hate it or love it Yao is auto hall of fame. Guaranteed LOCK insta hall.
Disproved the myth that giant bigs cant hit a free throw, 20 and 10 and truly the first asian sensation.
He’s in no doubt about it.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
steven cinco says:
You’ve got to be joking, totally high, or cognitively impaired to think that Yao is hall of fame material. Seriously, are you high? I like Yao just fine,so I’m not hating, but I think a player should average at least 50 games a season and win a playoff series once in while before you start talking H.O.F. You need something more than just being freakishly tall and popular in China to get those creds. Just my opinion.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
dagwaller says:
If his career is truly over, I think that it’s a wee bit short of HoF status, though he was a dominant player while he was active. Just wish that he could play for another 5 years or so. Big fan still!
July 1st, 2009 at 12:47 am
Buffalo Brave says:
“And finally, one of our favorite NBA tweeters, Marcus Williams: “I think the dopest thing about nba2K9 is they really got my tattoos.” It’ll be even doper if NBA 2K10 has Marcus on it, period. His name hasn’t popped up at all when you hear about available free agent point guards … We’re out like the Ming Dynasty …”
OWNED!!!
ROFLMFAO!!!!!
July 1st, 2009 at 5:30 am
Sweet English says:
Thanks for the repost buffalo. I wouldn’t have seen that ENTIRE paragraph otherwise.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:17 pm
jazzfan2992 says:
I agree with the boozer-amare trade. Amare does all the good things that boozer does except he doesn’t suck at d like boozer + he finishes strong around the rim. I’m so sick of boozer. He’s missed about 1/3 of the games that he’s been in utah. The jazz also need to trade ak-47. He’s making $16M(more than lebron, melo). His salary is in the top 20 and there are at least 4 players on the jazz now who are better than him(d-will, boozer, memo, millsap). The jazz really need to trade him and boozer, they are getting screwed.