UPDATE: Yao Possibly Out for ‘09-10 Season
When word came across the bottom line early last week that Yao’s foot was healing behind schedule, no one blinked twice. Everyone was so focused on the draft, it didn’t really matter that he wouldn’t be back on Day 1 of training camp.
But now the Rockets are ready to push the panic button. Yao’s injury is far worse than those original reports made it out to be. And the draft has come and gone without any overture towards coming up with a suitable replacement for one of the League’s top two centers.
“It sounds like he’s missing most of next season, if not the entire 82 games,” one league executive who has had recent discussions with the Houston front office told Yahoo! Sports. “That’s all that [the Rockets] will concede quietly, but they know it’s probably much worse.”
Adrian Wojnarowski’s Yahoo! Sports column makes it seem as though it would be a victory for Houston if Yao only missed next year. The phrase “career-ending” is being thrown around. For a 28-year old who missed only five regular season games last year, that’s a mind-numbing possibility.
Now that credible sources are saying that Houston’s franchise center might have to call it quits, watch the blame party begin. The Rockets blame Yao for playing with his country during the Olympics before his foot healed properly. Yao blames Houston for playing him for nearly 2600 minutes last season. The Chinese blame the U.S. for calling Yao soft and hurting his feelings. Nuclear bombs are exchanged. (OK, maybe this isn’t the time to joke around…)
Houston isn’t commenting on Yao’s injury until they’ve conducted extensive tests. But in the meantime, they need to figure out what they do if he will be out for the entire ‘09-10 season. Do they re-sign Ron Artest? Do they let Tracy McGrady’s contract expire in Houston? The next few weeks couldn’t be more important in Houston.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Michorizo says:
That’s what happens when you sleep with Tracy McGrady…even if it was for a one night stand.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Amar says:
again — this is news how?
Rockets = 4 playoff wins in a series once in 10 years. too bad jordan didn’t take time off, otherwise the rox would have as many rings as the jazz.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
K Dizzle says:
Damn. All the shittin heads do on T-Mac and they fail to realize Yao ain’t played a playoff game in what 3-4 years?
Why don’t Rockets ever talk about tradin Yao? Even a healthy Pryzbilla is better than a 7′6 all-star in a suit….on the sidelines
June 29th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Pig says:
Made in china
June 29th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Ducky says:
Really??? As a Houston fan, im not suprised @ the injury but the WHOLE DAMN SEASON?!?!?!?! This is ri-go**amn-diculous…
June 29th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Amar says:
trading yao = loss of revinue from the 2 billion people living in China . . . loss of extra all-star for free, loss of money from all-star jerseys, loss of TV deals in China, etc
yao ming is like fine china — expensive, but just don’t dare use it, or it will break.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
IGP says:
only an idiot would joke about nuclear bombs right now
June 29th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
the cynic says:
well at least Yao can retire knowing he helped his team to the second round of the playoffs once. McGrady and Yao can retire together since I don’t expect either one to play another game again
June 29th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
rangerjohn says:
dizzle
yao hasnt played in a playoff game in 3-4 yrs? hell he was killin guys in portland and gasol/bynam in the 1st and second rounds this year.
as for his injury, no surpise really, all year or rest of career tha
June 29th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
rangerjohn says:
dizzle
yao hasnt played in a playoff game in 3-4 yrs? hell he was killin guys in portland and gasol/bynam in the 1st and second rounds this year.
as for his injury, no surpise really, all year or rest of career tha
June 29th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
rangerjohn says:
dizzle
yao hasnt played in a playoff game in 3-4 yrs? hell he was killin guys in portland and gasol/bynam in the 1st and second rounds this year.
as for his injury, no surpise really, all year or rest of career tha
June 29th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
rangerjohn says:
dizzle
yao hasnt played in a playoff game in 3-4 yrs? hell he was killin guys in portland and gasol/bynam in the 1st and second rounds this year.
as for his injury, no surpise really, all year or rest of career tha
June 29th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
rangerjohn says:
lmao dime liked me enough to post an unfinished post 3 times HA
June 29th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
smoove chips says:
@ 4
you wrong dawg lol !!
June 29th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
K Dizzle says:
@ Ranger
sorry. meant he hadn’t finished a season healthy in 3-4 years
June 29th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Kobeef says:
I don’t understand how this post is different than the last one but I’ll play the game.
Someone in the last post pointed out that BOTH of Houston’s superstar’s bodies have failed on them. Do they have a trainer? Get these guys some therapy.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Cousin Larry says:
You don’t resign Artest if Yao is not healthy because Artest is just basically a great role player, a 3rd option on a good team. He will not lead you to the playoffs if he is the number 1 option. Houston should just let McGrady’s contract expire and try to rebuild around Aaron Brooks.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
boomtho says:
T-mac came back too early, should’ve rested a whole season. Kept aggravating the same injuries. Yao never got a break because of his country. He cant turn his back on china, its kinda like they own him. sucks but thats how it is. basketball 365 days a year is too much for anyone yet alone a 7′ plus guy
June 29th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
sh!tfaced says:
stop playing for china, yao. you’ve already done so much for your country. time to get greedy and think of yourself for once, before its too late. or is it already?
June 29th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Jerry says:
too bad for Yao, his body can’t keep up with his ambitions
June 29th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
E$ says:
(Let us pray)
June 29th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
p-dizzle says:
I don’t think anyone has mentioned how sad of a situation this is for Yao. Even if your not a Houston fan(which I’m not), you have to aknowledge the fact that Yao was a fierce competitor, had a strong will, a solid teamate, and a great role model. Everybody wants to play the blame game but I think Yao’s body just isn’t made for a long NBA career. He doesn’t seem to be a natural athlete. A shame……
June 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
dk says:
Yeah, I second that. And we might as well blame China for the failing enviroment.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
rlf says:
i pray this is not true. yao seems like a nice person. very sensitive man. God willing this is not true.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
dk says:
@ 17 Wow!!!! Comment of the day. Build around Brooks lmao…
June 29th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
redstorm11 says:
china does own yao… they get a decent cut of his contract too, he cant say no to the goverment, so basicly yao will never survive a full nba season
June 29th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Willis says:
Reke Havoc – Tyreke Evans
Prince Casspian – Omri Casspi
Spanish Chocolate – Sergio Rodriguez
John Brockman – Lazer
existing Kings nicknames
Speedracer – Kevin Martin ( i also heard someone call him operator before, cuz he is always on the line)
El Flaco – Cisco Garcia
Bjax – Bobby Jackson
Hawes/Hawesome – Spencer Hawes
Shock – Jason Thompson
Kane – Donte Greene
anything else?
June 29th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs Before Slamball says:
I do agree, everyone DESTROYS tmac when he misses a few games for injury, meanwhile yao is built like wet chalk and people let him skate his whole career. tmac at least had a time when he was the man, yao has never been the dominant man. I blame china for riding dude so much, if hes in the NBA, let him be a nba player. Stop tryin to milk him for every second of glory and let him have a off season once in a while. THe chinese national team sucks with or without him anyway.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Bron42 aka Had Springs Before Slamball says:
p.s: its joey dorsey time babbbyyy
June 29th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Lotta false perceptions have created this. This is also what happens when you don’t heed warning shots.
Yao sent the message in the playoffs before last when he was out witht he whole leg issue. Then and I repeat then, they should have focused on getting a third wheel if you will because they did have Deke.
Happens again this playoffs where he is out when he is really really needed. So the draft comes along and Houston gives cash so they can’t draft guards and small foward?
All resources of that draft should have been to get a center and I said that then and been saying it before then that they need another center.
People been screaming trade Tracy but it’s Yao who needs to be traded. The false perception is that he can ever go a full season so you have to have 1 or really 2 punches to come after him when he is out. Chuck Hayes at center is NOT going to get it.
I can’t even feel sorry for Houston, cause the signs were there but when you ignore them, that long term stuff will get ya.
Sad when people who are fans of other teams are salty that the Rockets have 2 championships when Jordan left, when their team had a chance to get rings then and FAILED AND BEEN FAILING BEFORE AND EVER SINCE. Salty.
Jazz suck!
June 29th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
redstorm11 says:
now it makes sense why they wanted amare or thabeet, how long ya guys think the rockets knew?
June 29th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
added says:
time to rebuild
June 29th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
QQ says:
Difference between T-Mac and Yao:
Yao plays with fucking heart.
Yeah, he’s built like a stack of cards and he’s injury prone, but you see him in the second round, beasting the champs, you see him GIVE IT ALL.
T-Mac never does that. He’s just injury prone. You see him play hard even when he’s injured? NO.
That’s the fucking difference.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
rangerjohn says:
what is laughable, is some of the fans here in houston are saying the team is a contender if they resign artest and wafer even without yao or tracy. LMAO this is said because they beat the lakers in 2 games without these guys.
i have to ask who is ther #1 go to guy with tracy and yao out? is it artest? shane? brooks? scola? and do yao and tracy still get voted to start the allstar game next season? lmao that system needs to change also.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Ian says:
Ranger i think ur abusing the ” lmao”
June 30th, 2009 at 12:45 am
Shawn says:
@33
I believe T-Mac was taking injection on that left knee of his during the Utah series last year. The one where he went out and got 40 in game 6.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:10 am
QQ says:
@ 36:
So explain the rest of the 09 season where he missed the tons of games after saying at the beginning of the year his knees are now perfectly fine, he’s feeling good, and he’s happy about finally having another piece (Artest) to help him lead the team?
June 30th, 2009 at 1:19 am
MJAX says:
QQ, If your knee isn’t T-Mac’s knee then you have no idea what you’re talking about. Same thing with Yao, you have no idea with what’s going on with him fully. If you jack up your knee, playing with this heart and trying to guard a professional basketball player (whose more than likely All Star worthy) it’s not going to make you effective, or prove anything. It’s going to make you miss games like they both have.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:29 am
QQ says:
My knee isn’t the same as T-Mac’s knee because I am not a professional basketball player built with tremendous physique and with freakish athleticism. I am an asshole typing at my computer, bitching about the NBA.
Don’t use that argument. Professional basketball players have the responsibility to give it their all to their who are employing them. Have you not watched T-Mac this season? Have you seen that when he played, he played with no energy or zest at all. You see Yao play with a broken foot, but you see him fighting in the paint, fighting for post position. He may look like a big injured douche, but he doesn’t care. He’ll play hard, because he is payed to play hard.
And that fucking argument about ‘dont say that because you dont know how they feel’. Sports pundits in ESPN haven’t played a lick of ball in their lives yet they talk big because they have a show to critic players. This is a basketball forum. BASKETBALL FUCKING FORUM – a place where you can talk things about basketball. Of course, I’ll voice out my opinion, regardless if I played in the NBA or I am like T-Mac.
PS: I am a nurse. I think T-Mac has the same knowledge in open reduction-internal fixation orthopedic surgery in the same way I have experience in knowing what it feels like to be an NBA superstar. Fuck that argument.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Kevin K says:
Preach QQ preach~~~
June 30th, 2009 at 3:25 am
K Dizzle says:
“He’ll play hard, because he is payed to play hard.”
You know who else got paid to play hard?
Grant Hill….
When Yao was limpin around in the Olympics, “guttin thru” that broken foot, it brought back the sight of G Hill limpin around in detroit cuz fools were callin him soft and he was tryin to prove toughness…and cost him what could have been a hall of fame career.
My point is this: Sayin a pro has a responsibility to go all out all the time is nice in the movies, but this is reality. If I was a pro, my responsibility is to make enough so my family won’t ever need anything, AND if I’m lucky, I get to play somewhere nice (LA, Miami, Orl, Phx – hi Shaq) and get on a squad that maybe wins a couple chips and I stay healthy. Not the fan friendly view, but that’s the reality. Yao’s property of the Chinese gov’t so he doesn’t decide whether or not he can play, whether or not he good to go, he just follows orders…
June 30th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Shawn says:
QQ I agree what he did this season was bad but something had to be wrong with him. He declined tremendously. You can’t go from scoring 40 with ease in the playoffs to not being able to even dunk, no matter how out of shape you may have become in the offseason. However I think this is the year that T-Mac needs to establish on how he wants to be remembered in this game. If he works hard and comes back strong while making his teamates better then he will regain his respect. But if he comes back and acts like the prick similar to this past season as QQ said then he will be just one of those forgotten players that are mentioned once in while when people talk about good scorers in the game in the early 2000’s. As a fan I just hate seeing these injuries because it takes away from the game. The playoffs would have been more exciting with KG, Manu, and Yao. Hope Yao gets better.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:12 am
JHUSTLE says:
rockets are done. LETS GO DALLAS
June 30th, 2009 at 10:13 am
JHUSTLE says:
looks like the rockets are done. LETS GO DALLAS
June 30th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Dallas?? Bwahahahahahahahah