Breaking News: Yao Ming Plans To Retire
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Yao Ming plans to retire from the NBA. After suffering a foot/ankle injury during the Rockets second round matchup with the Lakers during the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Yao played in just five games for the next two seasons while barely averaging 18 minutes.
Wojnarowski tweeted this afternoon: Rockets’ Yao Ming has decided to retire from the NBA, league sources tell Y! Sports. He informed the league office within past 48 hours.
Yao’s tendon strain in his left leg and stress fracture in his foot never quite healed as the pounding his legs and feet have taken from years of holding up his enormous body finally caught up to him. Despite the early retirement (he’s still only 30 years old), Yao was a HUGE difference maker in the globalization of the game and it’s popularity in China (and made some great commercials).
And while Houston never realized it’s promise as a team with Yao there, his career averages are 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, putting up very solid numbers during every full season of his career.
Who remembers Shaq vs. Yao I? It was one of the most hyped matchups of the past 15 years.
What do you think? What will you remember about Yao?
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July 8th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
neoy says:
good luck my fellow Chinaman, all the best to you and thanks for the memories!
July 8th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
trollne1 says:
Damn that sucks. I hope he reconsiders if the lockout ends soon.
July 8th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Sickness says:
Wow, that really IS too bad. Seemed like a good dude, and could obviously play the game. Shawn bradley body, but with a slicker, fundamentally sound approach….damn!
July 8th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Thomas Chris10sen says:
You will be missed Shaqie Chan.
July 8th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Abe504 says:
Good player, just feet couldn’t handle all that height and weight. I also blame china for alot of the wear and tear on the dude, he needed rest, shouldn’t have been playing fiba games every summer.
July 8th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
ctkennedy says:
he gon make it ..but he shouldnt ..he is NOT a hall of famer …he in the Hall of very good
July 8th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
dagwaller says:
Guys that played between 98 and 03 were just in a weird era.
Great player, loved to see him play.
July 8th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Promoman says:
I blame the Rockets for continuing to play him after his foot was initially injured. Had they sat him he wouldn’t have needed that surgery. They also loved to freeze him out of games too. I’ve seen plenty of games where he could’ve had at least 30 and a win but his teammates wouldn’t give him the ball.
July 8th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
KL says:
Big question….. Is he a HOF’er?
I say yes. Stats may say no, bit the basketball HOF is much more than that. What he did to help promote the NBA in asia, to the world and making the NBA bigger than what Kobe and mj ever did. Just my 0.02$
July 9th, 2011 at 4:08 am
ball in my hand says:
One of the funny guys in the NBA. He will be missed.