Yao Ming retires from the NBA

[QUOTE=Joey Zaza]Less of one...less expectations surrounding him.

Well, there's a thing in the NBA (or there was) called a salary cap. No matter how much $$ a player brings in, the team still has to work within it. So, by taking up 12% of Hou's cap, while only playing a limited number of their games, his value is diminished--from a basketball standpoint, not a franchise value standpoint.

Use a different example because Hakeem is the picture perfect #1 pick.[/QUOTE]

No the expectations would have been the same. Kyree Irving's expectations would be the same if he went 2-5. It's about skill set not position. If he was highly touted it wouldn't have mattered would it?

Also to be fair then you'd have to call T-Mac a bust for that team too. Which you may or may not be prepared to do I don't know your stance on that.

You yourself continue to call Yao an A player. How is that not one deserving of that pick. How many other A players would you say came from that draft? Maaaaaybe 3? Any of which going one would have been reasonable.

My argument is that you're taking it to an extreme. Yao is not a bust. He was def top-2 centers, and I personally think that with some luck he may have won an MVP. It's sad to see injuries derail what was an extremely promising career.

Terrible news. It's unfortunate the McGrady/Yao duo never reached it's potential. No way they should've lost to the Jazz in 2007.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]No the expectations would have been the same. Kyree Irving's expectations would be the same if he went 2-5. It's about skill set not position. If he was highly touted it wouldn't have mattered would it?.[/QUOTE]

Expectations are impossible to measure...but #1 pick means -- you can pick anyone in the world you want. No.2 pick means, you pick whomever the #1 picker didn't want.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]Also to be fair then you'd have to call T-Mac a bust for that team too. Which you may or may not be prepared to do I don't know your stance on that.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't be the first one...T-Mac did not live up to expectations (set by his play) I think we ca nall agree on that.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]You yourself continue to call Yao an A player. How is that not one deserving of that pick. How many other A players would you say came from that draft? Maaaaaybe 3? Any of which going one would have been reasonable.[/QUOTE]

I call him A-/B+. Amare is an A. Booz is an A-/B+. Nene is a B/B+.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]My argument is that you're taking it to an extreme. Yao is not a bust. He was def top-2 centers, and I personally think that with some luck he may have won an MVP. It's sad to see injuries derail what was an extremely promising career.[/QUOTE]

All it would have taken was a little luck and alot better play.

[QUOTE=gyu]You've obviously never seen Yao play if you don't think he was an above average defender, Rockets was one of the best defensive teams a few years ago mostly due to him... :facepalm

If NBA.com didn't remove most of their content off their site I would show you the article near the end of the 08-09 season where Yao was ranked 2nd for DPOY after Dwight Howard.[/QUOTE]

Rockets had a few years where they allowed less points in the paint than anyone else.

so from basketball overall or just the NBA? what does china and their basketball association have to say about this?

Yao in his prime was a great player, a true all-star and he was top 2-3 among centers in his own era for the most of his career.

Now when it's all over he accomplished pretty much;

[U][B]
8

top25

J. Rose pointed out on ESPN that thru the 2002-2007 seasons Yao even with all the injuries was the most effective scorer in the league.
That showed how effecient he was , and how weak the position in the league was.

I was asked once , who was better Yao or Howard.
Yao was my answer ... and it's a sad day that we could not of seen these two great talents match up against each other for years and see the battles. (Because I think if Yao would of been healthy - they would of been epic battles)

Now we see hopefully the Jordans, Bogut , Howard , and Gasol and maybe Bynum find their nitch and award us with some great confrontations.

RIP Yao the giant :cry:

I became a fan of Yao when he played in the 2000 Olympics. He's the best Asian player in NBA History, and a genuinely nice guy. We are going to miss him. It sucks that injury prematurely ended his NBA Career. God Bless Yao Ming.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Ve5j7w26I[/url]

The Yao Ming Song.

Top 15. I'll take Yao's prime over Mourning's prime any day of the week.

Top 15, sad bc he had a chance to make a much bigger push. At one point he was averaging around 27/11 for the second half of a season then broke his leg or foot. I can't remember.

I still remember this Article.

[url]http://www.cbssports.com/u/ce/recap/0,2405,NBA_20021030_HOU@IND,00.htm[/url]

It's sad, imagine what could've been.
Injuries ruined his career.
When healthy, this dude was a legitimate force, easily a 20-10 guy with great free throw shooting. I would take him over Dwight Howard back then.

Never knew Shaq and Yao were good buddies.
[QUOTE=Shaq]"We're going to miss you, bro," O'Neal said. "You're one of the greatest players ever to come out of China. You're one of the greatest players, period. I'm going to miss you, brother. Enjoy retirement. Let's go on vacation, bro. Me and you."[/QUOTE]

Man, sucks to see him go. Always wanted the guy to do good.

Houston, we are in our dark days again, like it was in the early part of the 2000s.

Probably top 25, could have been one of the true great center.

[QUOTE=Eat Like A Bosh]

Never knew Shaq and Yao were good buddies.[/QUOTE]


maybe im just cynical, but i think shaq is just trying to stay in the news.

Greatest Chinese center of all time. Maybe even greatest Asian center of all time.

It is a sad day indeed, but we all saw this coming sooner or later. It is probably best for him personally that he does retire. When I heard he was out for the season last season, I knew that his playing days were pretty much over.

Sadly there is such a thing as too much size in the NBA. You just can't have the man's frame and size while having a healthy NBA career.

He had the anti-LeBron personality, a personality that Kevin Durant has today. A humble and genuinely nice guy. The dude worked like a dog. He was one of the hardest workers the league has ever seen.

He is probably going to be the last dominant offensive center to play the game. A top 15-17 center to ever play the game.

Sad day, but it was coming sooner or later. Maybe he will give it another go. If he does, I hope he picks a contender not named the Miami Heat.

3 years too late

It seems with all of these players that died or had their career cut short due to injuries or other factors are always remembered as "could have been", "would have been", etc. Oftentimes they are later perceived as players way better than they actually were. For example, Sabonis showed potential as a young player and had injuries; he could have been better. However, people say things such as Sabonis could have been one of the greatest centers ever, which is mostly because it can't be proved false since he never actually played during his prime. Same thing with Len Bias; people say he could have been one of the best and his skill is glamorized, just because he was never actually able to show it.

Will Yao be remembered as a player that never dominated because his career was cut short due to injury? In 20 years, will uneducated fools be telling others on message boards that Yao was one of the greatest centers of all time, and would have dominated the league during the years he was injured and retired?

edit: 1,000 posts :party: :party: :party:

With Yao retiring now I would say he's in the top 25-30 centers of all time. He had the potential to get in the 10 to 15 area though. U got:

Kareem
Wilt
Russell
Shaq
Dream
Moses
Robinson
Ewing
Mikan
Reed
Unseld
Cowens
Thurmond
Walton
Parish
Gilmore
Bellamy
Zo

Yao talent and size combined could be ranked around number 10-12 arguably. But he wasn't great long enough to be ranked that high. He and Bill Walton could have been way up there if not for the injuries. Even though Big Bill made the 50 greatest, he didn't belong on that list. At his best, Bill was right up there as one of the 3-4 best all around centers ever. But he wasn't great long enough. There had NEVER been a player at 7'5 with Yao's skillset and ability. Too bad he couldn't get it in and become as great as he could have been.

Who?

Yao is not a legend, you need to get smacked up for a statement like this, IMO

There will always be these types of discussions. I think, along with the injuries, the supporting casts he had (yes, including T-Mac) will always be blamed for his lack of rings and individual accolades. It's likely cultural. Chinese kids growing up probably consider him a basketball messiah of sorts.

He'll be remember as a "what could have been" but he certainly didn't do his body any favors, placing extra strain on it playing for China in the off-season.

Yao was great for the era he was in, but the era was weak.

I think he will be remembered more as an ambassador for the game

Top 20, certainly. Probably #18.

[QUOTE=Samurai Swoosh]Yao is not a legend, you need to get smacked up for a statement like this, IMO[/QUOTE]

Hahaha good job I can tell you understood the purpose of the thread;

The point I was making that Yao was merely a regular All-Star caliber player, a decent center; however, I was propositioning that people in the future might remember him as much better, and glorify how good he was simply because he got injured and ended his career shortly. It has happened many times.

[I]You [/I]need to get smacked up for not taking the time to comprehend what the thread was about..

[quote=L.Kizzle]Man, sucks to see him go. Always wanted the guy to do good.

Houston, we are in our dark days again, like it was in the early part of the 2000s.[/quote]

Even more fittingly, Yao came to the Rockets in those dark days. He retires and we're back here again.
:(

Sad, always wished he could win more, he's such a nice guy. The NBA is entering a new era, it's not going to be long before Duncan, Kobe, KG, Ray, Pierce, Vince all retire. I feel like an old man now....

[QUOTE=Peteballa]
[I]You [/I]need to get smacked up for not taking the time to comprehend what the thread was about..[/QUOTE]
:(

I didn't read it. I must confess.

I had an answer for the thread title, though.

no, he'll be remembered as a tall freak that couldnt stay on the court

I forgot his 30 foot 10 head as already

[QUOTE=Samurai Swoosh]:(

I didn't read it. I must confess.

I had an answer for the thread title, though.[/QUOTE]

It's all good haha

[QUOTE=Stuckey]no, he'll be remembered as a tall freak that couldnt stay on the court[/QUOTE]
First half of his career; not true.

Second half; true.

[QUOTE=bdreason]I bet he still makes the All-Star game next season... assuming there is a season.[/QUOTE]
:lol

no, people glorify those whose careers were cut short who showed flashes of brilliance or straight dominance

Bill Walton ,for example,when healthy won rings.....and was a good center..great passing big man..

yao was and is straight garbage.... an AVERAGE nba center at best..

cringe when tv sports guys used to talk about how good he is...now cringe when average fans repeat that nonsense




If Chris Dudley has nba ads where he is referred to as an "NBA legend" than anything is possible..

[QUOTE=rezznor]Yao was great for the era he was in, but the era was weak.

I think he will be remembered more as an ambassador for the game[/QUOTE]

Honestly, I think he might get into the HOF mainly because of that.

He will remember like Sabonis. Could have been, would have been.

[QUOTE=ThaSwagg3r]Top 15. I'll take Yao's prime over Mourning's prime any day of the week.[/QUOTE]
RG is that you?