Yao Ming retires from the NBA

[Nero Tulip]

What a failure he turned out to be. Not his fault, as when he was healthy he could be dominant, but still I (and everybody else) expected him to do much more in this league.

[Joey Zaza]

my bad - 2 of 8 yrs he hit 10 bds a game, in a 3rd he averaged 9.9.

[redhonda76]

I know he's retiring, but he's not dead, so we can criticize him. Dude was never as good as he was supposed to be. He couldn't stay healthy. He never got out of the 1st round. He couldn't grab 10bds a game. He couildn't catch a ball on the move and make a play. He was slow.

He was a good player. A big draw. He was one of the top centers in the league when he played...but in alot of ways, he was a bust.

Yao did got out of the 1st round. He did average 10reb a game on a couple of times. Yao is only averaging 32 minutes a game. What the hell are you talking about.

[Joey Zaza]

i hate this argument. so tmac was a bust too i guess?


p.s. he did get out of the first round

T-Mac wasn't a #1 pick. T-Mac wasn't supposed to be an evolutionary/generational player.

Yao came in with huge expectations - he turned out to be a better version of Rik Smits and Ilgaukas. Fine players, but not superstars.

[alenleomessi]

wow this sucks he was one of a kind

[ihatetimthomas]

I know he's retiring, but he's not dead, so we can criticize him. Dude was never as good as he was supposed to be. He couldn't stay healthy. He never got out of the 1st round. He couldn't grab 10bds a game. He couildn't catch a ball on the move and make a play. He was slow.

He was a good player. A big draw. He was one of the top centers in the league when he played...but in alot of ways, he was a bust.

Well as others said, he did get out of the first round back in 09' and did get the boards.

I would say he didnt get his full potential out of his career, but not a bust because he was a good player.. Injuries derailed his careers but thats hardly a knock to him personally. He was coming into his own before the bad injuries and was becoming a lot more agressive. When you look at his stats and career, you cant say he was a bust. His career was just cut short.

He was not perfect, but he had a lot of great assets. Great in the post, great midrange shot, solid footwork and great FT shooter. You can see that he really wanted to win. He was passionate about the game.

[SCREWstonRockets]

T-Mac wasn't a #1 pick. T-Mac wasn't supposed to be an evolutionary/generational player.

Yao came in with huge expectations - he turned out to be a better version of Rik Smits and Ilgaukas. Fine players, but not superstars.

Why huge expectations? Nobody that size in the NBA Was ever as good as Yao Ming. But Yao was suppose to come in and score 30 and grab 20 boards a game? What's the the logic here? From what I remember when was being first mentioned, almost everyone said he was going to be a bust. Then, when he proved he wasn't a bust, now he was suppose to be the greatest center ever? He went from being projected as a bust, to a 19/9 career player. I'd say that is pretty good.

[Joey Zaza]

Yao did got out of the 1st round. He did average 10reb a game on a couple of times. Yao is only averaging 32 minutes a game. What the hell are you talking about.

He made it out of the 1st round once, averaged 10bds twice. I'm not calling him garbage but his play didn't earn him all those all-star nods, or his endorsements. He was a B+/A- player, who did not meet his expectations.

[thejumpa]

Called it when he first went down against LA. This just goes to show how a relatively small injury can turn extremely serious and end ones career. He's only 30 years old. What a shame.

FWIW...he was the best Center in the league for a few years and NOBODY ever took that title from him.

[Joey Zaza]

I'd say that is pretty good.

Yeah, "pretty good" exactly. Not starting all-star. Not #1 pick. Not #1 pitch man.

He was pretty good. We agree.

[rezznor]

Yeah, "pretty good" exactly. Not starting all-star. Not #1 pick. Not #1 pitch man.

He was pretty good. We agree.

dwight. yao. name me any another center who deserved to start over him when he was playing at his peak. (discount the years he got voted in while injured, i agree that was bullshit)

the only other player as good as Yao that year was Amare and guess what, 8 other teams passed on him as well. Yao was the obvious pick to make at #1 at the time.


Yao also bridged the gap between China (guess how many people they have?!) and USA. #1 pitchman is a no brainer.

[Joey Zaza]

Called it when he first went down against LA. This just goes to show how a relatively small injury can turn extremely serious and end ones career. He's only 30 years old. What a shame.

FWIW...he was the best Center in the league for a few years and NOBODY ever took that title from him.

Which years was he the best center? Wasn't Shaq always the best center until Dwight. Hell, Amare playing C in Phx was better.

[ihatetimthomas]

Yeah, "pretty good" exactly. Not starting all-star. Not #1 pick. Not #1 pitch man.

He was pretty good. We agree.

Does a pretty good player mean a bust? Not in my books.

[redhonda76]

He made it out of the 1st round once, averaged 10bds twice. I'm not calling him garbage but his play didn't earn him all those all-star nods, or his endorsements. He was a B+/A- player, who did not meet his expectations.

What expectations are you expectting? When Yao was drafted #1, everyone was saying he will be a bust. No one was expecting him to be a 20/10 guy. Experts were saying the game is too fast for him and he is not strong enough to play the game. Like many foreign players, it took time to adjust the rules of the game. You expect a 7'6 guy to get 30/20?? Name me a player of Yao's height made an impact or the skills that he have?
His career was cut short due to injuries which was beyond his control.

[Derrick]

He gave the rockets some good years, lets leave it at that.