I asked some questions about your views on this, mostly because I was interested in your views, and you have just completely insulted me.

Among your points: “Your ignorance of the impact of this kind of damage is just plain shameful.” Really? The fact that I don’t have a crystal ball or an orthopedic surgeon’s understanding of the long-term consequences of repeated stress and injuries to a 7-6 man’s limbs is shameful? He’s a one-of-a-kind person. I don’t exactly have experience in this area to fall back on.

I’ll try hard to ask a sincere question about the last point. If you want to continue the attitude, that’s fine; I’ll just forget it and won’t try having any conversations with you going forward.

I see a big difference between, on one had, a huge injury risk that would end a basketball career, lead to a long and painfully recovery/rehab, and perhaps limit your access to certain types of intense exercise for life. The other hand is an injury risk that would lead to life-long, catastrophic injury: needs to use a wheelchair for life, can’t walk a half-mile at a moderate pace without pain, can’t lift a dining-room chair and carry it across the room.

If it’s the first case, and Yao wants to give it a go, it seems perfectly reasonable to me. I’d probably do it in his shoes. if it’s the second, then clearly a reasonable person might believe it would be unconscionable for him to come back. I’m not a doctor, but I just can’t think of historical precedent in basketball for the latter case. Are there players you know of who suffered permanent, crippling injuries on the court? It’s possible this discussion is too black/white, but I have a hard time parsing finer than those two scenarios.