Yao Ming has decided to retire

by twinkilling0303 on Jul 8, 2011 12:43 PM CDT

Adrian Wojnarowski on twitter: "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 hasn't been able to recover fully from numerous operations. He is one of the seminal figures in globalization of the NBA and basketball."

I usually don't like writing a lot about topics, I usually just comment and listen to what others have to say. This time feels different. Yao Ming is the reason I became a fan of the Rockets. I was too young to get into the championship teams from the 90s, and I didn't really start watching a lot of basketball until the last few Jordan years. Yao Ming seemed bigger than life to me. He was going to turn our franchise around, a guy you could build a team around. He was more than that though. Not only was he one of the most talented, fearless basketball players I had ever seen...but Yao Ming seemed to be a different kind of person. Never saying "look at me", and was always a team player. Even though everyone wanted a piece of this guy, it never seemed to bother him. Yao Ming is the definition of a role model. No matter how many times he fell, he worked harder than everybody else to get back up. While a part of me is happy for this team to move on, I'm more sad that he'll never play again. I'll never get to watch his tremendous ability. He'll never get to hold up that trophy. Most people will remember him for his injuries, but I'll remember him for his dominance and determination. So I'd like to say thanks to Yao Ming, for everything he did for this franchise. I hope that he can finally take it easy and be healthy for his wife and family. If anyone deserves a great life after his career, it's the Great Wall.

No cursing in title. No pirated material, such as links to online game streams. Do not cut/paste entire sections of content from other websites. Thanks.

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More from Adrian Wojnarowski's twitter

“Yao will be remembered for what could’ve been as a player, but his impact in bridging the Far East and NBA will stand forever. The NBA and its players owe him a great debt for the money he made all of them in merchandising and selling the game in China.”

by twinkilling0303 on Jul 8, 2011 12:46 PM CDT reply actions

I hate to sound cold hearted but

This is actually some really good news. Finally we don’t have to plan for “Big What If” to be in the lineup anymore. No more factoring in IF he will come back. This is a big time relief knowing that there is an extra spot on the roster for someone to earn instead of a guy who is on the roster but lives on the IR. Now can we all just stop mentioning him? We have finally been cleansed completely of the McGrady/Yao era so we have no choice but to move on now. I do think Yao should remain part of the organizastion in some way because he is a very intelligent basketball mind and could help out our young bigs.

Me against the world is a mismatch in my favor.

by batman713 on Jul 8, 2011 1:02 PM CDT reply actions

It's not cold hearted

Im glad for that part of it. Now we can all stop talking about him as far as this team is concerned. He was a great player though, and where my Rockets history really starts. I just wanted to take this time to thank him, he deserves it.

by twinkilling0303 on Jul 8, 2011 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions

mhm

not to mention the extra money that comes along with his leaving.

-Armin's lil bro

by rk2themax on Jul 11, 2011 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Dude...this article is my life too...

too young to remember championship years…started watching when Michael Jordan played for the Wizards and Yao Ming was like a godsend…:(

ROCKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Roxbybirth on Jul 8, 2011 1:05 PM CDT reply actions

Glad to see this

I was worried that he would do so much damage to his foot that it would cripple him later in life. I was at a game this year and saw Earl Campbell in a wheelchair. Made my heart ache to see the baddest man that ever carried a football wheeled around Toyota Center.

by makinmajik on Jul 8, 2011 1:15 PM CDT reply actions

This article represents me as well

4 and 5 during the championships, didn’t even kno we went to Finals 4 times let alone won them twice until the 2000’s. Got in to basketbal watchin Jordan’s second 3 peat. Yao was the guy that made me like the Rockets. T-mac made them throwed to me. Yao retiring just confirms that my lack of interest right now for basketball in favor of football is fine

Who was the first to see a cow and think "I wonder what will happen if I squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out?

by Antho10000 on Jul 8, 2011 6:21 PM CDT reply actions