Man, I feel bad for big Yao. Seems like every year he gets better and then catastrophe strikes. This is his third season-ending injury in as many years. He's averaged over 20ppg and over 10 boards for the last three years and seems to only be getting better. He's inarguably the best player over 7'2" to ever play the game (Need we even compare him to the likes of Shawn "Lurch" Bradley [7'6"], Manute Bol [7'7"] or Gheorghe Muresan [7'7"]?). Only Ralph Sampson showed comparable skill, but injuries cut his career short. With three leg/foot injuries in such a short time and his massive frame, you have to wonder if he's not headed down the same path.
Yao has the potential to be up there with Olajuwon and Shaq as modern great centers, if he can stay healthy. This is what's so frustrating about his commitment to play for China in the Beijing games. He should be up on the shelf resting until the pre-season rolls around. No question about that. Yet as soon as it was announced that he'd developed a stress fracture in his foot, the Chinese were on the phone like, "But you're still playing, right? Right?" It's insane. Wouldn't China benefit more if Yao has a successful decade long career in the NBA than if he plays this summer especially when their chances of grabbing gold are just slightly better than North Korea's? Maybe this is a part of the current Five-year Plan. What maroons.
Yao, for the sake of your career and China's basketball future, you need to defect. We'll get the CIA to get your parents out. Don't sweat it.
1 comment:
China is stuck in an unhappy spot, their one global sports icon likely not to play in their own Olympics. That's really rough. Hopefully they realize he can be better used as an ambassador of sports.
Meanwhile, it looks like this will never end for his career. Him and T-Mac. Good thing the Spurs gave the Rox a boost and gave them Luis Scola for nothing; they haven't lost, for depth, for a while.
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