Yao Ming News: Pro Sports Daily

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November 2

Salt Lake Tribune

"After playing the Houston Rockets 24 times the last three seasons -- 11 regular-season games as well as first-round playoff series in 2007 and 2008 -- the Jazz might be in for a case of mistaken identity tonight. The Rockets will be back at EnergySolutions Arena, but without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady . Their remaining cast is led by Trevor Ariza , last seen helping the L.A. Lakers to last season's championship before signing with Houston as a free agent. Yao is likely out for the season after undergoing surgery -- once feared career-threatening -- that included a bone graft and realignment of his left foot. McGrady, meanwhile, underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee in February ..."

Post-Yao offense contiues to be a work in progress

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October 14

Houston Chronicle

"For years, the Rockets' offense was, when at its best, uncomplicated. There were elements that were more involved, but whenever necessary, the Rockets could reduce their offense to letting Yao Ming draw double teams and finding the open shooter. Even when teams sent swarms of defenders to take or keep the ball from Yao, the Rockets at least knew what they wanted to do about it. As much as the Rockets might miss Yao's production, the more immediate challenge might be replacing the open shots that were reliably found in his orbit, a frequent issue through the first half of the preseason and especially in Monday's 96-92 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. "Execution is such a big part of our offense ..."

Rockets GM Morey says no change in Yao's status

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September 3

Houston Chronicle

"The good news, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said, is there is no news. Rockets center Yao Ming's status and the prognosis for his recovery from extensive left foot surgery has not changed since his surgery July 21, Morey said Monday. Responding to an ESPN.com story quoting Morey saying Yao is progressing well and has not been ruled out to play next season, Morey cited his and Rockets doctors' comments after Yao's July 17 announcement that he had chosen to have the surgery. "The only thing new is that nothing has gone wrong," Morey said. "Everything looked fine. Otherwise it's all the same stuff we've been saying, which is he is not ruled out for this year, although it is unlikely ..."

Yao 'progressing well' from foot surgery

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August 31

ESPN.com

"Yao Ming's return from foot surgery might come sooner than anyone expected. In an interview with ESPN The Magazine's Sam Alipour, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said Yao could return at some point in the 2009-10 season and the team no longer feels his broken left foot is a career-threatening injury. "Yao Ming is progressing well. I don't think that [a career-ending scenario] is something that will happen, based on what I'm hearing from the doctors," Morey told Alipour. "They do know that the bone will heal and he'll get back on it. And they have not actually ruled out [his return] this season. I think that's less likely than likely, but they haven't ruled it out. "And next ..."

Yao undegoes successful surgery

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July 22

Houston Chronicle

"Rockets center Yao Ming underwent surgery Tuesday morning to repair the hairline fracture in his left foot and another to realign the bones in the foot in an effort to prevent the recurrence of the injury that has ended his past two NBA seasons. Rockets Team Physician Dr. Tom Clanton, assisted by Dr. Bill McGarvey at the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute, used a bone graft in the tarsal navicular bone to help repair the fracture. The realignment of the bones in the foot flattened Yao's arch to reduce the stress in the repaired bone. "Everything went according to plan and we were able achieve not only fixation of the broken bone but also realignment of the bones to improve the ..."

Yao will undergo pair of surgeries on foot

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July 18

Houston Chronicle

"As weary of the surgeries and long periods of grueling rehabilitation that follow as Yao Ming had become, he had grown more aggravated by the injuries that have sent him searching for solutions. This time, in an effort to break the cycle of injuries, surgeries and rehabilitations that he had been unable to escape, Yao chose to undergo two procedures, one to repair the fractured bone in his left foot and another to try to keep it from breaking again. Yao, 28, could miss all of next season, though the Rockets were hesitant Friday to specify a timetable for his return to workouts or competition other than that he is expected to be ready to participate in training camp in October 2010. But ..."

Surgery doesn't mean end of Yao's career

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July 18

Houston Chronicle

columnist Jerome Solomon

"Like a storm cloud off in the distance, we have known for sometime that it was coming. Prepared though we were, Friday was still a very sad day for the Rockets and their fans. Yao Ming is down, and out, for the 2009-10 season. Many of us just didn't want to accept that. Thank goodness general manager Daryl Morey did, and he has made a couple of moves to lessen the pain of missing the team's best player for a season. Latest acquisition David Andersen, a gangly Australian center, isn't exactly an extra-strength painkiller, but he was about the best option available to fill the hole in the middle. It could be a long year for a team that will probably have $40 million in payroll (Yao and Tracy ..."

Yao to undergo surgery to repair hairline fracture in foot

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July 17

Houston Chronicle

"Yao Ming will undergo surgery next week to repair the hairline fracture in his left foot and alter the operation of his foot in an effort to prevent recurrence of the injuries that have ended his past two seasons, an individual with knowledge of his decision said on Friday. After several weeks spent considering his options, Yao chose a surgery that will include a bone graft and a realignment of the bones in his left foot to alleviate some of the stress in that area that could have led to the hairline fractures in the tarsal navicular bone the past two seasons. There had been discussions about a more experimental procedure that would increase blood flow to the area, though that seems a less ..."

Rockets get injury exception for Yao

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July 9

Houston Chronicle

"As one player moved in, the Rockets offered the strongest indication yet that center Yao Ming will be out. While Yao considers his treatment options, the NBA formally agreed with the Rockets that Yao is likely to miss all of the 2009-10 season. By granting the Rockets the disabled player exception, worth $5.854 million for the upcoming season, the NBA ruled the hairline fracture of the tarsal navicular bone in Yao's left foot and the surgery he likely will undergo to treat it will keep him out all season. The Rockets used the salary-cap exception Wednesday to sign free-agent guard/forward Trevor Ariza, saving the mid-level exception (worth the same amount) they had offered him for future ..."

Dynamic duo becomes thing of past

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July 9

Houston Chronicle

"Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. The unstoppable big man and the immensely talented wing man. The combination was supposed to deliver a championship to Houston. It hasn't. It won't. The Rockets asked for and received a disabled player exception — the NBA's version of short-term disability from the salary cap — allowing the team to sign Trevor Ariza, which it did on Wednesday, because Yao is not expected to be able to play next season due to a broken bone in his left foot. McGrady, recovering from microfracture surgery on his left knee, has one year left on his contract. The Rockets are listening to trade offers and quite likely will move McGrady by next season's trade deadline, which is ..."

Stress injuries fact of life for big men like Yao

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July 6

Houston Chronicle

"While the Rockets were busy giving the Los Angeles Lakers their toughest bout of this year's NBA playoffs, their cornerstone, Yao Ming, went down with another foot injury. He would miss the rest of the postseason after suffering a stress fracture of the tarsal navicular bone in his left foot for the second straight year. It was the fourth consecutive season in which Yao was severely hampered by a bone injury in his lower extremities. The question now isn't simply if there's an end to this, but if this is the end. As Yao ponders options including surgery, there's a concern that the Rockets' 7-6, 310-pound All-Star center might miss next season and perhaps never play again. A stress fracture ..."

Foot injury leaves Yao's future in doubt

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June 30

Houston Chronicle

"Casting a degree of doubt on Yao Ming's immediate and long-term NBA future, Rockets team physician Tom Clanton on Monday described the extent of the center's foot injury. And with the league's free-agent shopping season set to begin at 11 p.m. today, the Rockets will quickly discover how far the shock waves reach. The fracture in Yao's left foot has worsened and could be severe enough to threaten his entire next season or even his career, depending on the success of potential treatments he could choose, Clanton said. Less than two weeks ago, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said the team is committed to building around Yao. "Yao," Morey said before the latest test results, "is the ..."

Rockets could lose Yao for season, if not longer

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June 29

Yahoo! Sports

"As the NBA draft approached, the grim truth about Yao Ming's broken left foot hung like an anvil over the Houston Rockets. The fear isn't that he's just lost for next season, but longer. The Rockets and Yao's reps are frightened over his future, and the concern is the most base of all: Does Yao Ming ever play again? "The realization has hit them that this is grave," one NBA general manager said. For now, the Rockets have privately told league peers it could be a full season before Yao might be able to return to basketball. Multiple league executives, officials close to Yao and two doctors with knowledge of the diagnoses are describing a troubling re-fracture of his navicular bone. Three ..."

Foot fracture yet to heal for Yao

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June 25

Houston Chronicle

"Nearly seven weeks after the Rockets were shocked by the injury that ended Yao Ming's season, they were as stunned Wednesday to find it has not healed. A bone scan late Wednesday evening showed that the immobilization of Yao's left foot has not healed the hairline fracture he suffered May 8 during the Rockets' second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. A statement released by the team said Yao and his doctors will consider other treatment options. Those could include anything from wearing a cast, rather than the walking boot used since the injury, to surgery. "Yao is not experiencing any pain in his left foot. However, the results from the CT and bone scans we performed ..."

Best course: Keep Big 3 together

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May 19

Houston Chronicle

columnist Jerome Solomon

"This was not a great Rockets season. That needs to be said. Any hesitation to be the one to rain on the parade is obliterated by this question: Who the heck says a team deserves a parade for simply getting out of the first round of the NBA playoffs? Be proud of your Rockets for making a bit of a playoff run. Revel in the memories of a limping Yao Ming giving his all for the team, a bleeding Shane Battier taking no quarter, and a knocked-down-but-not-out Luis Scola getting up off the ground after a dirty blow. Remember the times Aaron Brooks made the Lakers look slow, Carl Landry made them look weak, and Ron Artest made them look scared. Close your eyes and envision Chuck Hayes being in the ..."

Yao out, but not too down

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May 11

Houston Chronicle

"Yao Ming had fought off the thoughts that had filled so many. Another season had ended prematurely with another injury. The hairline fracture found in his left foot on Saturday would force him to miss the remainder of the postseason. Yao, however, did not allow himself to wonder if he were stuck in a pattern that would forever limit his career. "I don't want to go that far," Yao said. "I think about next season and playing in the future. All I can do is the right training, the right rehab, and play the game the best I can and stay with it." Yao has had four consecutive seasons ended or interrupted by bone injuries. "You have to say because of his size, the biomechanics of his foot, the ..."

Yao to miss remainder of season with fracture in foot

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May 9

Houston Chronicle

"Rockets center Yao Ming was ruled out for the remainder of the sesaon after a hairline fracture was found in his left foot Saturday evening. The Rockets had hopes he could play Sunday in Game 4 in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers, but additional diagnostic tests found the fracture. The hairline fracture will not require surgery but will require an eight-to-12 week rehabilition. This is the third consecutive year that Yao's season was interrupted or ended by a fracture of a bone. "Yao Ming had an initial test taken in the early morning hours on Saturday following the game," said Rockets team physician Tom Clanton in a press release. "The original diagnosis of the left ankle ..."

Gritty Yao turns in a statement game

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May 1

Houston Chronicle

columnist Jerome Solomon

"An hour before Thursday's tipoff, Yao Ming pondered the question of whether he would feel like a different player once the Rockets beat Portland to advance in the NBA playoffs. Yao gave an odd look and told me to ask him that question today. It is as if he knew today would be a better time to discuss such feelings. Shortly afterward, when the locker room was almost empty, Yao quietly proclaimed to someone, "Tonight is the night." Then, as if he had an itch that demanded to be scratched — a seven-year itch, as it were — the 7-6 Rockets center went out and played like he had somewhere to go … the next round of the playoffs. Yao finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Rockets closed ..."

No need to rush Yao

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April 14

Houston Chronicle

"As much as Rockets coach Rick Adelman said that Monday's game was vital in the pursuit of home-court advantage in the playoffs and a division title, he also said there was no choice to be made about playing Yao Ming if there were any concerns about his health coming back from a sore right foot. "It's more important you have health for the playoffs," Adelman said. "We've been on that circus (in the chase for playoff position) for two or three weeks. We've been jumping all over the place and it's still that way. "All we're trying to do is finish strong. We know whoever we play, home or away, we're going to face a very good team. The most important thing is to have your players. We didn't ..."

Rockets Expect Yao Back in Lineup Against Hornets

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April 13

Houston Chronicle

"For a brief, chilling moment, Yao Ming's mind wandered back to the day last year when he was told his season was over. With his MRI complete Saturday, he had been instructed to move on to a bone scan, and Yao thought of that worst-case scenario. Then he remembered how his left foot felt last year. He thought about his right foot now, and how it did not hurt. "Sore, not pain," he said with the expertise of one who knows the difference. By the time the bone scan confirmed the news that he was not injured and could return to the floor tonight with the Rockets against the New Orleans Hornets, it was not news to him. "It a little bit scared me (that) after the MRI they told me, 'You have to do ..."

Yao sits out with sore foot

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April 11

Houston Chronicle

"Rockets center Yao Ming sat out for Friday's game against Golden State with a sore right foot. Yao started feeling soreness during Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic. X-rays were negative, and he played Thursday at Sacramento without difficulty. Additional tests are planned for today. "The doctor checked it already," Yao said. "In two days, it will be fine. "It's not bad. We want to stop it before it gets bad. In the Orlando game, it got sore. I played last game, but today it was sore." Yao tested the foot on Friday, but when he reported soreness after a pregame warmup, the decision was made to hold him out. "You're always concerned when it is him," Rockets trainer Keith Jones said. ..."

Yao hits glass to make teams pay

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April 10

Houston Chronicle

"The Rockets spent much of 75 games this season searching for solutions to the fronting defenses that surrounded and negated Yao Ming. They made adjustments, tweaking everything from who looked to set up Yao to where he sought to be set up. In two home games this week, however, they might have stumbled on a solution in a handy spot — clanging off the rim, waiting to be grabbed. With the Trail Blazers and Magic using fronting defenses that have often bottled up Yao, they also risked moving their 7-foot centers out of rebounding position. Yao scored on three offensive rebounds in each game, a rate that could change opposing defenses. Though among the league's top scorers on the offensive ..."

A tall order

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April 5

Houston Chronicle

"There will be no network coverage, no flock of media rushing to chronicle the buildup or celebrities drawn to the cameras. The first meeting of Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal brought everything from protesters outside the arena to the largest cable television audience in nearly a decade. The first meeting of Yao and Greg Oden tonight — or the next meeting of Yao and Dwight Howard on Tuesday — will not inspire the sort of interest and attention Yao's first games against O'Neal, then the NBA's pre-eminent center, attracted. But to Yao, little has changed, other than his role in the latest battle of NBA giants. Yao, 7-6, looks forward to games against the league's top big men with a mix of ..."

Taking Yao for granted is commonplace, and wrong

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March 29

Houston Chronicle

columnist Richard Justice

"Sometimes it seems we pay attention to Yao Ming only on those nights when he reminds us he's not perfect. We remember when he doesn't take care of the ball. Never mind that good teams smother him with defenders. They come in all sizes and from all directions. They get there before he can react, and he gets fouled about four times for each time a whistle blows. We remember those nights when he doesn't impose his will on the opposing center, when he allows himself to be pushed too far from the basket and forced into a careless shot or two. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey laughs when he's asked about this part of the Yao equation. "Did you see the movie Airplane?" he asked. He means that ..."

Rockets want Yao to be more assertive

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March 20

Houston Chronicle

"Shane Batter knew the answers, but asked Yao Ming the questions anyway, "I've talked to him and said, 'What set do you like, your favorite set? Where do you like the ball? If you could have any play in the world, what would it be?'" Battier said. "Even getting him to answer that was like trying to get him to pull teeth. He doesn't want to make any waves. He wants to be a good team player. It's a continual project to try to get him to tell us where he wants the ball and where he can do the most damage. "It is so out of Yao's demeanor and character to do that." There are times that Yao does not have the option to get whatever he wants offensively. Teams will usually send double- and ..."

Peja, Yao forced to sit out

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March 17

New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Despite missing his seventh consecutive game in Monday night's 95-84 loss to the Houston Rockets at the New Orleans Arena, injured Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic is expected to return to the lineup later this week, Coach Byron Scott said. Scott said a more aggressive approach is needed to treat Stojakovic's balky back and the pain in his legs. "That's where he is having a little bit of the pain, but I expect him to play this week," Scott said. Before Saturday night's game at Chicago, Stojakovic complained of pain racing from his lower back to his leg, a problem he experienced in 2006 when he tried to return after back surgery. Stojakovic has not played since he suffered back spasms ..."

Mutombo starts in place of ill Yao

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March 17

Houston Chronicle

"With center Yao Ming out because of flu-like symptoms, Dikembe Mutombo started, playing for just the fourth time this season and for the first time since in 13 games, since Feb. 22. "I've got to go from zero miles per hour to 150 miles per hour," Mutombo said. "I'm driving on the autobahn in Germany." Mutombo, however, said he was not too worried about getting ready to play after playing so little this season. "I think about my experience," said Mutombo, who is 42-years-old and the NBA's oldest player. "It's something I got used to. It's happened in the past five years I've been here. It's just a matter of taking 10 or 15 minutes to change your gears in your head and look what you want to ..."

Rockets rally past Hornets 95-84 with Yao out of action

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March 17

Houston Chronicle

"Plan A — Yao Ming — was in the visitors' locker room with flu-like symptoms. Plan B — Ron Artest firing away from distances great and small — was as useless, with Artest missing his first 11 shots. Then the Rockets found another way Monday. They attacked the paint, cranked up their defense and stunned the New Orleans Hornets, rolling through the fourth quarter to a 95-84 win before 17,723 at New Orleans Arena. The Hornets' first loss to a division opponent in New Orleans this season moved the Rockets to within 1½ games of the Southwest Division-leading San Antonio Spurs and 1½ games ahead of the Hornets. "It's huge, huge," forward Luis Scola said of the win after getting 14 points and 12 ..."

Yao has to assert himself if Rockets are to succeed

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March 13

Houston Chronicle

columnist Jerome Solomon

"Yao Ming hates to lose. If you saw him after defeats, you would see that it tears him up. Seven years in the NBA, and he never has won a playoff series. It is time for him to take his game to another level. Not his play, necessarily, but his handling of the game and his teammates. He is the Rockets' best player, their leader. Everybody in the world knows it, but it is time for Yao to let his teammates know it. He tiptoed around Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. He deferred to Tracy McGrady. Now it is time for Yao to Americanize his game and let his teammates know what's up. As complex as the workings of a basketball team are, it is a simple game. At times, the Rockets make it too ..."

Raps need Bargnani to dig in against Yao

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March 3

Toronto Star

"It was one of a few coming-of-age moments this season for Andrea Bargnani, the work-in-progress centre who's been one of the bright spots on an otherwise gloomy Raptors landscape. He was matched up against the behemoth Yao Ming, asked to defend the 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets centre and if ever there was a mismatch, surely that was it. But a funny thing happened on the way to Bargnani getting two fouls in two seconds: He stood his ground, did his job and, in that easy victory earlier this season, he proved to a few people that he could go toe-to-toe with the biggest, if not the best, centre around. "He guarded (Yao) well last time we played them because he met him early and didn't let him get ..."

Yao-sers: Bobcats blown out in Houston

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February 23

Charlotte Observer

"Ron Artest scored 26 points, Yao Ming added 19 points and seven rebounds and the Houston Rockets continued to win without Tracy McGrady, beating the Charlotte Bobcats 99-78 on Sunday. Luis Scola had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Shane Battier sank three 3-pointers for the Rockets, who've won four straight games and eight of the last nine McGrady has missed with a sore left knee. McGrady announced Wednesday that he'll have season-ending surgery, but Houston is 15-6 without him this season. Aaron Brooks had seven points and three assists in his second game since replacing Rafer Alston as Houston's starting point guard. Alston was traded to Orlando on Thursday. Raymond Felton, Boris Diaw and ..."

As a duo, Rockets’ big two have been far from dynamic

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February 17

Houston Chronicle

columnist Jerome Solomon

"The Rockets won’t admit it, but surely by now they have figured out that this will not work. This Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady thing, that is. The talented big man. The talented wing man. Batman and Robin. Their Batman isn’t dominant enough; their Robin, while at times seemingly part of a circus, is no longer a Flying Grayson. (And let’s not even get into their friends’ not being quite super enough to carry the oft-injured stars.) The Rockets’ Dynamic Duo has been the diagnosis-needed duo. This is Year 5 of Yao-McGrady, and the only parade they have been involved in is the endless one to Memorial Hermann to have injuries checked out. This is likely to be the fourth straight season that one or ..."

Yao’s charity no longer benefits from Rockets gala

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February 11

Houston Chronicle

"The Yao Ming Foundation is no longer one of the official beneficiaries of next week’s Clutch City Foundation Tux & Tennies Charity Gala. Proceeds from the event, to be held Feb. 18 at Toyota Center will go to the Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund and to various organizations providing humanitarian relief to earthquake victims in China. The change was made to take the Yao Ming Foundation out of the loop, staying within newly enforced NBA guidelines set to prevent salary-cap circumvention. Yao can opt out of his contract with the Rockets after the 2009-10 season, and the league office said donations to his foundation could be interpreted as influencing negotiations. “I know, it’s all about ..."

Yao sits out again with knee injury

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January 27

Houston Chronicle

"After a series of tests and drills on the Madison Square Garden floor, Yao Ming was ruled out Monday’s game against New York. He had gone through his customary pre-game warm-up and performed some specific movements to test the soreness in his knee. When he felt some lingering tenderness in the knee on low-post moves against Director of Player Development Brett Gunning, Yao was ruled out of a second consecutive game. Before he left the court, however, he announced “Philadelphia,” pointing toward Wednesday’s game against the 76ers. “I feel good (that) I can play Wednesday,” Yao said. “Compared to yesterday, I feel much better. I still feel a little funny in there. We’ll take today off and ..."

Bruised knee, trainer ground Yao in Detroit

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January 26

Houston Chronicle

"Following the dictum that he should dress for the job he wanted, Rockets center Yao Ming got to the visitors’ locker room early and quickly changed into his warm-up gear to head to the court. But the clothes did not make the man healthy. Though Yao had hoped to demonstrate with a pregame warm-up that he was ready to play in Sunday’s 108-105 win over the Detroit Pistons, team trainer Keith Jones stopped him before he got out of the locker room and told him to change back into his corduroy slacks and sweater. “They shut me down before I (could) try,” said Yao, who bruised his right knee in a collision with Danny Granger in Friday’s loss at Indiana. “I think tomorrow (today) will be good. ..."

Rockets’ ‘Big Three’ could be whole tonight

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January 25

Houston Chronicle

"A game after the Rockets lost with Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest out, they could face the Detroit Pistons with all three back. Not one is certain to play, but each was determined to be well enough for decisions to be made today. Yao did not practice Saturday after he bruised his right knee in a collision in the first minute of Friday’s game. X-rays were negative and the swelling subsided enough for Yao to be considered a game-time decision. McGrady, who has been out since Jan. 9 to work on his conditioning, practiced and added extra running as Rockets coach Rick Adelman made plans for McGrady to return to the starting lineup. Artest, out since Jan. 7 with a bruised right ankle, is ..."

Yao injures knee in defeat

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January 24

Houston Chronicle

"When even halftime went badly, the Rockets knew their happy little revival was in desperate trouble. The intermission started poorly enough when after a horrible shooting second quarter, the Rockets returned to the court to find no basketballs available. It got much worse, however, when Yao Ming, who had returned from a bruised right knee in the second quarter, could not make it through halftime warm-ups. His condition was not nearly as awful as it initially appeared, and neither was the game. After Yao limped back to the locker room, the Rockets’ second-half rally fell short as the Indiana Pacers held on in the final minute for a 107-102 win Friday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. “The ..."

Stop me if you can

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January 21

Houston Chronicle

"Timeout strategies are kept private. Plays are called with hand signals and code words. Yet, nothing is a secret. Every night, against every opponent, when the game reaches the fourth quarter, the Rockets want the ball and their chances in Yao Ming’s hands. Defenders come in angry, physical swarms, as both teams know that the Rockets’ success getting Yao the ball or the defenders’ success keeping it from him will likely determine the winner. “No matter what we do, we still have Yao inside if we move the ball,” coach Rick Adelman said when he began retooling the offense around Yao when Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest were sidelined with injuries. “He’s going to have an advantage sometime, ..."

Yao loses his cool, and Nuggets pay

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January 20

Houston Chronicle

"Yao Ming was furious. Far removed from his happy ride to perfection Saturday, he had been seething all day at Toyota Center on Monday. Then he was called for a travel on a drive stopped by Chris Andersen’s strong right arm and immediately hit with a technical foul, his fury rising so much that moments later, when Yao drove to a slam as violent as he could muster, his anger was unabated. Nothing could soothe Yao until finally, with seven-tenths of a second remaining, he grabbed the last loose ball and wrapped his arms around a 115-113 win over the Denver Nuggets. “I was a little bit out of (my) mind,” Yao said. He was the 7-6 embodiment of a win as intense and emotional as the Rockets are ..."

Yao wows with perfect game vs. Miami

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January 18

Miami Herald

"Not even Jermaine O'Neal could have helped the Heat disrupt Yao Ming's perfect night. The Heat didn't have to deal with Tracy McGrady or Ron Artest on Saturday. But it was another set of problems that doomed Miami: Yao Ming and Houston's defense. That combination forced the Heat into one of its worst offensive outings of the season in a 93-86 loss to the Rockets at the Toyota Center. Yao set career- and team-best shooting-percentage records by making all 12 of his field-goal attempts, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets (25-16). Yao has become the focal point of the Rockets' offense, with McGrady (knee) and Artest (ankle) both expected to miss close to two weeks to ..."

No answer for Ming

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January 18

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"There was no Tracy McGrady or Ron Artest for Houston on Saturday night, but neither was there much effective defense at the rim for the Heat. So the Rockets didn't need their starting forwards with 7-foot-6 center Yao Ming setting a franchise record by shooting 12 of 12 from the field, and the Heat offering little response beyond Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion. Houston won 93-86 to drop the Heat to 3-3 on its seven-game trip that concludes tonight in Oklahoma City. The Heat never led after the first quarter and challenged only briefly in the second half. The Rockets had an off night shooting 3-pointers (3 of 15) but dominated near the basket. The Rockets got 48 points in the paint and shot ..."

Yao denies report of rift with T-Mac

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January 16

Houston Chronicle

"Yao Ming, the center and centerpiece of the Rockets, did not claim these are grand times for the Rockets. Their three-game win streak last week was not equated to the 22-game run last season. Their strong showing in Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers was not confused for actually winning. Yao said, however, that a report of locker-room discord to the point that he and Tracy McGrady do not speak and that he wants McGrady off the team are not true. Yao spoke Thursday of everything from getting McGrady and Ron Artest back on the court to the sanctity of the locker room. Responding to an NBA.com story that he and McGrady are not on speaking terms and that he wants McGrady out, Yao said ..."

Tough loss at Toyota

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December 30

Houston Chronicle

"The Rockets might have been fooled by the glory of their one-game winning streak. Or perhaps, they checked out the Wizards’ five wins before reaching Houston, remembered their thrilling fourth-quarter comeback in Washington and assumed they could pick up a win Monday as if the Toyota Center had a drive-through window. Either way, the Rockets were right. Someone just had to show up to leave with a win. But it turned out to be the Washington Wizards. The Rockets took their worst loss of the season, falling 89-87 to the Wizards (6-23) with the sort of performance that inspired Rockets coach Rick Adelman to rip, “We got what we deserved.” The Rockets began the night with a half Adelman ..."

Bow to Yao

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December 23

New York Post

"With about 6:30 left in the first half, figure about 200 million TV sets in China and a couple dozen in New Jersey turned off. Not even Yao Ming of the Rockets and the Nets' Yi Jianlian playing in the same game could sustain interest in this wipeout. In China it was a big deal; in New Jersey, it was just another Nets home-court fiasco. "We lost the game probably because in the beginning we didn't play hard enough. They're a strong team," Yi said. "They shoot outside, have Yao inside. We've got to play better defense." No arguments there. The third NBA meeting between China's two most prominent basketball exports was a completely lopsided game as the Rockets did everything the Nets couldn't ..."

Less hype for Yao-Yi matchup this year

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December 23

Houston Chronicle

"Aside from a pregame media scrum reminiscent of Yao Ming’s rookie season and T-shirts given to the first 5,000 fans at the Izod Center on Monday, there was little of the extra activity that came with last season’s meetings of Chinese National team teammates Yao and Yi Jianlian. Yao was fine with a move toward normalcy. “It will always be special, but when the clock starts running, you have to know it’s still a game,” Yao said. “It still counts.” Asked how Yi has improved since his rookie season, Yao said he really didn’t know. “I am not really concentrating on him,” Yao said. “We have too many opponents in a 82-game season.”"

Chinese basketball stars Yao, Yi face off today

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December 22

Houston Chronicle

"Yao Ming could not warm up to the topic, and that had little to do with the temperature in Minneapolis. He was perhaps subdued by fatigue, having played his second game in as many nights and having spent it jousting with the Timberwolves’ Al Jefferson. Yao could have been thinking ahead to another back-to-back, beginning tonight in New Jersey before a trip to Cleveland to face LeBron James and the surging Cavaliers. More than anything, however, Yao was restrained by thoughts of goals greater than another reunion with Chinese National Team cohort Yi Jianlian of the Nets. A year ago, when Yi was with the Milwaukee Bucks, there was a sense of occasion when they met for the first time in an ..."

Timberwolves hold down Yao Ming until final seconds

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December 21

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Size might not matter as much in today's NBA, but it still has its advantages. The Timberwolves learned that lesson the hard way Saturday night as Yao Ming hit a fadeaway jump hook with 22.3 seconds remaining to lead the Houston Rockets to a 109-102 win and hand the Wolves their 12th straight loss. The Wolves kept the 7-foot-6 Yao under control for most of the night, holding him to 18 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He hit the one that counted, though, after Randy Foye had pulled the Wolves within 105-102 with two three-pointers sandwiched around a goaltending call on Yao. "We just couldn't get over the hump," coach Kevin McHale said. "We got it within three there late but just couldn't get ..."

Worth the money

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December 15

Houston Chronicle

"The sinking economy has been felt in even the richest of pocketbooks as Tiger Woods needs a new endorsement ride after Buick bailed out and LeBron James lost his Internet connection with Microsoft. But so far, the two biggest marketing names on the Houston sports scene — Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady — have not felt the pinch of corporate cutbacks. “So far as I know, nobody’s Tigered me or LeBroned me yet,” said McGrady, who according to industry estimates, earns roughly $6 million a year in endorsements in addition to his $21.1 million salary from the Rockets this season. Estimates for 2008 have Yao earning $36.5 million, of which $21.5 million comes from various endorsement deals. His ..."

Yao center of attention

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December 4

Houston Chronicle

"Aaron Brooks started the fourth-quarter possession with a drive to the basket, missing when the Los Angeles Clippers’ Marcus Camby swatted Brooks’ scoop. Rafer Alston then missed a 3. Brooks missed a jumper. Carl Landry missed a follow, grabbed the rebound and lost it. Landry charged from the shadow of the rim to the side of the court, diving over the front row and headfirst toward the loose ball. It was that sort of night: rough at times, even ugly offensively, but with the Rockets doing enough and whatever necessary to hold off the Clippers 103-96 on Wednesday before 15,358 at Toyota Center. “That energy he gave us going after the rebound, you could see the crowd was into it — everyone ..."