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Yao Ming News & Rumors

Too soon' for Yao to Hall of Fame says representative
September 1
Houston Chronicle
 
"A representative for Yao Ming has requested that the retired Rockets center's nomination for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame be put on hold for at least another year. Agent John Huizinga contacted Hall of Fame president and CEO John Doleva on Wednesday to request that the nomination as a contributor be tabled for the time being. Yao, who was forced to retire in July due to series foot and ankle injuries, was nominated by a member of the Chinese media as a contributor to the game, a category that would allow him to be eligible for induction as early as 2012 instead of the normal five-year waiting period for players. "He (Huizinga) indicated that Yao has great respect for the"
Yao could get early Hall call
August 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"Former Rockets center Yao Ming could be taking the express route to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Yao, who retired in July after an injury-plagued career, has been nominated as a contributor to the game and will be eligible for induction as early as next year, John Doleva, the president and CEO of the Hall, said Tuesday. By being placed on the ballot as a contributor, the 7-6 Yao would bypass the normal five-year waiting period for player eligibility. Under those guidelines, Yao would not have been eligible for enshrinement until 2017. Doleva said a Chinese media member called recently to ask about different categories available for individuals to be considered for the Hall. After"
Yao will stay involved in basketball
July 21
Houston Chronicle
 
"A day later, Yao Ming was at peace, comfortable with his decision to retire and whatever would come next. There was, however, a realization that hit him, as if he did not have time to consider it before. "I guess," he said, "I have to find a job." That should not be a problem, with opportunities and options expected to flood in, from NBA commissioner David Stern's stated intention to find a place for Yao in the NBA's initiatives in China to Yao's ownership of his China Basketball Association team, the Shanghai Sharks. Yao made his retirement from basketball official in a packed Shanghai hotel ballroom Wednesday morning. His career is over, cut short after nine NBA seasons by foot injuries"
Yao makes it official, retires from basketball
July 20
Houston Chronicle
 
"With the door to the NBA that swung open nine years ago closed to him, Yao Ming on Wednesday chose "a new life." Yao announced his retirement in a ceremony and news conference in Shanghai, citing the repeated injuries to his left foot and ankle. "At the end of the last year, my left foot had a third fracture," Yao said. "Today, I need to make a personal decision. I will stop my basketball career and I will formally retire. Today, thinking back and thinking of the future, I have been very grateful. First of all, I need to be grateful to basketball. It has brought happiness to many people including myself. "Life is my guide. Just follow it and it will open doors. Out of each door, there will"
As Yao Ming retires, China is unprepared to replace him
July 19
New York Times
 
"Nine seasons after Yao Ming walked onto a basketball court in Texas and inspired a generation of young Chinese to learn to dribble — or at least to watch until the final buzzer — his looming exit from professional basketball is being accompanied by nostalgia for the man who became a national hero. It is also triggering frustration over why no one in China, which has tens of millions of basketball players, appears capable of replacing him as an N.B.A. star. For nearly a decade, China has been enthralled by the cult of Yao spun by Communist Party propagandists and corporate sponsors: the winner, the gentle giant, the favorite son. His image was ubiquitous here, and the public basked in his"
Yao Ming to retire 10 years after he could've been a Wizard
July 12
Washington Post
 
"If all of the reports are true, and Yao Ming really intends to announce his retirement in a news conference on July 20, then that makes it even more depressing that his career ended at Verizon Center. It seemed like an innocuous collision on Nov. 10, when JaVale McGee crashed into Yao in the first quarter of one of John Wall's most memorable games as a rookie. But when Yao struggled to get up, grimaced as he walked off the court, and later limped to the sideline, the gravity of the situation started to take hold. Only a month later, the Houston Rockets announced that Yao's season had come to an end. Now, it seems, so has his career after Yao played eight seasons in nine years after going"
Yao Ming retires as a symbol, never just an awesome basketball player
July 11
SB Nation
 
"Yao Ming retires as an ambassador of the game and a cultural figure greater than most of his peers, but the saddest thing about his retirement is he never got the chance to grow out of that. Jul 11, 2011 - Even on the final play of his NBA career, Yao Ming's own individual pain was hidden from plain view. The Houston Rockets were playing the Washington Wizards, and Yao had just taken a charge on a typically out-of-control drive by JaVale McGee. He didn't lay on the floor for several minutes. He didn't cause the crowd to gasp knowing they had seen the great Yao Ming for the final time. Instead, two Rockets players helped him up and walked with him back to the bench. He took one step"
Retirement rumored for Yao Ming
July 11
The Wall Street Journal
 
"Yao Ming is keeping fans in suspense regarding his career plans for a few more days. The 30-year-old Chinese basketball star was rumored to have decided to retire last week, with Yahoo Sports, citing NBA league sources, reporting that the 7-foot-6-inch center was calling it quits after nine seasons. But Yao himself has remained mum on the subject, saying only that he will hold a news conference on July 20 in Shanghai to announce his plans. His agent, John Huizenga, declined to confirm the retirement report. "I'm not in a position to do that," Huizenga told the Associated Press. "He's going to have a press conference on July 20. What that says is that's the time Yao is going to make a"
Van Gundy: Yao is a Hall of Famer
July 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"The question, repeated dozens of times through the day, will no doubt be posed to Jeff Van Gundy as long as he can answer. Van Gundy was the second of Yao Ming's three NBA coaches, and for all ?he has or will accomplish, Van Gundy will be asked about the unique, iconic center he coached for four seasons with the Rockets. Van Gundy had his ?answer, for a question not yet asked, ready. "No. 1 to me, he's a Hall of Famer," Van Gundy said. "Idon't care if you put him in as player, as a contributor or put him in with his own heading. This guy definitely gets in for the greatness as a player when healthy or what he did as ambassador." He then added a thought he would repeat often. "People"
Yao leaves lasting imprint on NBA
July 9
Yahoo! Sports
 columnist Adrian Wojnarowski
"Remember Yao Ming on that Olympic night three summers ago, grimacing, hobbling off the floor, a fist finally thrust straight into the air to say simply: I did it. Here was the start of the Olympic Games, and basketball's seminal figure, 7-foot-6 and falling apart, had gone the distance for the sport. From the Chinese government and sports machine, to David Stern's NBA, to the American basketball icons Kobe Bryant and LeBron James across the floor on that night in Beijing, Yao had pushed and pushed until his body betrayed him. This was the summer night in 2008 when his worlds collided, and everyone could see the magnitude of the connection that he created between East and West, between"
Yao Ming opened up China for Kevin Durant and the NBA
July 9
The Oklahoman
 columnist Jenni Carlson
"About the same time that news of Yao Ming's retirement from the NBA began circulating Friday afternoon, Kevin Durant posted a blog on his website. "I'm in China!" it was titled. The Thunder superstar wouldn't have been if not for Yao. He was the poster child for the globalization of the NBA. Other international players came before the Rockets' center, who decided to hang it up after eight injury-plagued seasons, but no one opened a market bigger than China. Yao made the NBA important to his 1.3 billion countrymen. That was a game-changer for the NBA. Ditto for players like Durant. He made his first foray to the Far East two summers ago when he spent time in Hong Kong as part of a trip set"
Gentle giant a pioneer, ambassador of first order
July 9
Houston Chronicle
 columnist Jerome Solomon
"Yao Ming didn't win championships like Hakeem Olajuwon or Most Valuable Player awards like Moses Malone. And his name won't be brought up by future generations in discussions of the greatest basketball players of all time. To some even, Yao's career ranks among the most disappointing in Houston sports history. But that is a particularly unfair assessment of the groundbreaking athlete who has been forced to retire because his body can no longer stand the pounding. Yao started dealing with unprecedented scrutiny even before he was selected No. 1 overall by the Rockets in the 2002 NBA draft. And unfortunately that continued throughout his career. More than once Yao told me, "I'm just a"
Rockets center Yao Ming decides to retire
July 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"Finally, Yao Ming had enough. And a career unlike any other came to an end. Nearly a decade spent carrying the weight of expectations and demands could not hold him down, but with little confidence he could play without more of the injuries that had wrecked the second half of his career, Yao has told the Rockets he plans to retire, several individuals familiar with the decision confirmed Friday. Yao, who became the face of China's new outreach to the West and the NBA's explosive growth in China, reversed his previous intention to try one more comeback, concerned that further stress injuries would hamper him long after his playing career. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league "has not"
Sources: Rockets' Yao set to retire
July 8
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Yao Ming, one of the seminal figures in the globalization of the NBA, has decided to retire after nine injury-plagued seasons with the Houston Rockets, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yao played just five games last season, and hasn't been able to fully recover after having surgery in January to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. The veteran center informed the Rockets, the league office in New York and NBA China of his decision to leave the game within the past 48 hours, sources said."
Decision on Yao Ming's future still months away
May 23
CBSSports.com
 
"Back in March, after suffering a season-ending stress fracture in his ankle, Houston Rockets center Yao Ming pledged to attempt a comeback rather than retire. At just 30 years of age, Yao would have years of playing ahead of him if not for persistent injuries to his feet and ankles. While Yao hasn't played in a game since November 2010 and has played in just five NBA games since the conclusion of the 2008-2009 season, the Houston Chronicle reports that Yao says it's still much too early to know whether he will be available next season. Yao, 30, said he "might" know in August or September if he will ever play in the NBA again. He wants to. And he wants to play here. He just doesn't know if"
Optimistic Yao says he wants to stay with Rockets
May 20
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming is a few months from finding out whether his surgically repaired left ankle will allow him to resume his basketball career. If he can continue to play, Yao knows where he wants that to happen. "I'd like to be here," Yao said Thursday during an appearance at Hunters Creek Elementary School in west Houston. "Nowhere else is better than Houston for me right now." Yao, 30, said he was encouraged by his visit with team doctors Wednesday. MRI results showed improvement in the stress fracture that limited him to five games this past season. "Everything looks good," Yao said. "The pictures (MRI) showed great news." Yao, who will become an unrestricted free agent?July 1,"
Yao's future still up in the air
May 19
Foxsports.com
 
"While Rockets center Yao Ming remains unsure about his future in the NBA, he says he may know by late this summer whether he'll be able to resume his career. Yao continues his recovery from a stress fracture in his left ankle, the latest in a series of injuries over the past several seasons which have derailed his career. "Sometime around August or September," Yao replied when asked when he may know if he'll be able to play basketball again. "Right now I'm not ready (to play)," Yao said. "But I still have a couple of months, maybe more." Yao chuckled as he uttered the final phrase since a looming NBA lockout may delay the start of the season. "Actually I just visited the doctor yesterday,""
Yao expects to continue playing for Rockets
March 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming can't know whether he will play again, but he is certain he's not ready for his career to be over yet. Facing the possibility that his inability to play without injury would end his career or prompt him to choose to retire, Yao said for the first time since his injury he hopes to come back from the stress fracture that ended his season in November. "I'll try continuing," Yao said Thursday. "A lot will depend on this foot." Asked if he believes he will play again, he said, "That's the direction." In the final season of his contract, Yao added he hopes to be back with the Rockets. "I like it here. I'm used to playing here," he said. "I'm comfortable, really, really"
Surgery puts Yao's status in question
January 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"Yao Ming's first decision was not difficult. He did not have much of a choice and opted to undergo surgery Thursday to repair the fracture in his left ankle. The next decision remains less certain. Yao, 30, indicated in a statement Thursday that he has not decided whether to try another comeback and return to the court, though many of his consultations with physicians have been about the prospects for continuing his career, an indication that he hopes to play again. Yao faces seven to 10 months of rehabilitation, according to Rockets team physician Dr. Walter Lowe. After six consecutive seasons with bone injuries, Yao, 7-6, has not said if he will attempt to resume his career next season."
Yao not in the Kings plans
December 29
Sacramento Bee
 
"Do the Kings want Yao Ming and his expiring contract? No, they don't. As reported by the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Rockets are looking for a team willing to take on Yao, who is out for the season with a stress fracture, and expiring contract in exchange for young talent and draft picks. The Rockets have an insurance policy to cover most of Yao's salary ($17.7 million) and a trade exception worth $6.33 million to entice teams."
Injured Yao trade bait for Rockets
December 28
Houston Chronicle
 
"For the Rockets, replacing Yao Ming likely will be impossible. Making moves — from using salary-cap exceptions to dealing Yao's expiring contract — could be the key to retooling without him. The Rockets have begun talks regarding a variety of options designed to motivate teams seeking cost savings to make a deal, a person with knowledge of the Rockets' thinking said. The Rockets have spoken with Sacramento, which has the sort of young talent the Rockets would seek, and Charlotte, which would more likely have to include attractive draft picks along with contracts, according to one individual familiar with the talks. The Kings have been steadfast in a refusal to deal first-round pick"
Rockets looking to trade Yao
December 27
Yahoo! Sports
 columnist Adrian Wojnarowski
"After years of patience and a willingness to wait out injury upon injury with their franchise star, the Houston Rockets are engaged in trade discussions about center Yao Ming with several teams, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The lure of acquiring Yao for potential suitors is the $8 million in savings that insurance will provide for his $17.7 million expiring contract this season. Some teams are considering re-signing Yao on a short-term deal with hopes of restoring him to playing health, while others see his contract as a cost-saving measure. Once one of the dominant players in the NBA, Yao, 30, will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left ankle. There are"
Rockets, GM Morey haven't ruled out giving Yao an extension
December 22
SI.com
 columnist Chris Mannix
"They were the NBA's sleeper team, a keep-your-eye-on-them pick that came up when the discussion turned to NBA title contenders. The Houston Rockets won 42 games last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006, but the return of Yao Ming to the lineup had many believing the Rockets rise in the Western Conference could be meteoric in 2010-11. That hope is gone now. It was lost with Yao, who will miss the season after doctors discovered a stress fracture in his left ankle. That ankle, of course, is just above the surgically repaired foot Yao has fractured three times, the last of which cost Yao the entire 2009-10 campaign. The loss of Yao cut deep through the organization,"
With Yao out, Rockets seek disabled-player exception
December 21
Houston Chronicle
 
"With center Yao Ming out for the season, the Rockets on Monday began the process of seeking a disabled-player exception from the NBA, general manager Daryl Morey confirmed. The Rockets expect to have the exception granted, which will allow them to trade for a player without matching salaries, up to the value of the mid-level exception of $5.765 million. The exception also would be an option to sign a free agent. Because Yao's injury occurred before Nov. 30, the Rockets would have 45 days to use the exception, beginning on the day they could have been expected to uncover the injury, which was last Thursday. The Rockets also have a trade exception worth $6.33 million from the Trevor"
Yao's season over; career another question
December 18
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming is certainly done for the season. What's less certain is whether his career will end, too. Rockets team physician Dr. Walter Lowe said Friday that surgery to repair a fracture in Yao's left ankle would be the "usual course of action" and "the smartest course of action." Surgery would require seven to 10 months of rehabilitation to return to the court. Yao, 30, has not chosen a treatment plan and could opt to immobilize his left foot in the hope it heals on its own. Either way, Lowe said Yao's latest stress fracture is not career-ending. It would not require the sort of reconstructive surgery Yao underwent in 2009. The pins used to help the fracture heal would also"
Yao, Rockets at crossroads
December 17
Houston Chronicle
 
"It could be over for Yao Ming. His career as a Rocket. His basketball career, period. It is another sad day for the Rockets' big man, who because of a slew of injuries has never lived up to the superstar status thrust upon him as the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NBA draft and the face of basketball for a nation of 1.3 billion. Thursday afternoon the team announced that an MRI revealed the 7-6 center had suffered a stress fracture of the medial malleolus in his left ankle. Team doctors believe the injury is related to the fractured tarsal navicular bone, which Yao suffered in the 2009 playoffs, an injury that caused him to miss the 2009-10 season. The team did not elaborate on the severity of the"
Stress fracture found in Yao Ming's left ankle
December 16
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming's comeback suffered another devastating setback with a stress fracture found Thursday morning in his left ankle. The injury is not in the same area as the previous stress fracture, but it is a major setback. Tests taken after his Nov. 10 sprained ankle and subsequently did not show the injury."
Yao Ming says he's OK, waiting for 'green light' to play
December 14
Houston Chronicle
 
"Yao Ming said he feels like he is ready to play . The Rockets center has not been cleared to rejoin the team's workouts because team doctors want him to strengthen the muscles in his left ankle, weakened since his Nov. 10 injury. "I'm waiting for the green light," Yao said. "When? I don't know. I feel better. It still has some weakness. I'm just not ready to sit out for almost 20 games, particularly when I feel I'm OK. I know when I was in the walking boot, on the crutches, OK, I understand. "I won't push the trainer or the doctor. They all try to treat me the best that they can. I know they try to find the best way for me to get back on the court." Yao would not say if he would be playing"
Yao not sure when he'll return to action
December 8
Houston Chronicle
 
"The status of Yao Ming's return to the court moved to indefinite hold on Tuesday. Yao's optimistic target date to return from a sprained left ankle was Tuesday's game. With that passing and with him still not practicing, Rockets athletic trainer Keith Jones said the center will not practice this week because the team wants him to strengthen the muscles around the ankle before clearing him to practice. There have not been any setbacks and he is no longer in pain, but the time off weakened the area. The Rockets will practice Monday, but Yao is more likely to practice the following week. "I don't know yet," Yao said of when he might return. "There is no guarantee. I try. I'll try my best. I"
Yao still not ready to go
December 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming, after hoping to return from his sprained and bruised left ankle in time to play tonight, was held out of Monday's practice and remains out. "Every day is closer," Yao said. " It's just not strong enough to support me running, jumping. I think they made the decision based on that." Yao said he was not given a timetable for his return, but said he will try to practice on Wednesday. "It's all up to the medical people, what they said," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "They just feel it wasn't the right time." Second-year guard Jermaine Taylor moved ahead of rookie point guard Ish Smith in the Rockets' rotation and will play in the backcourt off the bench with Courtney"
Adelman wants Yao to prove his fitness
December 3
Houston Chronicle
 
"While Yao Ming has set early next week as his target date to return, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said Thursday he wants to see how Yao responds to a full workout before any decision is made. Yao, who has been sidelined more than three weeks with a sprained and bruised left ankle, went through a light workout Thursday at Toyota Center. The latest step in returning to the lineup came a day after the 7-6 center participated in the team's shootaround Wednesday, the first time he had been on the court since he suffered the injury Nov. 10 in Washington. Before Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Yao told reporters he is targeting Tuesday's game against the Detroit Pistons for his"
Yao, Brooks set target dates for return
December 2
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming returned to the court for Wednesday morning's shootaround, moving him an important step closer to being back on the floor for the games themselves. Yao said he is targeting Tuesday's game against the Detroit Pistons and former Rockets teammate Tracy McGrady for his return from a sprained and bruised left ankle he suffered Nov. 10 in Washington. His participation in the walk-through was his first activity with the team since then, and he said he plans to practice today. Yao is not expected to join the team on its road trip to Memphis and Chicago this weekend. "(I) went through a full shootaround, moved a little bit," Yao said. "I feel pretty active. We are scheduled"
Yao, Brooks racing to return
November 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"Yao Ming, happy to no longer wear the protective boot on his sprained left ankle, believed he had taken the lead in his race with guard Aaron Brooks in who will return to the floor quicker. Both would return in early December if they are out the minimum projected time. Still, Yao was happy to have cleared another hurdle. "I think that's a very active signal there," Yao said. "It feels so comfortable, so good to wear regular shoes walking. Let's move on. I almost forgot to wear socks today. "I think I have a pretty good chance (in the race with Brooks) now." "Please," Brooks said. "They said the boot might help. I can go without it, but I can (heal) faster if I keep it on. It's not a"
Brooks, Yao in race to return to court
November 23
Houston Chronicle
 
"Aaron Brooks arrived in the Rockets' locker room with shoes on both feet for the first time since his Nov. 6 sprained ankle, prompting Yao Ming to shout, "No boot." "We're in a race," said Brooks, who was cleared to remove the protective boot on his left foot Sunday. "We're neck and neck. Maybe we'll come back together." If Brooks can come back at the earliest projected time, it would Dec. 4 against Chicago. If Yao comes back in his minimum rehab time, it would be the previous day, though he is expected to need time to work on his conditioning. Hoping to come back as soon as he is cleared, Yao has been running on an Alter-G treadmill that controls the amount of weight he puts on his feet."
Injured Yao staying positive
November 22
Houston Chronicle
 
"Center Yao Ming returned to Rockets practice Sunday, restricted by the bone bruise in his left ankle to the video session, riding the stationary bicycle and free throws but determined to be optimistic. Yao, 30, learned last week that he would be out at least two more weeks, but he said he was relieved that the examination showed no complications in his surgically repaired foot. "Be positive," Yao said. "It already happened. It could be a lot worse. At least that proves it was a very successful surgery in that area. We just need to deal with another injury." Yao was concerned with how the time off will diminish his conditioning."
Rockets will be without Yao at least two more weeks
November 20
Houston Chronicle
 
"Yao Ming's comeback was put on hold again on Friday. A week after Yao sprained his left ankle in the first quarter against the Washington Wizards, an examination found a bone bruise in the ankle that will keep him out at least two more weeks, likely more if he needs to improve conditioning after the time out with the injury before he is cleared to play. The examination of Yao's surgically repaired and restructured left foot Thursday in Vail, Colo. showed no complications from the procedure or his comeback, with the team announcing that "the area of the surgery in and around the tarsal navicular bone is completely healed and the structural integrity of the foot is intact." "His foot that"
Yao to be out rest of week
November 17
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming did not travel with the team to Oklahoma City for tonight's game and will not be in Toronto for Friday's game, making Monday's game against Phoenix the earliest he could come back from his sprained left ankle. Yao sprained his ankle against Washington last Wednesday. The Rockets said he would be out for a minimum of a week. He said Tuesday it would take "about another week" to return. "It's pretty simple," Yao said. "We just wait for the feeling to get normal, no soreness and (when) I can push off with no soreness or pain. At that time, I will come back to the court. It's all about the ankle. It's improving." Rockets guard Chase Budinger did some light shooting"
Yao to miss at least one week
November 12
Houston Chronicle
 
"Hours before the Rockets could exhale a sigh of relief with the MRI on Yao Ming's left ankle showing no more than "a mild sprain," they boarded a bus to Conseco Fieldhouse while he limped to a car to take him to his latest round of tests. Optimism, battered by a 1-6 start, sank. The tests confirmed the locker room diagnosis. Yao was scheduled to return to Houston this morning and will miss at least a week. The Rockets went into Thursday worried the day could end with much worse news. But even with the best-case scenario result of one test, the Rockets' others this season have not gone so well, with the team struggling with changing lineups and failing late in games. They knew they would"
Off-center most of night
November 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"When Yao Ming left Wednesday's game in the first quarter, he was replaced by Jordan Hill. When the Rockets learned at halftime that Yao would not be back, Hill was replaced by Brad Miller, with Rockets coach Rick Adelman deciding to try something different. "Jordan did not play well in the first half," Adelman said. "When they told us Yao wasn't going to play, I just felt I was going to start Brad and see if we were going to get a little better offensive flow and we did that. "The third quarter we were much better. As long as Brad can rebound with them, we were much better on the floor." Hill was 2-of-5 for four points and two rebounds and also struggled defensively in nine minutes of"
Yao leaves game with strained tendon; Rockets fall to 1-6
November 11
Houston Chronicle
 
"As Yao Ming walked off to the locker room, a strained tendon in his left leg ending his night after six minutes, Rockets coach Rick Adelman might have been tempted to head the same way. While Washington Wizards coach Flip Saunders had walked off the Verizon Center practice court when he could stand no more of a similar lethargic effort this week, Adelman stuck around to take it. The Rockets, however, made him suffer through everything that has sent their season spiraling downward, from Yao's health issues, to shoddy fast-break defense and finally a fourth-quarter collapse. The Wizards used 10 unanswered points during the final minutes in finishing off a 98-91 victory Wednesday night to"
Rockets considering giving Yao more minutes
November 10
Houston Chronicle
 
"Now that the Rockets got their win, they could soon get something they desired for even longer — more Yao Ming. The Rockets medical staff is exploring through a series of on-going meetings, changing the limits on Yao's playing time because of the progress he has made in his comeback, a team representative said on Tuesday. The discussions could lead to an increase in his playing time from the limit of 24 minutes per game, changes in the way his minutes are distributed throughout the game and clearance to play both games of back-to-backs. Yao has played and practiced without any complications, but has seemed increasingly frustrated with the limits on his playing time and especially with"
It's Yao vs. Yi at Verizon
November 10
Washington Examiner
 
"Yi Jianlian endorses the authenticity of the cuisine in Chinatown. "It's pretty similar [to home] because the people all come from China," said Yi, who named Tony Cheng's when asked if he had any local favorites. Verizon Center's proximity to the restaurant has helped the Chinese big man adjust to Washington, but he's still finding his way with the Wizards (1-4), who hope he'll get an extra helping of motivation against his countryman, Yao Ming, and the Houston Rockets (1-5). Yao has won all four of their previous meetings. "For me, nothing special," Yi said. "Maybe a lot of people watching in China." That's an understatement, although Wednesday's game will be broadcast on regional cable"
Yao impacts game against Timberwolves
November 9
Houston Chronicle
 
"Though Yao Ming took just two second-quarter shots Sunday, the Rockets considered the stretch among his best this season as a consistent force inside, with the Timberwolves unable to defend him without repeatedly fouling. "I think he did a good job of kicking it out and then re-establishing himself," coach Rick Adelman said. "He was aggressive in getting to the basket. "It's going to be something we have to keep working on. Shane (Battier) and Kevin (Martin) … did a nice job finding him. But Yao said he did not do anything special. He had 11 points in the second quarter. He made three of five shots for 13 points in 17 minutes in a 120-94 win over the Timberwolves. "I think that's what I"
Yao sits in San Antonio
November 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"With Yao Ming available to play only one game of the back-to-back, the Rockets held him out of Saturday's game in San Antonio to match up tonight against the Timberwolves at Toyota Center. "I felt the matchups with (Darko) Milicic tomorrow are probably better for him (than) when you have to go against (Tony Parker) and (Manu) Ginobili in pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll that this team (San Antonio) throws at you," coach Rick Adelman said. "I don't know if it's right or not." Adelman said playing the second half of the back-to-back also allows Yao to practice with the team and to rest Monday when there is no practice, though matchups were the primary consideration. Adelman said he does not"
Players uneasy about 4-game skid as Yao's status remains unclear
November 6
Houston Chronicle
 
"Yao Ming described the Rockets as hungry and angry at practice Friday. Brad Miller depicted the team as angry. Aaron Brooks was frustrated and Shane Battier was just tired of losing. Whatever the case, the winless Rockets will visit the San Antonio Spurs tonight eager to claim their first victory of the season. "Nobody's happy about starting 0-4," Yao said. "That's really embarrassing for us. "What can I say? If we don't feel anything about that, we don't qualify. ... I feel that everybody is angry in the practice (Friday) about how we did. And we are looking forward to (tonight's) game." The Rockets return home to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday evening, meaning coach Rick"
'A work in progress'
November 1
Houston Chronicle
 
"Yao Ming held the microphone and the attention of 18,161 on Saturday at Toyota Center to share a few words on the occasion of the Rockets' home opener. "It's great," he said, "to be back." When he was last on that floor for a game that mattered, he left it limping, heading to surgery that would cost him all of last season and leave him and the Rockets pining for the day he would be back. But three games into the season, two with Yao playing, bringing him back has proved more complicated and challenging than they might have imagined all those months waiting for his return. Yao has progressed steadily, averaging 11.5 points in 23 minutes per game, making 46.5 percent of his shots. But the"
Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin ride bench
October 28
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Most of the media, and maybe even most of the fans, at Oracle Arena on Wednesday night were there to see Houston center Yao Ming and Warriors guard Jeremy Lin sit the benches on their respective team's inactive lists. Yao won't play in back-to-back games as he recovers from foot surgery, and Lin isn't ready to produce as an undrafted rookie. Still, there is a story to tell about the duo. The Asian fan favorites formed a friendship in July, when Yao invited Lin to play in a charity game in Taipei. "It surprised me when he called," Lin said. "I was like, 'Is this actually happening?' " Lin said he was nervous, but 12 hours later, he was on a plane halfway around the globe. He headed back to"
Yao to play in opener
October 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"With the Rockets set to open the season with a back-to-back, coach Rick Adelman laid to rest any doubts about Yao Ming's availability, saying he expects his center to play opening night against the Lakers. Yao, available for just one game in back-to-backs, would then sit out Wednesday's game at Golden State. Adelman, having grown accustomed to the many influences on Yao's playing time, said he probably would not have had a choice anyway. "I imagine he'll play in the Laker game," Adelman said. "They'll probably tell us we have to play him anyway. It's a TNT game. "I think it's probably better to have him play that game, and then we'll go from there." Adelman said he will likely play Yao for"
One step at a time
October 25
Houston Chronicle
 
"There are moments, flashes of the past and perhaps the Rockets' future. Yao Ming began his career as an experiment, a 7-6 tower of talent to be developed. Eight years later, for all he has accomplished and all the questions he has answered, he is still surrounded by uncertainty. Yao is back, but the Rockets don't quite know what that means. They know only what it could mean, and for now, that is enough. "You can see the presence he gives us on the court," coach Rick Adelman said. "His presence is huge. "(Players) can feel that. It gives us confidence. We missed that." Yao's presence has never been uncomplicated — from the negotiations it took to bring him to the NBA and his"