Yao Ming Articles - Page 2

Former Houston Rockets point guard Rafer Alston has opened up about how Yao Ming made him a better basketball player and person. In his phenomenal but short NBA career, former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming left his mark on his then-teammates, including Rafer Alston. In a wide-ranging interview with VLAD TV, Alston revealed how Yao […]

Apart from their two titles, the Houston Rockets have been blessed with several Hall of Famers which is an added testament to the esteemed franchise. As such, culling a list of their five greatest players is a demanding task. However, it is a valid exercise because, through it, we would be able to see and […]

The Golden State Warriors landed a big man in James Wiseman with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. While the selection didn’t really come much of a surprise given the  Dubs’ glaring need for a center, the decision certainly reminded fans of another center that Golden State could have had if the […]

During former general manager Daryl Morey’s tenure, the Houston Rockets were known for taking “small ball” to the extreme. The strategy resulted in multiple playoff appearances, but none of those led to a championship. The style of play certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and many doubted the formula. However, things haven’t always been that […]

The NBA All-Star Game is one of the most prestigious events in the sport. Not everyone is a fan of the product itself, despite some recent innovations such as the ‘ELAM’ ending and having captains pick their teams. However, everyone and their mama cares about who actually gets chosen to be on those teams. Those […]

Since joining the league in 1967, the Houston Rockets have managed to develop a winning pedigree over the course of multiple eras. The Rockets have become playoff staples throughout the years. They’ve won two NBA titles, four conference titles, and seven division titles. It’s franchise information nearly everyone should know.  Houston is perhaps best known […]

The Houston Rockets had one of the most talented big men of all time playing for them, and it’s not Hakeem Olajuwon. It’s Yao Ming, the Rockets center who stood 7-foot-6 and was a monster in the NBA until his career got cut short due to ongoing injuries. Yao played in China with the Shanghai Sharks […]

Former NBA champion Channing Frye had quite a field day on a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ pod in roasting none other than himself. Frye opened up on what it was like guarding the great Shaquille O’Neal in Frye’s rookie year, and how he told the narrative is just hilarious. Frye made the big jump to […]

Yao Ming is definitely the biggest NBA player (pun intended) to ever come from Asia. Yao was acquired by the Houston Rockets as the 1st pick of the 2002 NBA Draft. Before coming to the US, he played for his hometown team, the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), for a couple of […]

The Houston Rockets have always played like the team of the future. They were the pioneers of the 3-point revolution and the poster child for using advanced analytics to make their personnel decisions. But while they’re always looking ahead, they’re clearly still trying to recreate the successes they had in the past.  The Rockets have […]

Yao Ming’s Hall of Fame NBA career saw him net $93,390,336 in NBA money, per Spotrac. Despite being only able to play in 486 games because of injury, Ming’s impact on and off the floor can’t be measured, particularly in China. Ming came over to America in 2002 after the Houston Rockets selected him with the […]

Yao Ming came over to America in 2002 after the Houston Rockets selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. The 7-foot-6 center was only able to play in 486 NBA games due to injuries. However, Ming made $93,390,336 through NBA contracts, per Spotrac. He was also inducted into the […]

Despite having only two championships in franchise history, the Houston Rockets have had some of the best players the league has ever seen. What’s even more impressive is that the Rockets have drafted a handful of Hall of Famers, proving their eye for talent over the years has been good. For this piece, we will […]

Shaquille O’Neal took yet another dig at Dwight Howard, cutting him loose in a game of “start, bench, cut” in which he picked an NBA star from the 2000s for one of each action. Given the choice between LeBron James, Howard, and Yao Ming, the NBA personality rightfully went with James to start but had […]

While the average NBA fan loves to see high-flying dunks, crossovers galore and a whole lot of 3-pointers, we can also all agree that fans love watching tall guys. Just ask Boston Celtics center Tacko Fall, who would otherwise be an afterthought if it weren’t for the fact that he were 7-foot-5. But many of […]

Future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett was one of the most physically imposing players in the NBA, and he knew more than anyone how tough the league would be on big men who didn’t grow up playing American hoops. This is why he is so impressed with Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki for being […]

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is facing criticism after tweeting out his sentiments about the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. Morey’s message, which has since been deleted, included the phrases “Fight For Freedom” and “Stand With Hong Kong.” This tweet has created a firestorm in China, and now NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is planning […]

In any sport that requires some measure of physicality, the label “soft” is bound be be thrown around every now and then. Especially with the rise of social media and the increasing ability for athletes to engage with fans, it seems like players across various professional sports leagues are dealing with said labels. The NBA […]

For some reason, the GOAT debate has had so much more emphasis these days more than ever. In this respect, the three usual suspects — in no particular order — are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. It is without question that all three players have had a tremendous impact on the sport, and […]

After deciding to call it a career after just eight injury-plagued seasons in the NBA, it is without question that former Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming will forever be one of the biggest what-if’s of the sport. At just 30 years of age, Yao was forced to retire from the league after a slew of […]

Houston Rockets legend and Hall of Famer Yao Ming was undoubtedly the most decorated NBA player that came from Asia. He’s an eight-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA second team, and he had career averages of 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. But did you know that before he was drafted first overall in 2002, […]

NBA icon Yao Ming has accepted the blame for China’s poor showing at the FIBA World Cup. The former Houston Rockets star shared that the fans expected a lot from China in the World Cup. However, the hosts failed to capitalize on their home floor. Their loss to Nigeria, plus Iran’s win over the Philippines […]

After their Game 4 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry compared Kawhi Leonard’s dominance to a former teammate of his — Yao Ming. In Game 4, Leonard scored a game-high 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from downtown. He also snagged 14 rebounds and had five assists. […]

Reflecting on his career as a longtime general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey delighted Kelly Iko of The Athletic with an anecdote that could have changed the balance of power in the West back in the day. Asked of the most audacious acquisition that never materialized, Morey was quick to point out a […]

Former NBA All-Star forward Kevin Garnett opened the vault of his Olympic memories to share an anecdote surrounding former Team USA teammate Vince Carter and his dunk over Frederic Weis in the 2000 Sydney Olympics: The Big Ticket recalls being the first to celebrate with Carter, but revealed the team had placed a bounty on […]

NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming has a knack of dwarfing tall people when standing next to him. That will happen when you’re 7 feet 6 inches tall. Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic recently posted a photo of himself posing with the former Houston Rockets star, along with Mavs legend and teammate Dirk Nowitzki. The Slovenian […]

Yao Ming looked back on the time when LeBron James was just a young rookie, posting a photo featuring himself and James. Enclosed is a caption basically acknowledging that James schooled him with a brand new move. Check out the photo below as posted by Yao in his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm8oP3sgdmf/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1pcg5utado40c Yao was a sophomore during […]

When it comes to education, Houston Rockets icon Yao Ming definitely knows that there’s a capital gain, at least in terms of knowledge. According to Torrey Hart of Yahoo Sports, the amiable former Rockets center has finally accomplished one of his life goals by finishing his studies and graduating with a degree in Economics from […]

Over the weekend, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey answered questions from the public on Reddit about a broad range of topics. One interesting question was focused on former Rockets legendary Hall of Fame center Yao Ming. Yao, who played in Houston for nine seasons, said something hilarious during one Rockets training camp that Morey will […]

A unique trait to all professional sports, especially in the USA, are the so called “What if” scenarios. From barbershops and social media to major TV networks speculations about the outcome of events are constantly being brought up. Unfortunately, one of the most common “what if”-s revolves around players whose careers suffered because of injuries. […]

The Houston Astros made history on Wednesday night as they won their first-ever World Series title in franchise history. Even with the Los Angeles Dodgers having the momentum heading into Game 7, the AL West team took control of the game early on, and eventually won 5-1. Their win caught the attention of a lot […]

For the second straight year, the Houston Rockets will accommodate Yao Ming’s Chinese Basketball Association team, the Shanghai Sharks, for a preseason game at Toyota Center this coming October 5. While most teams play other NBA teams in preseason exhibition games, the Rockets are slightly veering off course by agreeing to take on the Sharks […]

In the spirit of the offseason, an NBA digital artist and graphic designer decided to re-imagine some of the modern hairstyles in the league in some of the recent icons of the game, making the result a work of art… and laughter. Whether it is the Kelly Oubre, the Nick Young, or the Julius Randle […]

The Houston Rockets are on sale. Current owner Leslie Alexander, a businessman from New Jersey, bought the franchise in 1993 and paid $85 million. If inflation is taken into account, that amount is worth $143.8 million today. Forbes valued the NBA franchise at $1.65 billion in 2016, but the recent acquisition of Chris Paul surely […]

The Houston Rockets this offseason have made a concerted effort to revamp their roster with a plethora of new talent. One of those incoming pieces to the puzzle is big man Zhou Qi, who the Rockets selected with the 43rd overall pick in last year’s draft. He officially inked a four-year deal with the team on […]

Golf has always been on top of the list of sports NBA stars play outside of basketball. From Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, to Stephen Curry, all these freak athletes have spent a good amount of time on the golf course. And now, another legend is trying out the game. Recently enshrined Hall-of-Famer Yao Ming participated in […]

NBA Hall of Famer and Houston Rockets legend Yao Ming spoke with Graham Bensinger in an interview about this NBA career. Yao recalled his first time playing against Jordan in the 2002-03 season, and says Michael Jordan gave him a bit of trash talk before he knew what was really happening. I don’t understand. I don’t […]

After being inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame just last month, Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming will receive another recognition from the only team he played for in the NBA. The Houston Rockets have scheduled the 7-foot-6 big man’s number 11 to be retired and hang in the rafters of the Toyota Center. The […]

After being forced to end his playing career prematurely due to multiple foot injuries, recently inducted Hall of Famer Yao Ming has returned to where he spent all his nine NBA seasons. The former eight-time all-star appeared at the podium inside the Toyota Center in Houston for the first time since 2011, but now as a […]