Yao Ming Will Retire

Lockout or not, one player will not be coming back. Yao Ming, the 7'6 All Star for the Houston Rockets, is retiring from the game. One can only speculate this is due to the fact the Yao has suffered injury after injury for the last few seasons. He's basically been out for as long as this blog has been active (WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!) except for 5 games played this last season. Yao now retires way before he should've in the midst of a lockout that many don't know will end.

It's sad to hear Yao call it quits. You would've figured this be the perfect situation for him to make a solid comeback considering there might not be a NBA season. You also can't help but wonder his personal reasons for doing this. Sure he's injury prone but does he think that he is now? Might it be another reason? Is he leaving because of the Lockout?

But now is a time to reflect. It seems like it was only yesterday he was drafted by the Rockets and making his presence known. He actually had some good years as their center only to have it be taken away by injuries. He also had a special impact on a international level making basketball more popular in China and even being part of the Chinese Olympic team. He may not have had a Hall of Fame career but I think Yao needs to at least be considered for the Hall for what he has done for the game of basketball as a whole.