Yao Ming has retired - HOFer?

[wassit3]

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming announced today from his hometown of Shanghai, China that he has retired from the NBA. Yao finishes his career ranked second in Rockets history in career blocked shots (920), sixth in total points (9,247) and sixth in total rebounds (4,494). Of the 11 players to don a Rockets jersey for seven or more seasons, of them, only Calvin Murphy, Rudy Tomjanovich, Allen Leavell and Yao spent their entire careers with the Rockets.


http://www.insidehoops.com/yao-ming-...d-072011.shtml

---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:34 PM ----------

What Yao Meant to Basketball

http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2011/0...to-basketball/

[Baseballnum3er0]

Few days old, but there is speculation that Yao could be in the Hall of Fame as early as next year for being a contributor to the game.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spor...r-to-game.html

[RickD]

I'm just not seeing it...too many injury plagued years IMO.

[Mex86]

I'm just not seeing it...too many injury plagued years IMO.

Aren't you the guy who thought Jackie Robinson shouldn't have made the Hall?

Seriously, I have to agree - Yao was a great ambasador for the game and a fine player, but he wasn't even 20/10 for his career, and the injuries killed his production. If they want to give him a special place for opening the NBA's reach to China, that's one thing, but statistically he's not deserving. A good player, but not a dominant one, and never got his team to the Finals.

[RickD]

Aren't you the guy who thought Jackie Robinson shouldn't have made the Hall?

Yeah I am a low Hall kind of guy!

[sjnemeth3]

Only played 7 seasons, only played 80+ games 3 times. He was on track to becoming a Hall of Fame Center, but the injuries derailed any hopes. I'm all for recognizing his contributions to globalizing the NBA on a greater scale, but that should be a separate type of recognition.

[astrosfanatic]

Only played 7 seasons, only played 80+ games 3 times. He was on track to becoming a Hall of Fame Center, but the injuries derailed any hopes. I'm all for recognizing his contributions to globalizing the NBA on a greater scale, but that should be a separate type of recognition.

you cant view the Basketball Hall of Fame as the same as MLB and NFL HoF's. The Basketball HoF has an international branch to it in which international players are recognized for their impacts outside just the NBA. No one player has made the game more relevant to more people than Yao Ming. Sure, his country owns more than 1/6th of the worlds population making it easier to achieve that status, but still it sounds cool. I think there is definitely a spot in the Hall for him, but not based on his stats in the NBA.

And Mex, i will give you the fact that he wasnt dominant. However, he was better than a good player. He was a great player who improved every year he was in the league until injuries cropped up. He fared very well against his contemporaries (Dwight and Shaq) and the fact that he never made a Finals was hardly his fault. T-Mac and Stevie Franchise were plagues to every team they played for and held him back in many ways.

He's going to be in. It's only a matter of time.

---------- Post added at 01:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:54 PM ----------

Look, here's how the basketball hall of fame works:

how to get in? as a player/coach you have to be retired for 5 years, but as a contributor you can be voted in whenever.

It starts with 4 main committees: North American, Women's, Veterans (works like the veterans comittee in baseball HoF), and International.

When the player in question becomes eligible, they submit their nomination packet to one of these committees depending on which is most relevant. Those 4 committees then make their decision on who they think is worthy and they pass it on to an Honor's Committee who then makes the final call.

You could make an argument that Yao should go in immediately just as a contributor (which i think he should go in as a contributor). And he has already been nominated for that btw http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-yao-halloffame

Then, all you need to do is look at the application process and realize that Yao is most likely going to go in through the International Committee. Just look at his time with the Shanghai Sharks and the Chinese Olympic team to see that he dominated in those fields and was the best player to play in China ever. I think he gets in via that committee. In the end, i see him in as a contributor and an international player.

[sjnemeth3]

I'm not arguing that he won't get in, I just don't see it off his body of athletic work. I need to read more on his contributions. But simply being from China and playing in the NBA, indirectly sparking interest and opening doors, shouldn't be enough.
But as far as his contributions go, I'm sadly ignorant to the details. I'll take some time and read up on them.

[astrosfanatic]

I'm not arguing that he won't get in, I just don't see it off his body of athletic work. I need to read more on his contributions. But simply being from China and playing in the NBA, indirectly sparking interest and opening doors, shouldn't be enough.
But as far as his contributions go, I'm sadly ignorant to the details. I'll take some time and read up on them.

He took Chinese basketball on his back and made it relevant. The reason his NBA career fizzled out in injuries is b/c when all the other NBA players went home for an off-season at their country clubs and mansions, Yao went to train with and compete with the Chinese national team. he had no off-season for 8 years. It's amazing that his body lasted as long as it did.

[TTMCentral]

I don't believe he will get in. IMO, he needed to play more to get that status or "potential" status