Also seen at Celtics 17

It was reported yesterday that Yao Ming, the Chinese basketball sensation and Houston Rockets All-Star center, has a much more severe injury than initially expected.

Ming, who has battled foot injuries for the past couple of years, went down recently during this year's Rockets' playoff run. With Yao, many people thought they could have taken down the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Along with Ron Artest (if he re-signs), Tracy McGrady, and Yao, the Rockets' upcoming season was seen as exciting and a year that they would take a step forward.

They've always been a respected franchise and a playoff team in the Yao era, but the the window of opportunity to win a championship could be quickly closing.

The Rockets might crash and burn if Yao doesn't manage to get back on his feet (literally...kinda). That opportunity I mentioned above got the Houston fans rejuvenated and pumped up for next season.

After hearing this devastating news, the 'Kets (my new cool nickname for Houston. Like it?) may not have as many rear ends in seats as they would've liked next season.

That is, knowing that Yao will definitely be out for the bulk of the '09-10 campaign and probably the rest of his career.

Here were my quick thoughts from yesterday's article which broke the news on Celtics 17:

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but this injury is very saddening to me. Yao was a great person and a great basketball player."

And sad I am. Although he was a dominating center when healthy, something us Celtics' fans despise, Yao was always a favorite of mine. He was so soft-spoken, yet had some pretty gifted leadership qualities. He was seen as a guy who could get a firm message across without having to raise his voice (too much).

Yao, on and off the court, was also very patient with teammates. Although I'm sure he's been frustrated at times, he's not the one to transform into an angry Dirk Nowitzki or a nasty Kevin Garnett.

I probably wouldn't have a liking for KG's attitude either if he wasn't a Celtic. And Dirk? Well, he used to be fun to watch. But now? I'll save my words just so I don't get booted from this site.

Yao was also very upbeat and positive with both the fans and younger teammates. He was an inspiration to all of China (and Asia, probably), as his success here blossomed once he entered the NBA.

I never once saw him lash out during a media press conference, even though there were probably plenty of times when another player other than Yao would have.

Yao Ming was another guy who never stopped pushing forward, as well. He never gave up on the squad he was guiding and continued to be optimistic, no matter the obstacles they had to face or the circumstances they were in.

Take a look at this year for example. Although it seemed Houston's team played with more flow, they still took quite a hit when All-Star wingman Tracy McGrady suffered an injury. They not only lost a locker-room leader, but an offensive threat, as well.

However, Yao, with some help from Artest and Rick Adelman, brought the Rockets on a trip to Western Conference semifinals to play the Lakers.

They lost a tough series in seven games but continued to fight back and persevere without Tracy McGrady and, for the better part of the series, Yao Ming himself. Yao then watched from the sidelines but did everything he could to encourage and motivate his guys.

And never mind his amazing people skills, the kid had and still has some great talent on the basketball court. He can rebound very well, considering the pressure applied to the lower part of his body, and he has a natural soft touch under the basket. He was able to hit the short open jumpshot, too (.545 career field goal shooting percentage).

Yao, surprisingly because of his size, was an above-average passer as well. Although his assist numbers don't show it, he was good at dumping the ball off to open forwards on the other block when he was being guarded by multiple defenders.

I'm sure you've noticed my subtle hints that Yao is one of my favorites by now–and not only me, but fans worldwide. Basketball fans all over will slump back into their chairs and sink down lower and lower as they begin to realize the seriousness involved with this.

The fans aren't the only ones. When the Rockets drafted Ming No. 1 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft, they were ecstatic about receiving a 7'5", 296-pound basketball phenom who was ready to take the world by storm.

The team was happy knowing they'd have a monster of a player down low in a couple of years, reassured that they wouldn't have to worry about their future for the next 10 years (which would be 2012) with him as the face of the franchise.

Now? They're praying—no, begging—that this injury-prone Houston Rockets team can take more than a couple of heavy hits. They're going to have a full season or more without Yao Ming, the Great Wall of China.