Yao Ming Deserved Better Treatment From Basketball Gods

Why, God?

Why Yao Ming? Why the Houston Rockets? Eh, forget about the Rockets. Just answer me this: why Yao?

Professional sports’ most dedicated, hardest working, most unassuming, kindest, arguably funniest, unarguably tallest and officially unluckiest athlete has been struck down yet again. Thursday’s routine MRI on his feeble left foot revealed another stress fracture in the medial malleolus, one that will keep him out indefinitely, and possibly forever.

You would think the heavens would be bored with picking on Yao by now. Since the start of the 2005-'06 season, he has been robbed of 193 regular season games (and counting), including the whole 2009-'10 season, as well as the entire 2008 playoffs and the last four games of the 2009 Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Not only was Yao robbed, but so were basketball fans everywhere. We missed that unstoppable baby hook, that graceful baseline spin, that jump shot that had the efficiency and touch of a guard, and sports’ best interview.

Most importantly, the Houston Rockets were robbed. In February 2008, with the Rockets 12 games through a historic 22-game win streak, Yao was unexpectedly declared out for the season due to a stress fracture in the left foot. The team was 36-20 at the time and, against all odds, finished 19-7 in the last 26 games to get to 55 wins and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Utah Jazz stole home-court back and won the series in six games, but consider the possibilities had the angry basketball gods not pointed the finger at Yao.

Through 55 uninterrupted games that season, Yao was at his best, averaging 22 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and two blocks. His sidekick, Tracy McGrady, was still playing at an elite level, averaging 21.6 points, 5.9 assists and five rebounds. They had a supporting cast that included Bobby Jackson, Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry.

At the time of Yao’s injury, Houston was the hottest team in basketball and stayed that way for another month. The Rockets blasted the Lakers 104-92 to cap their 22-game run, a victory that vaulted them to No. 1 in the Western Conference. They finished two games out of the top spot 26 games later, without the services of the NBA’s best center. The Lakers went to the NBA Finals that year, losing to the Boston Celtics in six games.

I could argue that Houston at full strength could’ve beaten Boston to win the championship, but ultimately, I don’t think it would have. I will tell you that, had Yao never been hurt, the Rockets would have reached the NBA Finals to give themselves a chance to pull it off. The organization was robbed, but the thievery didn’t stop there.

Fast forward to the 2009 Western semifinals against the Lakers. Thanks to Yao’s 28 points and 10 rebounds, the Rockets stole Game 1 at Staples Center and home-court advantage. The series returned to Houston tied at a game apiece, and the Lakers led 90-84 with 4:15 left to play in Game 3. Yao walks gingerly to the sideline, but later returns to the game.

Houston lost the game, and found out just hours later that they had once again lost their franchise player, this time in the middle of an intense playoff series. Shocking the world, the Rockets left standing rose above the doom and gloom to stretch Los Angeles to a decisive Game 7, which turned out to be a decisive Lakers victory.

Forgive me for my constant speculation, but who here thinks Houston would’ve had a good chance to win that Game 7 had a certain 7’6" giant been manning the middle? Again, the Rockets franchise, the NBA, and basketball fans everywhere were robbed.

In those two instances, I channeled my unprecedented level of sorrow in the following order: me, Houston’s title chances, Yao.

It has taken three years, but I’m finally over myself and forever finished counting on Houston to win an NBA title. When the news broke last night, I was sad for Yao and no one else. There isn’t an athlete in professional, college, high school or intramural sports that deserves this fate less than Yao Ming.

Everyone who has played with him, from Steve Francis to Ron Artest, has said you won’t find a better teammate. When players are traded, Yao is always the last to know because it deeply saddens him to lose a teammate and friend. He always had trouble grasping the business side of the NBA. That’s a true statement.

Yao has never been in trouble with the law and has never done anything to put a black mark on the NBA product the way so many other players have done in the past. He brought the product to more people and more countries around the world than any other, and that includes Michael Jordan.

You think MJ’s popular in the states? Check out Yao’s reception in China. To them, his presence never gets old or taken for granted the way MJ’s has.

On May 12, 2008, China was ravaged by what is now known as the Great Sichuan Earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 8.0. There were 68,000 casualties and a number of cities were destroyed. And there was Yao, donating millions of dollars and his time to help rebuild the country that he loves so dearly.

I could go on, but it would take hours to cover all of the great things Yao has done on and off the court. The funny thing is, I never covered the man, nor do I know him personally in any capacity. For those that do, the story of Yao’s impact could take days.

One last point must be made: Yao Ming was an elite player. If you believe otherwise, you know nothing about basketball. If he never plays another game, he will end with career averages of 19 points, 9.3 rebounds and two blocks.

In the four seasons from 2005-09, he was literally tenths of a point from averaging 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds. If that isn’t elite, then I guess Dwight Howard, Shaq, and Yao’s predecessor, Hakeem Olajuwon, aren’t elite.

And for those that say he only made those All-Star teams because of China’s unmatchable support, think again. Player Efficiency Rating is used to show a player’s overall impact while he is on the court. A PER of 20 is considered All-Star level. Every season Yao played, including this one, he never had a PER below a 20.

He logged a record number of fan votes for the event, but numbers don’t lie. Yao deserved to be recognized as an NBA All-Star.

I had the pleasure of watching Yao in person four times; the first in Toronto during his rookie season and the last in 2008, at Washington.

Since it was his rookie season, the Air Canada Centre was at capacity with fans that wanted to see Yao, not the home Raptors. It was the same for every other NBA arena he visited for the first time.

Yesterday, when the news broke that Yao’s season and career is once again in jeopardy, it was hardly news. It took SportsCenter exactly 37 minutes to deliver the news that was first reported on the Internet about three hours earlier.

A career that started with more attention and fanfare than any of us could ever imagine might end with nothing more than an “oh, by the way…”

Yao Ming didn’t serve to have his prime years sidetracked by freak injuries, and he certainly deserves more then a quiet and unceremonious end.

Here’s hoping the heavens deliver for him. For once.

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