Yao Ming's career may be over

[cyberdude557]

As the NBA draft approached, the grim truth about Yao Ming’s(notes) broken left foot hung like an anvil over the Houston Rockets. The fear isn’t that he’s just lost for next season, but longer.

The Rockets and Yao’s reps are frightened over his future, and the concern is the most base of all: Does Yao Ming ever play again?

“The realization has hit them that this is grave,� one NBA general manager said.

For now, the Rockets have privately told league peers it could be a full season before Yao might be able to return to basketball. Multiple league executives, officials close to Yao and two doctors with knowledge of the diagnoses are describing a troubling re-fracture of his navicular bone. Three pins were inserted a year ago, but the foot cracked in the playoffs and isn’t healing.

“It sounds like he’s missing most of next season, if not the entire 82 games,� one league executive who has had recent discussions with the Houston front office told Yahoo! Sports. “That’s all that [the Rockets] will concede quietly, but they know it’s probably much worse.�

Houston general manager Daryl Morey refused comment on Monday and a team spokesman said the Rockets will not have further comment until Yao undergoes additional medical tests.

There’s no reason for the Rockets to disclose the severity of the injury, nor the uncertainty over Yao’s future. Before the Rockets go public with a dire diagnosis, they plan to send him to three more specialists this week, a source said. For now, the Rockets have season tickets and sponsorships to sell. For now, the Rockets will publicly decry these doomsday revelations as premature, but this is the reality that they’re working under within the organization.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-yaorockets062909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[MBF]

Too early to say.

[GameTime]

speaking of big men, cnnsi.com has Rumors of Okur opting out and the Magic being interested in Rasheed Walllace.  could they be the 4 that would put ORL over the top?  i dont see how they could afford either, but a starting lineup of nelson-carter-lewis-[wallace/okur]-howard seems pretty dominating.

speaking of big men, cnnsi.com has Rumors of Okur opting out and the Magic being interested in Rasheed Walllace.  could they be the 4 that would put ORL over the top?  i dont see how they could afford either, but a starting lineup of nelson-carter-lewis-[wallace/okur]-howard seems pretty dominating.

Okur would be making 9 mill per this year, I doubt he is gonna opt out to take 4 mill less. As for Sheed, he is a team killer. He wanted to play for the Cavs last year and asked the Pistons to buy him out. Im glad we didn't.

I can't believe the Bucks didn't tender Charlie Villanueva. I would love to get him.

[BucFan9720]

yao Ming BUST BUST BUST.... horrible BUST BUST

Wow, now I know you dont know jack **CENSORED**. How is Yao a bust and Oden not?

[Calvin Johnson]

Yao Ming is not a bust; however that Mcgrady/Ming project is.

[MBF]

He's obviously joking

[oregonbucfan]

yao Ming BUST BUST BUST.... horrible BUST BUST

Wow, now I know you dont know jack crap. How is Yao a bust and Oden not?

IM JOKING!!!!!

I thought the rule was if you get injured at any point your a bust?

Just following the rules

[oregonbucfan]

yao Ming BUST BUST BUST.... horrible BUST BUST

[oregonbucfan]

Yao Ming is not a bust; however that Mcgrady/Ming project is.

McGrady made the Rockets who they were well Yao sat on the bench injured

[LFO]

Yao Ming is not a bust; however that Mcgrady/Ming project is.

McGrady made the Rockets who they were well Yao sat on the bench injured

McGrady hasn't exactly been a health advocate himself.

[JC510]

All this stuff is nonsense. The term "career ending" or "career threatening" gets thrown around all over the place because it gets headlines. Happened with Carson Palmer, happened with Kellen Winslow, happened with Cadillac.

I don't think anyone was tossing those terms around seriously a few months after those injuries - at the same stage Yao's injury is at.

Schefter was throwing it around last year at this time with Cadillac.

[JC510]

All this stuff is nonsense. The term "career ending" or "career threatening" gets thrown around all over the place because it gets headlines. Happened with Carson Palmer, happened with Kellen Winslow, happened with Cadillac.

[dalbuc]

Yao Ming is not a bust; however that Mcgrady/Ming project is.

McGrady made the Rockets who they were well Yao sat on the bench injured

No the Rockets got going this year when The Black Hole finally got hurt.

[dalbuc]

All this stuff is nonsense. The term "career ending" or "career threatening" gets thrown around all over the place because it gets headlines. Happened with Carson Palmer, happened with Kellen Winslow, happened with Cadillac.

I don't think anyone was tossing those terms around seriously a few months after those injuries - at the same stage Yao's injury is at.