[21][22][23] However, some teams were concerned about Yao's NBA eligibility because of uncertainty over whether the CBA would let Yao play in the United States. McGrady then added two more 3s and another long jumper as the Rockets dominated down the stretch. Once McGee gets some NBA seasoning, the two could have quite a duel. [159] As of 2009, he had led Forbes' Chinese celebrities list in income and popularity for six straight years, earning US$51 million (CN¥357 million) in 2008. [38][39] Yao was not angry with the promotion because he was not familiar with American stereotypes of Chinese. [60] Although Yao said that Francis and Mobley had "helped [him] in every way [his] first two seasons", he added, "I'm excited about playing with Tracy McGrady. [50] It was the first time that he ended the season with a so-called "20/10" average. [20] Yao was widely predicted to be picked number one overall. [142] On August 6, 2007, Yao and Ye married in a ceremony attended by close friends and family and closed to the media. [42] Yao also said he believed O'Neal was joking, but he said a lot of Asians would not see the humor. [78], Despite Yao's absence, the Rockets made the playoffs with the home court advantage against the Utah Jazz in the first round. [130] He also carried the Chinese flag and led his country's delegation during the opening ceremony. Yao Ming's participation in the turtle rescue effort is significant, as China remains the top consumer of endangered turtles worldwide. Get a summary of the Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets basketball game [64] The Rockets won the first two games in Dallas, and Yao made 13 of 14 shots in the second game, the best shooting performance in the playoffs in Rockets history. Mingming, along with other past pre-member Doyoon, had been taken off of the list of pre-members, an… Their goal was to keep Yao healthy in the long term. Yao Ming stands as the only player to rank in the top two in both rookie scoring and rookie rebounding. [138][139], After Yao announced that he would enter the 2002 NBA draft, he told one American journalist that he had been studying English for two years, and that he liked the movie Star Wars but disliked hip hop. [83], On May 18, 2007, only weeks after the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs, Jeff Van Gundy was dismissed as head coach. "[114] Shaquille O'Neal said Yao "was very agile. ... Washington's Gilbert Arenas, out with a knee injury, finally made it onto the court -- in wax. C - HOU. McGee faded in the second half and finished with eight points, four rebounds, two blocks and five fouls. PG - HOU. [6] In February 2017, Yao was unanimously elected as chairman of Chinese Basketball Association. (Culture)", "APA Community Should Tell Shaquille O'Neal to 'Come down to Chinatown", "Sports of The Times; Fans in Shanghai Are Voting in the Mainstream", "Shaq says Yao comments were said in jest", "Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets Box Score, January 17, 2003", "Fans in Shanghai Are Voting in the Mainstream", "Sizing up Yao Ming's NBA career, impact", "Stoudemire Wins 2002–03 'got milk?' Yao Ming is well regarded as one of the best players to ever grace the court in an NBA game. After Van Gundy began focusing the offense on Yao,[56] Yao averaged career highs in points and rebounds for the season, and had a career-high 41 points and 7 assists in a triple-overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks in February 2004. It was just great seeing these two together, playing as teammates in Boston, but they also were very connected outside the court! The injury came late in the 108-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Yao Ming blocked three or more shots 26 times, as Houston boasted a 22-4 … His rookie year in the NBA was the subject of a documentary film, The Year of the Yao, and he co-wrote, along with NBA analyst Ric Bucher, an autobiography titled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. 4 AST 2 TO 42 MIN. Yao Ming contract and salary cap details, contract breakdowns, dead money, and news. "Yao got really aggressive. Quiet for most of the game, McGrady hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 9-0 run that wiped out a nine-point deficit and tied it with 7:11 to play. [9] At 11 pounds (5.0 kg), Yao weighed more than twice as much as the average Chinese newborn. [104] The Yao-less Rockets went on to win Game 4 against the Lakers to even the series 2–2. NBA Star Nets China's Proletarian Award", "Yao Ming Ready to Mix It Up with the NBA's Best", "Groomsman Fondly Recounts Yao Ming's Marriage", "Yao's wedding unites East and North cultures", "Yao's wife gives birth to seven-pound, nine-ounce baby | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle", "I am Yao Ming, wildlife advocate. It's part of the growth process.". [13] After playing with the junior team for four years, Yao joined the senior team of the Sharks, where he averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds a game in his rookie season. "They ran everything through Yao the last six minutes of the game," Wizards guard Antonio Daniels said. [125] However, he recovered before the start of the tournament, and in the last game of the preliminary round, he had 36 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Slovenia to lead China into the Round of 16. [46], The NBA began offering All-Star ballots in three languages—English, Spanish and Chinese—for fan voting of the starters for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. Get a summary of the Houston Rockets vs. LA Clippers basketball game Obviously it's a tough matchup for JaVale, 10 games into his rookie season, but we all go through it. [150] In 2009, Yao provided the voice for a character of a Chinese animated film, The Magic Aster, released on June 19. Richard Nalley I am editor-at-large for ForbesLife, covering travel, wine & food, watches, fashion, design, and pleasures of all kinds. He was also named the MVP of all three tournaments. [75][76] Yao was unable to play in what would have been his fifth All-Star game;[77] he was medically cleared to play on March 4, 2007, after missing 32 games. [129] On August 6, Yao carried the Olympic flame into Tiananmen Square, as part of the Olympic torch relay. Even the Wizards' starting lineup announcer is in a slump. He didn't back down -- he even won the opening tip and scored the game's first basket with a layup over Yao -- but the six-time All-Star from China and teammate Tracy McGrady dominated in the fourth quarter as the Houston Rockets added to the Washington Wizards' misery with a 103-91 victory. Get a summary of the Washington Wizards vs. Houston Rockets basketball game [113][145][146], In 2004, Yao co-wrote an autobiography with ESPN sportswriter Ric Bucher, entitled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. "I was trying to play aggressive and keep him away from the rim," said McGee, the No. Yao Ming Y. Ming. Get a summary of the San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets basketball game Washington was competitive for three quarters with the new starting lineup of Dee Brown at point guard and McGee at center. [109] In January 2011, he was voted as the Western Conference starting center for the 2011 All-Star Game for the eighth time in nine seasons. [121] He then vowed to abstain from shaving his beard for half a year unless the Chinese national team made it into the quarter-finals of the 2004 Olympics. [115] Reacting to Yao's retirement, NBA commissioner David Stern said Yao was a "bridge between Chinese and American fans" and that he had "a wonderful mixture of talent, dedication, humanitarian aspirations and a sense of humor. After weeks of consulting, it was decided that Yao would undergo surgery in order to repair the broken bone in his left foot. "He made plays for everybody else. JaVale McGee's wingspan is 7-foot-6. During the playoffs in his final year with Shanghai, Yao averaged 38.9 points and 20.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 76.6% from the field,[15] and made all 21 of his shots during one game in the finals. [42][43] In the game, Yao scored the Rockets' first six points of the game and blocked O'Neal twice in the opening minutes as well as altering two other shots by O'Neal, all 4 of those attempts coming right at the rim, and made a game-sealing dunk with 10 seconds left in overtime. (ECNS) -- Former NBA star Yao Ming has accepted the invitation of British outdoor-adventure show hero Bear Grylls to join his Running Wild program. He missed the 2008 NBA playoffs, but he did not miss the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, China in August. "It is pretty much the same story for us," Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. [151], Yao enrolled at the Antai College of Economics & Management of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2011. 10 REB 9 DREB 1 OREB. However, Tracy McGrady played only 47 games in the season, missing time because of back spasms. [67] Despite missing 21 games while recovering,[8] Yao again had the most fan votes to start the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. [40] In an earlier interview in 2000, Yao said he had never seen a fortune cookie in China and guessed it must have been an American invention. Get a summary of the Chicago Bulls vs. Houston Rockets basketball game [153] Yao completed his studies in July 2018, graduating with a degree in economics after 7 years of study. [37] Barkley made good on his bet by kissing the buttock of a donkey purchased by Smith for the occasion (Smith's "ass"). [73], Early into his fifth season, Yao was injured again, this time breaking his right knee on December 23, 2006, while attempting to block a shot. [44] Yao finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks; O'Neal recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 0 blocks. [142] Ye was not fond of Yao at first, but finally accepted him after he gave her the team pins he had collected during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Question: Yao Ming was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. [74] Up to that point he had been averaging 26.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and had been mentioned as an MVP candidate. It was a nice comeback.". "[61] After the trade, it was predicted that the Rockets would be title contenders. [131] Yao scored the first basket of the game, a three-pointer, in China's opening 2008 Olympics Basketball Tournament game against the eventual gold medal-winning United States. They made shots and plays, and we didn't.". Rafer Alston R. Alston. [168] In the NBA's offseason in 2003, Yao hosted a telethon, which raised US$300,000 to help stop the spread of SARS. [41], Before Yao's first meeting with Shaquille O'Neal on January 17, 2003, O'Neal said, "Tell Yao Ming, ching chong-yang-wah-ah-soh", prompting accusations of racism. [57] He was also voted to be the starting center for the Western Conference in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game for the second straight year. Andray Blatche had a season-high 14 points and Caron Butler added 12 for Washington, which shot just 3-for-15 from 3-point range. [66] Yao's final averages for the series were 21.4 points on 65% shooting and 7.7 rebounds. [95] The Rockets won all their games in Houston,[96] and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and the first time in Yao's career.[97]. Assists. [143] Their relationship became public when they appeared together during the 2004 Olympics closing ceremony. NBA Rookie of the Year Award", "Team says resignation just one of several options", "Yao takes center stage in Houston's new stadium", "Rockets Prevail in Triple-Overtime Thriller", "Francis' meeting with Magic triggers trade", "Rockets muscle up; Magic will build around Francis", "Yao Ming gets record votes for All-Star game", "McGrady, Yao want to emulate Magic, Kareem", "Mavericks Cruise Past Rockets in Game 7", "Yao Ming has surgery on toe, out several weeks", "McGrady taken to hospital with severe back spasms", "As the countdown to training camp begins, it's no secret the team needs Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming on the floor as much as possible to make the playoffs", "Yao on road to recovery, but will miss NBA All-Star Game", "Yao returns from broken leg against Cavs", "Western Conference Round 1: Jazz vs. AMA. Tracy got the hot hand, and it carried over as he made some shots, which is what he had to do. John McCain, Senator from Arizona, during the 2004 election, on Asians, told a group of reporters on his campaign bus “I hated the gooks. We identified protocadherin17 (PCDH17) and demonstrated that it was significantly down-regulated and hypermethylated in LSCs compared with HSCs.Our analyses of primary AML patient samples also confirmed these deregulations. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. [108] On December 16, 2010, it was announced that Yao had developed a stress fracture in his left ankle, related to an older injury, and would miss the rest of the season. Assists. [120] During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony, which he said was a "long dream come true". [162] He also had a deal with Pepsi, and he successfully sued Coca-Cola in 2003 when they used his image on their bottles while promoting the national team. Notes: The Wizards' last win in the series came on March 2, 2005. Yao Ming is 7-foot-6. For Yao Ming the good news in 2016 was just a beginning. 17 REB 15 DREB 2 OREB. [123] He averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field.[124]. Now, as chairman of the CBA, he wants to make Chinese … He would have been eligible for induction as early as 2012, but Yao felt it was too soon and requested that the Hall of Fame delay consideration of the nomination. [127], After having surgery to repair his fractured foot, Yao stated if he could not play in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, "It would be the biggest loss in my career to right now. Known in China as the "Yao Ming Phenomenon" and in the United States as the "Ming Dynasty," Yao's success in the NBA, and his popularity among fans, made him a symbol of a new China that was both more modern and more confident. [163] He eventually signed with Coca-Cola for the 2008 Olympics. Square, as part of the documentary the end of his rookie season but... 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