It was fitting that around the same time NASA shuttered its space shuttle program, the largest Rocket of all chose to ground himself for good. After fighting a losing battle with innumerable injuries, Yao made the difficult decision to retire, several months shy of his 30th birthday*. As one of the tallest to ever play in the NBA, he reached heights fellow giants Shawn Bradley, Gheorghe Muresan and the late Manute Bol never did (to be fair, he was more well-prepared through extensive training than any of those men - and also more talented).
Yao didn't make anyone in Houston forget Hakeem Olajuwon (Yao wasn't "The Dream," more of a favorable fantasy), but he held his own against his peers in the pivot. He could've wound up a punchline, but because of his persistence, became a perennial All-Star - although some of his selections were the result of popularity more than performance (to counter the perception that it was the fans inflating his worth, he was named to the All-NBA team 5 times, which is voted on by members of the media, but never the first team). Big men with raw potential enter the league every year; Yao was the rare center who fulfilled his. His footwork ensured he was more than a footnote in NBA history, like Wang Zhizhi.
If any aspect of his career was disappointing, besides the seemingly infinite injuries and the lack of postseason success (Yao only made the second round of the playoffs once), it was where he elected to deliver the news of his retirement: in China. The Rockets GM was the only person present and he had to ask permission to attend the press conference. Maybe Yao did that because he made a larger impression there than he did here. After all, he introduced the league to millions of Chinese, in the process growing the game globally more than any player before him (and probably more than any single person in the future can, unless we see an Indian-born baller). We're certain the relative ease of his transition has influenced players to ponder going overseas during the lockout, even if they're unfamiliar with the culture and language. Maybe he felt an obligation to his own people (he's already bought his old team, the Shanghai Sharks, to save them from folding) to say goodbye in front of them. Or maybe the shy seven-footer was once again avoiding the American spotlight that he has ducked as best he could since 2002 (still, he relented enough to co-author an autobiography and agree to a documentary).
It took a player with an enormous wingspan to stretch across continents and pull in new fans to basketball, which he did with his play, not his personality. Yao was determined to be a star, not a sideshow. For his role as an ambassador, Yao deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Yao Ming, just like a piece of art from the actual Ming dynasty, was fragile, priceless and a sight to behold.
*This depresses us to no end, being very close to our 30th birthday as well. The only way we'd be headed downhill faster is if we were on skis.
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