Yao Ming’s Injuries Might End His Career

After missing 2 games in his first 3 years in NBA (244 of 246 games), Yao was listed as one of the least active players in NBA during his fourth season. And this is all because of a serious injury. Yao Ming suffered from osteomyelitis of his left foot.

On December 18, 2005, Yao Ming had a surgery, hoping that this would solve the problem. Yao played 25 games after 2006 all star break and performed really well for the team. With only 4 games left in 2005-2006 season, Yao Ming had another injury on April 2006 while playing against Utah Jazz. He had a broken bone on his left foot and doctors required him to rest for at least 6 months. After recovering from his last injury he became healthy and immediately played for his fifth season and again became the team’s star player. But early in his fifth season, Yao has yet again suffered another injury on December 2006 when he broke his right knee, trying to block a shot. Before that injury happened he averaged 26.8 points, 2.3 blocks and 9.7 rebounds per game that almost made him an MVP candidate. He was cleared medically on March 2007 after a 34 game absence. On 2008, he underwent an operation because of the stress fracture in his left foot which turned out to be successful. The successful surgery became the factor why Yao Ming played healthy the next season. In 2009 playoffs against Lakers, he was diagnosed with sprained ankle right after their lost in game 3. So the Rockets decided to put Yao in another surgery.

China’s best basketball player, the 2002 first overall draft pick by Houston and 7 time NBA all star is scheduled to return to NBA and go back to Houston Rockets for 2010 – 2011 season. But he is still currently recovering from the surgery of his left foot. His doctors described it as a career threatening injury. The injury occurred during a game in May 2009 and yet until now, he still is struggling from it.

China’s basketball superstar Yao Ming says he will retire next year if his left foot injury wouldn’t heal properly. Yao Ming missed the whole season last year.  He also told the media that he would probably not play in 2012 Olympics which is going to be held in London.

“If the foot injury does not heal next season, I might choose to call it quits,” Yao Ming said.

Yao Ming exercised the player option last month with Houston Rockets to constrain free agency. He is also planning to manage a team in China that he bought in 2009 whether he retires or not.

Yao Ming’s long awaited healthy return to Houston would make the Rockets a contender for 2010-2011 season. We’ll just have to wait until the start of the NBA season and see whether Yao would come back strong and become a threat to other teams.

By: Bernard Jonathan Ona