Though the general NBA populace may think otherwise, Yao Ming is anything but soft. From years of handling the savagery known as defense typically put upon the bodies of star centers (and doubly so as his atypically large, even for a center, limbs appear to be everywhere) to his Willis-Reed-like (has there ever been an analogy more used, or misused, than that one in sports lore?) return to the court in Game 1 of the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals, Yao has consistently shown resilience if not endurance. As he ostensibly nears return from an ankle injury that looked insignificant but has sidelined him for upwards of a month, the large one let Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle know exactly how he felt about returning to the court:
“I’m waiting for the green light,” Yao said. “When? I don’t know. I feel better. It still has some weakness. I’m just not ready to sit out for almost 20 games, particularly when I feel I’m OK. I know when I was in the walking boot, on the crutches, OK, I understand.
“I won’t push the trainer or the doctor. They all try to treat me the best that they can. I know they try to find the best way for me to get back on the court.”
Yao would not say if he would be playing if the decision were his to make, but when asked if he has made it known how he feels, he laughed and said, “I tell them every day.”
The Rockets’ decision to take extreme caution with the huge fellow makes absolute sense, especially if the organization holds some (likely misguided) hope for a postseason run, but Yao’s response seemed like guarded criticism of the way he’s being handled. Every player worth his salt makes his desire to be on a court quite clear, but the line about the walking boot reeks of frustration, the kind imbued in a man who has spent more than a year and a half away from the game he loves and finds himself trapped in the confines of gigantic tailored suits once more. I wouldn’t read too much into this, but after McGrady-Gate, keeping an eye on injured, discontented stars and their relationships with the team should be of great import to all Rockets followers.
