Rockets suffer staggering blow as basketball star Yao out for season
HOUSTON, Texas (AFP) — The Houston Rockets joy at recording a 12 match winning streak was dampened considerably on Tuesday when it was revealed that Chinese centre Yao Ming would miss the rest of the NBA season.
Yao has suffered a stress fracture in his left foot which will see him miss the rest of the campaign and also could endanger his participation in the Olympics in August which is in Beijing.
Yao was examined after practice on Monday and met Rockets doctor Tom Clanton to assess the injury.
The Rockets confirmed the news on Tuesday, saying the six-time all-star is expected to sidelined three to four months before beginning rehab from the injury.
"It's obviously a difficult day for our organization and our fans," general manager Daryl Morey said. "We've been playing exceptional ball. Yao's been a huge part of that."
The injury is a significant setback for a team that had climbed back into contention in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Rockets have won 12 consecutive games - their longest winning streak since they started the 1993-94 season with 15 straight victories en route to an NBA title - since losing the one game Yao has missed this season.
Yao, who missed 32 games last season with a fracture in his right leg, was enjoying one of his best seasons of his dynamic career, averaging 22 points and 10.8 rebounds.
"We know how much we need him," said Rockets guard Rafer Alston. "The game is taught to be played inside-out and that's a big key for us."
There are two treatment options for Yao, said Houston doctor Tom Clanton.
The first option for the giant centre is to put a cast on the left foot which would include wearing it for three to four months. Rehab would begin after that.
The other is treatment is surgery which would take just as long to heal. Doctors would have to put screws in Yao's foot to hold it together.
Yao was seeking other opinions from different doctors.
"It is not an injury we feel he can play with," Clanton said. "I've made the recommendation that it be treated surgically and we are working with him to get other opinions just to be certain that that is indeed what should be done."
Doctors are hopeful Yao will be healthy in time to compete for his native China in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Summer Games begin August 8.
"We're hopeful that Yao Ming can represent his country in the Olympics," Morey said. "But at this point, all we can be is hopeful. We know it's important to Yao Ming and the Rockets that he can represent his country."
Yao has been undergoing treatment for his sore foot since the NBA all-star break. He told doctors he couldn't remember the exact moment in a game that the injury occurred.
"This is something that can be treated," Clanton said. "We're catching this at an early stage. The average time to make a diagnosis is four months.
"We're catching it very early in the process. We're catching this within two weeks of the onset of symptoms."
Yao was named the Western Conference's Player of the Month in January.
"We feel very confident about our playoff push," Morey said. "We've managed to step up and play well without Yao in the past. The coaching staff and players are confident that we'll continue to play well and make the playoffs this year."
