Rockets center Yao Ming has sustained a stress fracture in his left ankle that is related to a previous injury and will be out indefinitely for the second time in as many seasons. If this marks the end of Yao’s career as the Rockets franchise center I can’t help but feel saddened - for him and his road to recovery and to us as fans for what we’ll miss in the future.

This isn’t to say we have had much Yao to watch over the past two years or that his career is over - since he sustained a hairline fracture in his foot during the 2009 playoffs the seven-time All-Star has played in just five games - but we might have witnessed the last of the Yao we remember, which is a pretty darn sad revelation.

The former number one overall pick of the 2002 draft used his combination of unique grace for a man his size, shooting ability, and humility to captivate fans all over the world and helped launch unrivaled NBA success in China.

CHECK OUT A HIGHLIGHT CLIP OF TOP YAO PLAYS HERE

I remember watching Yao during his rookie season with my brothers and wondering if Ming could become one of the all-time greats. His first breakout performance against the Lakers on November 17, 2002 was a thing of beauty - he scored 20 points on 9-9 shooting in a very much hyped duel with Shaquille O’Neal that never transpired, as O’Neal was hurt, but was an incredibly fun watch. He did score ten points and record six blocks in a Houston win the first time these two faced off and had several other outstanding games that year, including a 30-point, 16-rebound gem against Dallas.

It’s so easy to forget as time passes by how incredibly dominant Yao was at times and that Houston may very well have won that 2009 series against the Lakers if he hadn’t been injured.

During that 2008-09 season Yao had played in 77 games, the most he had participated in since 2003-04, and had averaged 19.7 points and 9.3 boards while looking fully recovered from the stress fracture in his left foot that caused him to miss the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Houston won 53 games that season and ranked #4 in the NBA in defense, finally succumbing to Los Angeles in seven games. In game three, Yao’s last before the injury was discovered, he posted nineteen points and fourteen boards.

CHECK OUT A CLIP OF YAO VS. SHAQ IN 2004 HERE

His potential was vast and never fully revealed. Such a shame.

If you watched basketball in the early 2000’s you understand the amount of insane hype Yao generated by his play in China with the Shanghai Sharks, whom he had played for since the age of 17. He posted 32.4 points and 19.0 rebounds on a ridiculous .724 shooting percentage in his final campaign there and, after a tenuous negotiation period with the Chinese Basketball Association, finally entered the draft based on the agreement that Houston would take him first overall.

Over the next few seasons Yao dazzled us with his play, sportsmanship, and work ethic and at times seemed destined to join the greats of the game one day in the Hall of Fame.

He was that good if you recall, especially during the 2006-07 season, as he posted 26.6 points and ten rebounds per night in a steller, MVP-caliber campaign derailed by a broken leg.

CHECK OUT YAO’S MONSTER REJECTION OF LEBRON JAMES HERE

While I’m going to miss Yao’s presence on the court for his play and off it for his graciousness and humbleness I’m not going to be selfish and wish him back. A man’s ability to walk without pain on his own power is a precious commodity and if these injuries are expected to continue I would urge him to shut it down forever. It would be the right thing to do.

If Yao were to return late this year or next we may never again witness the man who posted 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and a plethora of astounding moves during his short career.

Yao has already been forewarning us that if his foot didn’t heal or injuries mounted he would hang it up - he commented in July that *“If the foot injury does not heal next season,” Yao said in an interview with Chinese state media, “I might choose to call it quits.” *and while this clearly isn’t the same injury it is related to a previous issue and may only compound the recovery process.

If this is it, I’ll miss you Yao.

I wish you the best in recovery.