Should Yao Ming be in the Hall of Fame?

Storm Surge · Post #1 » by **Storm Surge** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:12 pm

If not because of his nba playing career, but for his contributions to the sport of basketball globally?

some_rand · Post #2 » by **some_rand** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:14 pm

RojanRando · Post #3 » by **RojanRando** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:14 pm

He's a borderline HOFer mainly because of his international play
If it came down to me voting him in I wouldn't, but I wouldn't really get angry if he did get in because hes extremely close to having a definite HOF career.

That Nicka · Post #4 » by **That Nicka** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:17 pm

No way

Jaykoolzboy · Post #5 » by **Jaykoolzboy** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:17 pm

I think so, because he opens up 1 trillion people to the NBA or basketball.

redux46 · Post #6 » by **redux46** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:20 pm

It's difficult to asses how influential he's been in promoting basketball in asia since I have very little knowledge in the area. Indeed, his only real case for the HOF is if he made very significant contributions to promoting basketball globally.

juror1 · Post #7 » by **juror1** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:20 pm

Yes, the Chinese basketball hall of fame.

bigball123 · Post #8 » by **bigball123** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:22 pm

I would say so. His contributions to the NBA's presence around the world has been great! He is a real ambassador for the league, and should be rewarded for being so.

smith2373 · Post #9 » by **smith2373** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:23 pm

In China he averaged 23.4 PPG and 15.4 RPG, in the NBA he averaged 19.0 PPG and 9.2 RPG. He's an 8x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, MVP of the 2001, 2003, & 2005 FIBA Asian championships. The guy is the greatest Asian basketball player of all-time. How much of an impact he had on the NBA globally.

Yao is a HOF.

WhateverBro · Post #10 » by **WhateverBro** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:25 pm

No doubt.

Post #11 » by **City of Trees** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:29 pm

If Rocky can make the Boxing HOF, there is no doubt Yao should be in Basketball HOF. Dude is a global Icon and helped change the international game forever.

Kariya · Post #12 » by **Kariya** » Fri Jul 8, 2011 11:35 pm

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=a ... nba_070811

He’s 30 years old, played parts of nine seasons in the NBA, and yet he’ll be remembered as a historic icon. In a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame full of political appointees as ‘contributors’ to the game, Yao deserves enshrinement for a global impact perhaps impossible to measure. You can’t write the history of basketball without Yao Ming, and that’s why his legacy ought to someday be recognized in Springfield.

I agree with Woj

rottenzombie · Post #13 » by **rottenzombie** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:13 am

redux46 wrote:It's difficult to asses how influential he's been in promoting basketball in asia since I have very little knowledge in the area. Indeed, his only real case for the HOF is if he made very significant contributions to promoting basketball globally.

Not much actually.

The Chinese watched him out of pure nationalistic fervor, most of them didn't care about the sports of basketball or NBA. And outside of China, I would wager few, if anyone got into basketball because of Yao. Nationalism and xenophobia are both huge components of the oriental psyches, people outside of China would view Yao as just another foreigner, and thus unworthy of paying attention to.

360 · Post #14 » by **360** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:14 am

Yao is not a HOF. He is very likeable, and I think that many of you are letting that sway your opinion. Most of you who will say he belongs in the Hall were probably the same ones swearing up and down that Zo doesn't belong in the HOF because he was an a-hole. Sentimental voting.

Striders · Post #15 » by **Striders** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:19 am

Easily. His contributions to basketball should be enough for him to be first ballot.

inquisitive · Post #16 » by **inquisitive** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:19 am

Zoe should be in also. Yao will be in the HOF in 5yrs...guaranteed. He led all centers in total pts scored from 2002-2009. In his brief time, he was very good. Also, the NBA made alot of money in China because of Yao. Getting into the HOF isn't all about stats either. The impact was phenomenal!

Kariya · Post #17 » by **Kariya** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:19 am

360 wrote:Yao is not a HOF. He is very likeable, and I think that many of you are letting that sway your opinion. Most of you who will say he belongs in the Hall were probably the same ones swearing up and down that Zo doesn't belong in the HOF because he was an a-hole. Sentimental voting.

Drazen Petrovic is in the HOF.

If he can make it, why shouldn't Yao?

Post #18 » by **Schad** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:22 am

Yes. Easily. In baseball, it's referred to as Smoky Joe Wood syndrome, where a player who'd undoubtedly have posted HOF-worthy counting stats has their career ended early by injury. If healthy, there wouldn't have been any debate; Yao's prime ranks along anyone. As such, he shouldn't be denied entry based on the brevity of his career.

xprt · Post #19 » by **xprt** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:45 am

Kariya wrote:
360 wrote:Yao is not a HOF. He is very likeable, and I think that many of you are letting that sway your opinion. Most of you who will say he belongs in the Hall were probably the same ones swearing up and down that Zo doesn't belong in the HOF because he was an a-hole. Sentimental voting.

Drazen Petrovic is in the HOF.

If he can make it, why shouldn't Yao?

Petrovic had fiba world champsionhip gold, fiba europe champ gold,bronze, 2 olympic silver medals,1 bronze. He was 6 time European player of the year. It is HOF of basketball not nba and Petrovic was 10 times more succesfull in international level than Yao...

inquisitive · Post #20 » by **inquisitive** » Sat Jul 9, 2011 12:59 am

xprt wrote:
Kariya wrote:
360 wrote:Yao is not a HOF. He is very likeable, and I think that many of you are letting that sway your opinion. Most of you who will say he belongs in the Hall were probably the same ones swearing up and down that Zo doesn't belong in the HOF because he was an a-hole. Sentimental voting.

Drazen Petrovic is in the HOF.

If he can make it, why shouldn't Yao?

Petrovic had fiba world champsionhip gold, fiba europe champ gold,bronze, 2 olympic silver medals,1 bronze. He was 6 time European player of the year. It is HOF of basketball not nba and Petrovic was 10 times more succesfull in international level than Yao...

You're forgetting that China didn't really invest in heavily into the sport like the Europeans during the 80s-early 90s, so the Chinese or Asia were hardly mentioned as international bball powers. The Chinese didn't have the best trainers or bball mentors from Americans, etc. at the time. You have to get a good infrastructure in place to develop the youth. This takes years and the Chinese were way behind the Europeans. All we know is how Yao played in the NBA and he was the best center in his brief career with good numbers. Again, it is also about impact which the NBA made alot of money from his presence too.