Monday, July 11th, 2011 at 10:46 am  |  22 responses

Polladay: Yao a Hall-of-Famer?

Jeff Van Gundy thinks Yao Ming should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Do you agree?

Should Yao Ming make the Hall of Fame?

Loading ... Loading ...

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , ,

  • BAWSE

    YAO MING IS NOT A HALL OF FAMER!!! HIS STATS ARE MODEST AND HIS PLAYOFF SUCCESS IS TERRIBLE.

  • http://Slamonline.com Caboose

    Bawse: 19/9 career stats are better than Bill Walton’s (13/11) and Yao has honestly made a country of over 1 billion people interested in the NBA.

  • Drew

    Based on STATS alone he’s not a Hall of Famer, but look at everything he means to this game and it’s very hard to not say he deserves it. Since there’s no way to really know what the criteria for the Hall of Fame is, you have to hope that they look at overall impact a player has on the game on/off the court.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jRXhj1PpFU IAMORANGE4EVER

    Yao had excellent numbers, and his impact on the game was HUGE, thus he’s a first ballot hall of famer. Yao Ming’s shining moment during his NBA career happened May 4th, 2009 with the Rockets near the end of game one of their 2nd round playoff series, on the road, vs. the Lakers. Click my name to relive it.

  • marc

    This is going to a be a debate for years to come.

  • Drew

    @Marc – Until he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame. =)

  • MikeC.

    Based on what he contributed to the game of basketball, he’s a lock. Who else can claim that they are responsible for making an entire nation change their sports preference? Pre-Yao, China was loving soccer. Post-Yao, China is a hoops-mad country. I also love hyphens.

  • 6marjons

    he might not get in as a player but he should for his contributions to the game

  • i_ball

    Based on his game – not a hall of famer! He got out of the first round just once and lost in the second round. If you ask me Robert Horry deservers to be a HOFer more than Yao basketball wise.
    His influence though is though is huge.
    I still think I can find more deserving players from his generation, that may not make it to the HOF.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    The only knock on his individual career is that he only played 8 seasons. His career stats are HOF worthy and he’s up there with the basketball greats talent-wise. Not to mention his impact on the game. I’m surprised that it’s an exact 50/50 split for this poll…

  • robb

    As a player no, as someone who made a big impact in terms of attracting more fans (millions) and making the league more global yes. So he’s going in.

  • cru_thik305

    People inducted into the HOF, (straight from wikipedia lol):
    “exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide”

    How can you read that and say that he shouldn’t be inducted?
    Obviously we know he isn’t the same caliber of player of Shaq, Wilt, Kareem, etc. But he is without a doubt one of the biggest contributors to the game of basketball worldwide.

  • http://www.triplajunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    Has anyone made it into the hall of fame playing LESS?

  • http://www.slamonline.com Wayno

    His international impact on the game was huge, not to mention he had solid numbers in his career, eventhough it was cut short by injury. Based on numbers alone, I think he isn’t a HOFer but his impact on the game earns him a spot IMO.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    @ Dacre: Arvydas Sabonis only played 7 seasons in the league and was inducted this year. The Hall of Fame isn’t NBA exclusive–it’s the *basketball* Hall of Fame. Sabonis was nice (one of the best centers ever, imo) but arrived at the league past his prime so his numbers weren’t staggering, while Yao’s NBA stats are perennial All-Star numbers. Not to mention their impact on the game. If Sabonis got in, Yao is a lock.

  • Groves

    if you look at his stats you have to take into account the important stats (games played, minutes played, games missed to injury, playoff wins, awards) i mean his impact in bringing china and the nba closer was huge, but can simply being the great hope of a nation (albiet a large one) get you into the hall? i don’t think it should. i vote no!

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Yao Ming was a PTPER BABY! Yao was the Rockets Engine! Yao Ming wasn’t just a space eater, who could dipsy-doo dunk-a-roo. No, he could postup, shoot, and dish the rock. In my mind Yao Ming should be in the HALL OF FAME and not just for what he meant to the game, but for what he did on the court too! Yeah BABY! I’m RIGHT TOO, because I SAY THINGS LOUDER THAN YOU! *does shot off camera* Sincerely, Dick Vitale.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    If Sabonis is getting in, I’m sure Yao will gt in too.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joe.l.brewer3 BlackPhantom

    *get in

  • ripslam

    Are you people seriously saying no? Yao was the first overseas #1, revitalized a franchise, opened up a new market for the league which happened to have a billion people in it. Not to mention he was one of the game’s best global ambassadors and one of the nicest guys in the L. Damn.

  • Rog23

    I think people overlook his ACTUAL TALENT due to his large marketability and his iconic status. How many centers today can virtually guarantee 20 ppg??? Not many. He wasn’t the most athletic dude, not a highlight machine, but got the job done when healthy. This guy cares so much about his team and sacrificed his body for the Houston Rockets. So we should praise and reward him for that. Dude worked VERY HARD at his game and always improved.

  • Brick squad

    Yao was a man who opened up world influence in china. If it weren’t for him the lockout would be worse. He should go into the hall based on his achievmens on and off the court.

Advertisement