#TBT: Yao Ming

Last night, the Rockets got a huge win behind James Harden and a strong supporting cast. These Rockets have such a unique makeup that it’s hard to remember what they looked like a decade ago, when T-Mac and Yao Ming formed one of the most awesome one-two punches imaginable: a smooth, lethal scorer and a 7-6 dude.

Yao’s game went well beyond his height—he had remarkable hands, for instance, and was a career 83 percent free throw shooter—but, I mean, he was really tall. Watching the highlights above, it’s tough to understand how Houston didn’t have more postseason success when Yao was healthy. What a force.