Yao Ming has had a huge impact on the Rockets ever since he was Drafted in 2002. He made millions of Chinese Yao fans new Rockets fans. He also helped the Rockets from being one of the worst, to one of the best teams in the NBA. Check out all the changes that have happened to the roster ever since Yao arrived. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2002 Rockets (28-54, 25th Overall) Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich C-Kelvin Cato PF-Kenny Thomas SF-Glen Rice SG-Cuttino Mobley PG-Steve Francis 6-Moochie Norris 7-Eddie Griffin 8-Walt Williams 9-Kevin Willis 10-Terence Morris 11-Oscar Torres 12-Jason Collier 13-Tierre Brown 14-Dan Langhi -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2003 Rockets *Yao Arrives* (43-39, 15th Overall, 9th in West) Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich C-Yao Ming PF-Eddie Griffin SF-James Posey SG-Cuttino Mobley PG-Steve Francis 6-Kelvin Cato 7-Glen Rice 8-Mo Taylor 9-Moochie Norris 10-Terence Morris 11-Juaquin Hawkins 12-Jason Collier 13-Boki Nachbar 14-Tito Maddox *--Kenny Thomas traded for James Posey -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2004 Rockets (45-37, 10th Overall, 7th in West) Coach: Jeff Van Gundy C-Yao Ming PF-Kelvin Cato SF-Jim Jackson SG-Cuttino Mobley PG-Steve Francis 6-Mo Taylor 7-Clarence Weatherspoon 8-Scott Padgett 9-Eric Piatkowski 10-Mark Jackson 11-Boki Nachbar 12-Mike Wilks 13-Torraye Braggs 14-Adrian Griffin 15-Charles Oakley --Alton Ford --Moochie Norris --John Amaechi *--Moochie Norris & John Amaechi traded for Clarence Weatherspoon **This is also the year the Rockets got a new arena (Toyota Center), and also new Jerseys. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2005 Rockets (51-31, 7th Overall, 5th in West) Coach: Jeff Van Gundy C-Yao Ming PF-Juwon Howard SF-Tracy McGrady SG-David Wesley PG-Bob Sura 6-Mike James 7-Dikembe Mutombo 8-Jon Barry 9-Scott Padgett 10-Clarence Weatherspoon 11-Ryan Bowen 12-Moochie Norris 13-Torraye Braggs 14-Charlie Ward 15-Vin Baker --Andre Barrett --Rod Strickland --Brandin Knight *--Jim Jackson & Boki Nachbar traded for David Wesley *--Reece Gaines traded for Mike James *--Tyronn Lue traded for Jon Barry -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Rockets (00-00, ? Overall, ? in West) Coach: Jeff Van Gundy C-Yao Ming PF-Stromile Swift SF-Tracy McGrady SG-Derek Anderson PG-Rafer Alston 6-David Wesley 7-Juwon Howard 8-Dikembe Mutombo 9-Jon Barry 10-Lonny Baxter 11-Ryan Bowen 12-Bob Sura 13-Moochie Norris 14-Luther Head 15-Dion Glover --Chuck Hayes --Keith Langford **Yao Ming is the only player left who was not traded, released, or not re-signed since the 2002-2003 season. Moochie was in NY for the 2003-2004 season but is now back.
2006 Rockets (65-17, ? Overall 4th, ? in West 3th) Coach: Jeff Van Gundy C-Yao Ming PF-Stromile Swift SF-Tracy McGrady SG-Derek Anderson PG-Rafer Alston 6-David Wesley 7-Juwon Howard 8-Dikembe Mutombo 9-Jon Barry 10-Lonny Baxter 11-Ryan Bowen 12-Bob Sura 13-Moochie Norris 14-Luther Head 15-Dion Glover --Chuck Hayes --Keith Langford
exactly, man. The Rockets have progressed every season since he got here, and only god knows where they could end up if yao breaks the 20-10-2 mark.
Well, for a team that has been dedicated to building around its big man, the roster moves are expected. We've seen it with most of the great players where they were the only constant on their teams. Guys like Reggie Miller, John Stockton/Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon have all experienced that. Right now, it looks like Tracy Mgrady and Yao would still be on the team 10 years from now, and it was Yao who brought McGrady here.
Great post Julio!! I'll make sure to use this as a reference when I hear somebody say that Yao doesn't have a impact on the Rockets (more than Ben Wallace). Yao has single handedly turned this franchise around....
i still like the 2003 rockets roster a bit, but if it wasn't for yao, we wouldn't have gotten t-mac ( i WAS one of the hater for the trade) and if it wasn't t-mac we wouldn't have gotten swift. GREAT POST.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting tr@cy&ya0:</div><div class="quote_post">i still like the 2003 rockets roster a bit, but if it wasn't for yao, we wouldn't have gotten t-mac ( i WAS one of the hater for the trade) and if it wasn't t-mac we wouldn't have gotten swift. GREAT POST.</div> I was so worried about that trade, the Rockets looked like they had everything coming together for them the year before, but in hindsight, this has to be one of the greatest trades in Rocket history.
tracy&yao, and chineseafro. Yea that 03 line up was nice. I like the 04 one as well (jim jackson fan). I don't remember how posey played. was he good with the rockets? I was happy to get rid of Francis, and sad at the same time. He was fun to watch, but we all know the Rockets would have never made it anywhere with him on the team. JVG just couldn't tame him, he ballhogged, turnovers/tech fouls, etc... Francis will always be one of my favorite players in the league though.
As much as I love yao ming because i do...if you notice that as the years go by Yao is recieving better players each year so the team is suppose to get better. Of course, Yao may be the reason they came to the Rockets because no one wants to drive the lane when a 7 6 giant is there whos goal is to make sure you don't get anywhere near the rim. I realized the hard way when i faced a guy named Drew Washington who went to a rival high school. This guy was my Kevin Garnett because he grabbed everything near the rim and shot well. I dunked on him once and after the ball went through the hoop I found myself on the floor. I have no clue what college he goes to now, but I'll find out and post.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TmacGarnett:</div><div class="quote_post">As much as I love yao ming because i do...if you notice that as the years go by Yao is recieving better players each year so the team is suppose to get better. Of course, Yao may be the reason they came to the Rockets because no one wants to drive the lane when a 7 6 giant is there whos goal is to make sure you don't get anywhere near the rim. I realized the hard way when i faced a guy named Drew Washington who went to a rival high school. This guy was my Kevin Garnett because he grabbed everything near the rim and shot well. I dunked on him once and after the ball went through the hoop I found myself on the floor. I have no clue what college he goes to now, but I'll find out and post.</div> The reason Rockets get better players around Yao each year, it's 'cuz of Yao and the domino effect. First, Yao. Then, Yao and McGrady and followed by Sura, Wesley and James, and so on..... This is what made the Rockets a great team and not so much as Yao alone.
Yea........I liked Francis too, but he just isn't a "Franchise" player like his name suggest. I was excited when we got Tmac, but honestly, I didn't know how good this guy was. I thought he was strictly a scorer, but he turned out to be a more complete package than expected.
Yao IS the Rockets...plain and simple, and its important to note that his significance off the floor is just as crucial as his importance on the court...he gives this team identity and exposure unseen before...his impact affects us as an organization by reaching a broader culture that has really yet to be touched by the NBA community...the Rockets website is #2 in total hits because of yao ming, period...last year, Yao received the most votes in NBA All-Star history, which is another sign of his influence upon the league...its just such an honor to be associated with a man who, not only has an array of basketball skills, but also holds such accountability for the Rockets...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Houston:</div><div class="quote_post">Yao IS the Rockets...plain and simple, and its important to note that his significance off the floor is just as crucial as his importance on the court...he gives this team identity and exposure unseen before...his impact affects us as an organization by reaching a broader culture that has really yet to be touched by the NBA community...the Rockets website is #2 in total hits because of yao ming, period...last year, Yao received the most votes in NBA All-Star history, which is another sign of his influence upon the league...its just such an honor to be associated with a man who, not only has an array of basketball skills, but also holds such accountability for the Rockets...</div> He has the most votes in league history because he has a billion fans in China, not to mention a lot here too.. 13 ppg and 8 rpg is not enough to make the all star team in your rookie year..
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheAnswer2:</div><div class="quote_post">He has the most votes in league history because he has a billion fans in China, not to mention a lot here too.. 13 ppg and 8 rpg is not enough to make the all star team in your rookie year..</div> Is it Yao's fault that he's so popular? I just don't get it with people who try to say Yao is overrated just because of his All-Star votes. The All-Star game is a fans' game and the fans decide who's in it. The fans don't pick Yao because they think he's a top 10 player in the NBA, they pick him just because they like watching him play. What's so wrong about that?
Yao may be progressing, but he will never be the "Franchise" until he becomes a leader. He is still not a leader, and until he becomes one, TMAc will still be the man in Houston.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">He has the most votes in league history because he has a billion fans in China, not to mention a lot here too.. 13 ppg and 8 rpg is not enough to make the all star team in your rookie year..</div> Their maybe alot of Chinese Yao Ming fans but that number hardly consititutes a "billion" people for a billion people would mean that every Chinese followed basketball and every Chinese bball fan is a Yao ming fan.
china's population is 1.3 billion people. i do believe that nearly every person in china is a yao fan. if not a fan they at least support their national hero. with this being said, it does not change the fact that yao is a big impact for the houston rockets. Tmac might be our main ball handler and scoring option but this does not mean he is the man. Yao is absolutly the man in houston. Ticket sales sky rocketed not because of tmac but because of Yao.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting KfrumHTOWN!:</div><div class="quote_post">china's population is 1.3 billion people. i do believe that nearly every person in china is a yao fan. if not a fan they at least support their national hero. with this being said, it does not change the fact that yao is a big impact for the houston rockets. Tmac might be our main ball handler and scoring option but this does not mean he is the man. Yao is absolutly the man in houston. Ticket sales sky rocketed not because of tmac but because of Yao.</div> I will tell you a fact that may surprise you.Most farmer in China who live in the countryside dont konw Jordan,or the present president of America,but they konw Yao and Rockets. Before Yao came to America, Chinese basketball population is 30 million,but now it is 0.3 billion.all those are beacuse of Yao!
market, how many of those basketball fans do have Internet access though? Out of Yao's 2 million All-Star votes last year, how many would you think came from China? Another thing to note is that half of Yao's votes came from arena ballots, meaning that North Americans voted for him. Not to count the North Americans who also voted online...
