Yao Ming s most wrong choice back then was to renew the Rockets contract in 2006, and he should join the Lakers
3:32pm, 24 July 2025Basketball
July 24, in the summer of 2006, Yao Ming faced the most important choice in his career. Yao Ming, who had just finished his rookie contract at the time, averaged 22.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in the Houston Rockets, becoming one of the most dominant centers in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers are experiencing the dilemma of Kobe leading the team alone and urgently need a super inside partner. History has proved that Yao Ming's decision to renew the Rockets for 5 years and $76 million may be the biggest strategic mistake in his career.
Judging from the league structure at that time, the Lakers were obviously more champion than the Rockets. Although the Lakers only achieved a record of 45 wins and 37 losses in the 2005-06 season, Kobe is at the peak of his personal ability, and his average of 35.4 points per game set a record in the Lakers' history. Phil Jackson's "triangle offense" system requires an inside core with support capabilities, which is perfectly in line with Yao Ming's technical characteristics. In contrast, the Rockets, McGrady's hidden danger of back injury is becoming increasingly serious, and the problem of insufficient lineup depth has never been solved. If Yao Ming chooses to join the Lakers, he will immediately change the competitive landscape of the West. In terms of salary space, the Lakers are fully qualified to sign Kobe and Yao Ming at the same time. In 2006, Kobe's seven-year contract of 136 million was just implemented, and the Lakers could easily clear out the maximum salary space by trading players such as Kwame Brown. More importantly, Lakers boss Jerry Bass has always spared no expense to build a championship lineup, which is in sharp contrast to Rockets boss Alexander's careful management style. If Yao Ming joins the Lakers, he will not only gain greater commercial value development space, but also continue his career in a more competitive environment. In terms of tactical adaptability, the combination of Yao Ming and Kobe is a perfect match. Kobe needs an inside partner to have excellent screening quality and mid-range shooting ability, which is Yao Ming's technical strength. Yao Ming's mid-range shooting percentage of 48.6% in his career can open up space for Kobe's breakthrough; and Kobe's ability to pass the ball when he encounters double-team can create a lot of easy scoring opportunities for Yao Ming. At that time, Lakers assistant coach Tyron Lu revealed that the team's internal simulation showed that the offensive efficiency of the "Yao Ke combination" may exceed that of the "OK combination" of that year. In contrast, McGrady's style of holding balls and playing singles has never had a real chemical reaction with Yao Ming.
From the perspective of subsequent development, Yao Ming's decision to stay in the Rockets directly led to the premature decline of his career. Starting from the 2006-07 season, Yao Ming suffered consecutive major injuries, and the Rockets' medical team was generally believed to be ineffective in dealing with it. The Lakers immediately returned to the finals after winning Gasol in 2008, proving that as long as they have qualified inside partners, Kobe can lead the team to the championship. Just imagine if Yao Ming joins the Lakers, under the protection of Phil Jackson's rotation, his career is likely to continue until after the age of 35, and he can win at least two championships in 2009 and 2010 with Kobe. In terms of business value, Los Angeles' market size is more than three times that of Houston. If Yao Ming plays for the Lakers, his endorsement revenue is expected to grow by 40%-50%. More importantly, the brand effect of Lakers' globalization can enable Yao Ming's influence to break through the Asian market. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Kobe's popularity in China has proved the special appeal of Lakers stars. Yao Ming missed not only the championship ring, but also a historical opportunity to become an iconic figure in the global sports world.
History cannot be repeated, but when reviewing this key decision, we can clearly see that joining the Lakers can maximize Yao Ming's three aspects of competitive achievements, business value and career length. The Rockets have never been able to build a real championship lineup around Yao Ming, and the Lakers have proved that they know how to train super centers. This decision not only changed Yao Ming's personal career trajectory, but also affected the development of the NBA in the Asian market to some extent. When we look back on this history in 2025, the "if" that Yao Ming and Kobe teamed up with is still one of the most regrettable assumptions in basketball history.
source:7m cn việt namRelated Posts
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