For years, Yao Ming made grown NBA players look like children.
His 7-feet-6 frame made him — literally — impossible to go unnoticed wherever he went, and that continues to be the case.
A video of the Houston Rockets star recently went viral as he was spotted almost getting hit by the ceiling at an airport, and fans were still in awe of just how incredibly tall Yao is.
Who is protecting who
— FolaPappy (@AfolaAbodunde) June 29, 2023
NBA Hall of Famer & China's basketball legend Yoa Ming how do u not know him ?
— Egal (@EGTVEgal) June 29, 2023
It's like a small military unit with eyes in the sky
— LungTied.S◎L (@LungTied_SOL) July 1, 2023
Yao can still play
— FAL Loudelphia (@faloudelphia) June 29, 2023
One could argue that a player so physically imposing should’ve been a much better rebounder than he was, as he averaged just 9.2 boards and 1.9 blocks per game.
But even though he wasn’t the most physically imposing or athletic player in the league, he was still a star in his prime.
More incredibly, Yao Ming wasn’t even the tallest player in NBA history, as that distinction belongs to Rumanian giant Gheorghe Muresan, who boasted an impressive height of 7-foot-7.
Also, Shawn Bradley and Slavko Vranes were as tall as Yao.
Ming would even make No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama look of a normal height, as the French star is reportedly measured at 7-foot-3.5 barefoot and 7-foot-5 with shoes on.
But Wembanyama is just 19 years old, so there’s still a slim chance he will continue to grow over the next couple of years or so.
There will always be injury concerns with such big players, and Ming’s career is a perfect example of why, which is why the San Antonio Spurs will have to be extremely careful with him, his preparation, and his minutes, especially in the early stages of his career.
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