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100. Yao Ming

The first international player ever to be drafted number 1 overall is also one of the most controversial members of this list. Yao Ming became the first player to be drafted #1 overall and not have gone to college in the United States. He wasn’t the first non-American selected overall, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing were both born in other countries but both played at American universities. Yao’s career is also a care of what could have been. The seven-foot-six-inch Ming has shown that he could be a dominant player but injuries have derailed his career.

Yao was a dominant player in the Chinese Basketball League, but a player who had a reputation for being injured a lot. He broke his foot twice in his youth which required him to miss a lot of time. His final season in the CBA however he produced some outlandish numbers averaging 40 points and 20 rebounds.

The Houston Rockets drafted Yao with the first pick in 2002 hoping he would add to their legacy of great centers they had taken number one like Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ming would have a decent rookie year averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks and appearing in all 82 games.

He would make the all-star team ahead of Shaquille O’Neal which caused many in American to question the NBA voting procedures for the all-star game. This would be a constantly knock on Ming and other Chinese born players as the Chinese would vote over and over to insure that their players make the team.

In his first three years Yao was healthy and showed no signs of the previous injuries which had kept him out in China. He played in all 164 games his first two years and missed only two games his third year. However, in his fourth year he would suffer an injury that would keep him out for 25 games. He would average 22 points a game that year.

After 2004-05 Yao Ming has not played in 80 or more games in a season, and has played in more than 70 only once. His numbers are solid including a 25 points per night average in 48 games in 2007 but it appears the injuries are taking their toll on Ming who’s scoring has dropped every year since 2007.

Playoff success has been equally as disappointing for Ming and the Rockets. In 2005 they got up 3 games to 2 on the Dallas Mavericks, they lead the series 2-0 winning both games in Dallas, only to drop the next two games and lose the series. The Rockets got up 3-2 again in 2007, again winning the first two games, this time vs. the Utah Jazz only to lose a heart breaking game 7 in Houston. The Rockets finally made it past the first round in 2009 only to have Yao injure his foot and miss the rest of the playoffs.

The injury to Yao’s foot he suffered in the 2009 playoffs kept him out of the entire 2009-10 NBA season. The injury is also likely to keep Yao out of at least part of the 2010-11 season as well. Yao has publicly questioned his ability to return and said he is contemplating retirement.













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