5 alternative NBA timelines for Yao Ming

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China’s Yao Ming (L) is blocked by Lithuania’s Marjonas Petravicius during the men’s quarterfinal basketball match China vs. Lithuania on August 20, 2008 at the Olympic basketball arena in Beijing, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Lithuania won 94 to 68. AFP PHOTO / ANTONIO SCORZA (Photo credit should read ANTONIO SCORZA/AFP/Getty Images) /

3. What if he didn’t play in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games?

If anybody doubts Yao’s toughness as a professional basketball player, consider taking a look at some video clips of him playing for Team China in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Yao was basically playing on one foot. He was in immense pain physically, but knew how important it was for him to represent his country in the 2008 Beijing Games. Though China didn’t medal on the hardwood that summer, Yao gained a ton of respect internationally for just competing with a fractured foot.

From an optical standpoint, this was the right move for Yao to play in the 2008 Olympics in terms of basketball legacy in China. However, this decision to play easily cut Yao’s NBA career back by at least three seasons. He would make two more trips to the NBA All-Star Game in 2009 and 2011, but Yao returned to the NBA essentially shot as a player before his 29th birthday.

By not playing for Team China in 2008, Yao NBA’s career might have come to a close in 2013-14 or 2014-15. He would have eclipsed 10,000 career points, 5,000 career rebounds, and 1,000 career blocks. Perhaps he could have helped get the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals at least once in the late 2000s? That two-week stint in Beijing cost Yao three years off the back-end of his NBA career.

Next: 2. What if he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls?

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