NBA: Yao Ming at his peak returns to his rookie season

From a purely technical standpoint, Kenyon Martin was definitely committing a foul, but Yao Ming is so cunning; he always tries to seize the moral high ground in situations like this.

Unlike the era when tough guys are all the rage.

If you're forced to leave the game after being elbowed twice, fans will just call you a "softie!"

Even Nowitzki gets criticized for not liking physical contact under the basket.

But Yao Ming's soul is much more advanced.

After all, with the rule change, many players who used the "flopping" tactic became popular in the past, and some star players even made flopping their signature move.

Yao Qian's is even more high-end.

After colliding with Kenyon Martin, Yao Ming landed and, seeing that he was unsteady, sat down on the ground. He then put on a "pain mask" and covered his toes.

The location of the injury was a choice made after careful consideration by Yao Ming.

The player's toes are very important.

O'Neal underwent surgery this season precisely because of this.

On the other hand, toe injuries are also very complex and difficult to diagnose. With the current level of medical technology, unless you are in the Suns or Los Angeles, many teams may not be able to find out this type of injury even after using players to the point of exhaustion.

Yao Ming's fall to the ground greatly spurred the Rockets.

Francis and Cato charged at Kenyon Martin in a rage.

Kidd and Jefferson, of course, led a group to protect Martin.

As tensions rose, Francis practically buried his face in Kidd's.

The referee separated the two sides.

We reviewed the game video again with the staff at the podium. This time it was for verification, and the need to verify the video meant that they might have committed a flagrant foul against Kenyon Martin.

Kenyon Martin, who had just gotten up, was instantly bewildered.

This is fucking bizarre!

He was planning to deliver a flying elbow with that last shot.

Give the newlyweds a basic welcome ceremony.

But that's all there is to it, just a pork knuckle. How did things develop into what they are now?

"Fuck, you're bleeding from your nose!"

When his teammates gave him a hint, Kenyon Martin became even more confused.

It seemed like he was more seriously injured; he felt his nose was broken, from the impact of Yao Ming's shoulder.

However, even Kidd now thinks Martin deserved it.

I never imagined that it was the honest Yao Ming who did this.

Yao Ming was helped back to the bench by his teammates, and then limped toward the player tunnel.

The referee ultimately awarded Kenyon Martin a Flagrant Foul 1.

After his injuries were treated, Martin felt even more wronged than Dou E in the movie "The Evil Woman," and shouted, "The referee is a star! That's fucking unfair!"

As expected, I was warned again!

He suffered heavy losses this time.

NBA players receive a salary subsidy from their teams during injury periods, but do not receive a salary during suspensions.

Martin is still in the final year of his contract, but he has high expenses. A suspension of just a few games can cost him tens of thousands of dollars.

Really miserable.

Yao Ming was helped by his teammates to the players' tunnel.

The game resumed

Both sides lost a key player.

Without Yao Ming, the Rockets' core player returned to Francis's hands.

Francis immediately called on Kidd to make a shot, his movements were very rough, and the two sides started to get heated.

Nets' turn.

After Yao Ming left the court, Kidd played steadily and cautiously.

Although Kenyon Martin was ejected and they suffered heavy losses, their previous problems in the paint were resolved.

"The advantage is in my hands!"

Kidd roared and quickly regained control of the pace, putting the Nets back on track.

With Yao Ming off the court, all they need to do is play normally and stay calm. The Nets' roster is much deeper than the Rockets', so the best tactic is to use their strength to bully the weak.

Francis's rudeness, Kidd's composure.

Unbeknownst to them, the balance of the game was tilting towards the Nets.

Inside the locker room, the team doctor was examining Yao Ming's toes, while Yao Ming touched his chin, recalling the details of his toe injury.

Having tragically experienced this injury in his past life, the team doctor was naturally completely bewildered by the deception.

The symptoms all match.

Yao Ming is a newcomer to China, who would have thought he could understand the reaction to this injury?

The team doctor ultimately diagnosed Yao Ming with a ligament injury in his little toe, accompanied by pain.

It is recommended to take a 3-game break.

The NBA's team doctors are also very special, as they serve players, teams, and the NBA itself.

So when Yao Ming's injury occurred.

At this moment, the diagnosis is confirmed!

Injuries need to be documented, as this relates to the Rockets' future cap space and the detailed management of the Olympic Tower.

The small TV in the locker room was showing footage of the game.

The team doctor is applying a fixation bandage to the little toe.

As Yao Ming predicted, without him on the court, Cato was quickly rendered ineffective by the Nets' forward-oriented style of play.

Francis and Mobley were also placed under strict lockdown.

The Nets' defense doesn't stop scoring; they can shoot or drive to the basket. Their strength lies in reducing the opponent's shooting percentage through defense.

The Rockets were quickly dragged into a quagmire after losing Yao Ming, their key player.

Kidd excels at this kind of quagmire.

The more chaotic things get, the stronger he becomes; Kidd has already reached 15+5+10!

At this moment, Yao Ming's mind was exceptionally clear.

The owner is too stingy, making it difficult for the Rockets to strengthen their roster. A month has passed, and the Rockets' trade list has not changed at all.

They were the number one draft pick last season.

Only Yao Ming, Steve Francis, and Mobley are considered starters on the team. Even if Cato were on another team, he would most likely be a rotation player.

What's worse is that the Rockets no longer have any players under Cato.

Kobe once announced when the team was at a disadvantage that if they didn't make any improvements, they would make a trade.

Yao Ming, as a newcomer, isn't that tough.

So this time, he wants to use Houston fans to pressure the Rockets and push their trade process forward!

By the second half of the third quarter, the score had been tied by the Nets.

Cato committed his fifth foul at this point.

The Rockets are still ahead, but the tide has turned. A lone Francis is panting heavily, and his old cat beside him is not much better off!

"It's such a pity." Barkley said into the studio, holding the microphone: "Yao Ming is too important to the Rockets' frontcourt right now. Without him, the Rockets' overall strength is still inferior to the Nets, who won the Eastern Conference title last season."

"That's right. Without Yao Ming, Cato had to defend the paint all by himself, and he committed 4 fouls in a short period of time. What's even more regrettable is that the Rockets didn't add any players at the center position. They probably only have Morris."

The television screen displayed Morris's data at just the right time.

That was truly a horrific sight.

Poor Maurice was unaware that he was already world-famous; he was still warming up and planning to seize the opportunity.

However... a large hand pressed down on Morris's shoulder.

Morris turned his head.

Yao Ming!

"Coach, I'm ready to play!" Yao Ming's smiling words instantly filled the Rockets' bench with energy.

But Coach Tomás didn't actually want Yao Ming to play at this time.

If you're injured, you should rest properly.

It's just a regular season game.

Unfortunately, the audience was now chanting Yao Ming's name in unison, and their shouts and roars seemed to form a wave of sound.

Tang Shuai couldn't argue with that either, and could only sigh helplessly, "This isn't a good idea, really, Yao."