first of all, at 7'5" he is bound to have health problems after a couple years. big guys always have lingering injuries (shaq, smits). it would really suck if yao had to retire early because of health issues. another concern is that he will never be able to rest. from october to the playoffs he will be with us. the rest of the year he will be playing pro ball in china. that must take a major toll on his body. what if he did get injured during the season? it will never heal properly because he can never rest it, or even have surgery to correct something like steve did with his shoulder. yao is 21 and well worth the #1 pick. im hoping he can last as long as kareem, who was just as skinny. ok maybe not 20 yrs. but 15 would be nice. my fear is that he will be burned out after 10 yrs or less. im not saying we shouldnt draft him. i hope we can. i just want to get some opinions on how long he and his body can last.
with acupuncture and the chinese healing treatments I would not put it past Ming to play 20+ years.......He also has the heart of a champion so I am sure he wants to win one of every single award/ championship in the NBA as well!
