Of course, Yao Ming also had his unspoken difficulties.
After leaving the Shanghai team, he signed a contract.
This contract explicitly stipulated that he must accept calls and participate in international competitions whenever the country needed him.
This was precisely a major factor in Yao Ming's retirement during his prime.
Coupled with the excessive number of games, his fragile ankles could no longer endure.
For a long time, the first thing Yao Ming did after a game was to ice his ankles.
Coach Van Gundy's overuse of Yao Ming was also a significant contributor.
Although Van Gundy made Yao Ming the top active center in the NBA, his excessive use of Yao Ming undoubtedly greatly shortened Yao Ming's career.
The coaching staff bore an undeniable responsibility for Yao Ming's retirement in his prime.
A skill-oriented center like Yao Ming had no need to engage in physical battles in the paint against heavy centers like O'Neal and Howard.
After all, Yao Ming held no advantage in this regard.
Yao Ming's strengths lay in his soft touch and low-post skills.
Thinking of this, Tang Long looked at Yao Ming with a hint of sympathy and said seriously, "Brother Yao, I think you should lose weight at this stage. If not, your body might give out first!"
Yao Ming sighed helplessly and did not answer Tang Long.
If he could, he wouldn't have wanted to gain weight in the first place.
Gaining weight led to frequent injuries, which increasingly affected his body.
In recent seasons, his performance on the court had gradually declined.
Perhaps due to his poor form, his personal trainer had also discussed the matter of weight loss with Yao Ming.
However, losing weight at this stage was not a simple task.
It was difficult to make the body adapt to the new weight while maintaining strong performance on the court.
For Yao Ming, the most important thing at this stage was to help the team secure a playoff spot and pursue higher honors.
Sensing a strange expression on Yao Ming's face, Tang Long did not press the topic further.
He immediately realized that Yao Ming did not want to discuss this matter.
He then began to reminisce about the World Championships with Da Yao and accompanied Yao Ming to the basketball court at his villa.
During this time, Tang Long earnestly sought Yao Ming's advice on low-post techniques in the paint.
As the most versatile active center in the NBA, Yao Ming's interior play was undoubtedly excellent.
His skills in the paint were well worth learning.
Longguo, fans across the country…
"Be quiet! Be quiet! Be careful the teacher finds out."
"Hurry up, I still have to go home and watch the Rockets game!"
"Today is the Longguo derby between the Rockets and the Cavaliers, we absolutely can't miss it!"
"The Cavaliers are sure to win this game, they are the number one team in the league right now!"
"Tang Long's old fans are here! This year, the Cavaliers already have championship potential."
A group of high school students snuck over the school wall, skipping class to go home and watch this Longguo derby!
When these high school students turned on the TV, a familiar voice sounded in their ears.
"Chongyang Television, Chongyang Television!"
"This is the Sports Channel!"
"Welcome to the NBA game broadcast, bringing you the matchup between the Cavaliers and the Rockets in the 2007-2008 season."
As the excited and passionate voice of the Cavaliers' DJ rang out, the players took the court.
The Rockets' starting lineup.
Point guard Rafer Alston.
He was the first streetball king, renowned in the streetball scene in Huáqíguo.
After arriving on the NBA stage, his performance was somewhat struggling. 138 Reading Net.
His greatest characteristic was his erratic performance, being brilliant one game and terrible the next.
Shooting guard Tracy McGrady, nicknamed T-Mac.
A two-time scoring champion, his scoring ability was immense, even holding his own against Kobe.
A definite legend in future NBA history, but his entire career was plagued by injuries, which made his career exceptionally precarious.
Small forward Shane Battier, nicknamed "The President" and "Batman."
The President Battier's career accolades and achievements did not match his nicknames at all.
The two together seemed somewhat incongruous, with his only commendable trait being his tough defense.
Power forward Juwan Howard.
Once a "bench bandit," his performance began to decline with age.
Now, he was just a veteran with a little gas left in the tank.
Center Yao Ming, nicknamed the "Great Wall of Longguo."
He was a top-tier active NBA center, holding his own steadily even against explosively athletic beasts like "Superman" Howard.
There was a popular saying among Longguo fans: "Eat, sleep, beat Howard!"
This saying referred to the matchups between Yao Ming and Howard.
He possessed the defensive coverage required of a center, as well as the soft touch characteristic of Longguo people.
Throughout his career, Yao Ming had dominated the players he guarded.
As the number one draft pick in 2002, Yao Ming became a youthful memory for everyone.
"The Houston Rockets' starting lineup is Alston, McGrady, Battier, Juwan, and Yao Ming!"
"In this game, let's look forward to the showdown between Tang Long and Yao Ming, as these two players will be matched up!"
"The Rockets are under considerable pressure in this game, as the Cavaliers have already achieved 15 consecutive wins and are on their way to making history."
"The Cavaliers' lineup remains unchanged, still Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlović, LeBron James, Drew Gooden, and Tang Long."
"After beating the Bobcats, James ranked first in the MVP rankings, and the Cavaliers' record is currently at the top of the league!"
Zhang Weiping appeared on the live broadcast precisely on time, having become Tang Long's exclusive commentator.
Listening to his daily praise of Tang Long, the audience couldn't help but give him a nickname.
Tang Weiping! Zhang Heli!
Of course, this was their playful jab at Zhang Weiping.
And Zhang Weiping's extremely professional commentary brought them a truly spectacular broadcast.
In the broadcast booth, the four commentators were divided into two camps.
They each held different opinions on who would win this game between the Rockets and the Cavaliers.
Yang Yi's side was in support of Da Yao.
Although Da Yao's team's record was average, the Rockets alone were definite giant-killers.
Even the Mavericks had fallen victim to their prowess, let alone the Spurs and Lakers.
Zhang Weiping, however, presented a different view, stating that the Cavaliers' current top-tier record was no fluke.
Their team's strength had truly evolved.
Amidst everyone's nervous anticipation, the game between the Rockets and the Cavaliers officially began!
At this moment, the hearts of countless Longguo fans were stirred!