The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Six-time All-Star center Yao Ming is out for the season and post-season with a stress fracture in his sore left foot, a blow to the surging Houston Rockets.
Daryl Morey, Rockets general manager, made the announcement on Tuesday.
Chinese Yao was having one of the best seasons, averaging 22 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
"It is not an injury we feel he can play with," Rockets team doctor Tom Clanton said. "I've made the recommendation that it be treated surgically and we are working with him to get other opinions just to be certain that that is indeed what should be done."
If Yao chooses surgery, Clanton said, it would involve placing screws across the bone to hold it together. The second option would be to treat it with a cast and crutches. Both options involve a healing time of about four months.
Clanton would not say when Yao could play again, but said Yao is not expected to miss the Olympics in Beijing in August.
"This is unbelievable," Rockets owner Les Alexander said. "This is the most heart-breaking. This is the worst I've felt."
Yao was examined after Monday's practice at Memorial Hermann Hospital and met Tom Clanton to go over the test results.
The Rockets (36-20) have won 12 consecutive games since losing the one game Yao has missed this season.
"We've been playing exceptional ball and Yao's been a huge part of that," Daryl Morey said. "We feel very confident about our playoff push. We've managed to step up and play well without Yao in the past and coaches and players feel confident that we're going to continue to play well and make the playoffs this year."
Yao is scheduled to hold a press conference later Tuesday to discuss the injury.
