Chapter 787 Yao Ming’s Jersey Retirement Ceremony

"I am a system player, and we are all system players."

At the press conference after the game, Tang Tian gave a very positive answer to the comments on social media.

2-0, two big wins. The progress of the Western Conference Finals between the Pelicans and Rockets was a big surprise.

While fans are complaining about the Rockets' performance, they are also lamenting the strength of the Pelicans.

This Pelicans team has refreshed their knowledge bit by bit from the start of the game to now.

Just like Tang Tian showed at the press conference, he seemed very calm in facing any situation.

After the first two games, the two sides will move to Houston for the next two games.

There is a three-day rest period in between.

At this time, the first two games of the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals also came to an end.

The Eastern Cavaliers lead the Heat 2-0.

Although the Heat lost two consecutive away games, Whiteside performed very well, averaging 20.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, beating the Cavaliers inside.

The Knicks and Raptors tied 1-1.

Although the performance of Lowry and DeRozan was not as good as in the regular season, Valanciunas and Carroll performed well and the two sides played evenly.

The Warriors and Thunder also tied 1-1.

The aftereffects of the Warriors' all-out efforts in the regular season have emerged, and the entire team is showing signs of fatigue. If it weren't for their strong strength, they might have fallen behind 0-2 now.

During the fierce battle between the East and West division semifinals, Woj broke the news that the Rockets will hold Yao Ming's jersey retirement ceremony before the next game.

Yao Ming announced his retirement in 2011, and in the blink of an eye, five years have passed since his retirement.

Yao Ming spent eight years of his career with the Rockets. He helped Alexander rise from being the poorest owner in the league to the forefront. He also opened the door to the NBA's Chinese market and allowed Houston to build Chinatown. He made a huge contribution to the Rockets and Houston. .

His jersey retirement is almost inevitable.

As early as the regular season, there were rumors that Yao Ming might have a jersey retirement ceremony this summer, and the preparations were pretty much the same.

I just didn't expect it to be suddenly advanced.

But it seems understandable if you think about it carefully.

The Rockets have the most luxurious lineup in history, but now they are losing miserably one after another. They need some off-court factors to motivate their players.

As a legendary player of the Rockets, Yao Ming's retirement will definitely have a positive and positive effect on the Rockets' performance.

The day before the third game, the entire Pelicans team arrived in Houston and continued daily training upon arrival.

Although they are leading 2-0, they must not take it lightly.

After all, the Rockets' hard power is there, and the news broke by Woj, the first away game will definitely not be that easy.

And three days is enough time for the Rockets to make some adjustments.

On the night of the game day, the Toyota Center was packed, and many Rockets stars were present, including Olajuwon, Drexler...

Yao Ming's former teammates, Tracy McGrady, Mutombo, Battier, Francis, etc. were all present.

NBA President Xiao Hua also came to the scene to witness this historic moment.

Because of the retirement ceremony, the arena was already packed an hour before the game started.

Both teams also entered the arena early.

Tang Tian greeted Yao Ming, who had not seen each other since last summer.

"I'll invite you to Yao's Restaurant for supper tonight. I have a lot to say to you."

Yao Ming extended an invitation to Tang Tian while hugging him.

Tang Tian nodded, he had no reason to refuse.

With forty-five minutes left in the game, Yao Ming's jersey retirement session officially began.

Players on both sides stood in front of the bench and watched.

Yao Ming's contribution to the NBA is not only for the Rockets and Houston, but also for the entire league.

Yao Ming's Rockets No. 11 jersey was framed and stood in the center of the court.

Yao Ming sat on the edge of it, and on both sides of him were the heavyweight guests present.

Tracy McGrady, Francis and Mutombo sit on one side, and Olajuwon, Alexander and Silver sit on the other side.

The host introduced everyone present one by one. When Yao Ming was finally introduced, there were endless cheers.

Tang Tian also reached out and applauded.

He even imagined in his mind the scene when his jersey would be retired.

That was the most important moment as a player and the greatest pride.

After the introduction, Yao Ming began his jersey retirement speech.

“When I walked into the arena again and looked up and saw my number hanging above the arena, I knew that my New Year’s resolution had come true because I would never sign a 10-day contract with the Rockets again. .”

Yao Ming's opening remarks made many viewers laugh.

Tang Tian also laughed.

Because Yao Ming is tall and looks a bit stupid, many people call him Silly Big Guy and Silly Yao.

But in fact, Yao Ming's football intelligence and emotional intelligence are among the best.

He then teased the teammates who came to support him one by one, from his eldest brother Francis early in his career, to Mutombo, and finally to Tracy McGrady, who was live broadcasting on Instagram with a mobile phone in his hand.

"Although there are many unknown things on the court, as long as you remember one rule, just give the ball to McGrady in the last 35 seconds."

When he talked about McGrady, his words caused another burst of cheers from the scene, and McGrady also kept laughing.

"You know what I told my neighbor when I was driving home after that game? He turned off the TV a few minutes before the game ended, and I told him that McGrady and I scored 15 in the last minute. points and turned the game around.”

He even used the joke about scoring 83 points with Kobe Bryant.

Tang Tian couldn't help but cheer for him.

His jersey retirement ceremony will have to be this interesting in the future.

At the end of his speech, he told an interesting story about celebrating the Spring Festival in the United States.

During his first Spring Festival, every teammate gave him a red envelope, but when he opened it, it only contained two dollars.

"So I told Dawson, who was the general manager at the time, 'Usually we put in at least 10 bucks, not 2 bucks.' And Dawson said, 'You know the team has a salary cap, right?"

At the end of his speech, Yao Ming also used this story to conclude.

“To this day, I still carry that two-dollar bill in my wallet because I know that no matter where I go or how far I go, as long as I have it with me, my home is there.”

At the end of his speech, the entire Toyota Nakanishi was in a state of excitement.

The excitement can be seen in the eyes of the Rockets players.

This is the role of the team's legendary star.

Amidst the cheers, the curtain of Yao Ming's No. 11 jersey was unveiled, and since then there has been a new retired jersey in the sky above Toyota Center.

After the jersey retirement ceremony, Yao Ming turned around and hugged Xiao Hua, hugged Alexander, hugged Mutombo, and finally hugged and whispered to the Rockets' Big Three.

The Rockets hope to use Yao Ming to inspire the Rockets players, and Yao Ming is willing to do that.

"Be more patient, maintain your emotions, and believe that you can beat anyone..."

Yao Ming and fellow center Cousins ​​chatted a lot. If possible, the two of them could chat with him for an hour.

Seeing this, Tang Tian took a long breath and pulled his emotions out of the retirement ceremony.

There will definitely be a fierce battle tonight.