Yao Ming's retirement is another blow in for the traditional NBA center. The league is no longer ruled by giants. It is ruled by giant-killers.
A tall, powerful, post-up center is no longer necessary to succeed in the NBA.
What does Yao's retirement mean for NBA big men? Not much initially, due to his tragic irrelevance from foot injuries the past few seasons. However, it is a continuation of a larger NBA trend.
To succeed you must become quicker, more powerful and more athletic. Not taller.
With Yao and Shaq riding into the sunset, Dwight Howard must carry the mantle of the overpowering NBA center. The dominating players in the game today are not 7-foot post players.
They are athletic slashers who can score from anywhere on the floor.
If you ask for a name of the best players of the 2010-2011 season the list would probably look like this: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, etc.
Dwight Howard is the only true center who would crack the top 10. The list 15 years ago would probably look like this: Jordan, Olajuwon, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing.
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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Nick Hansen
Yao Ming Retires: What Does This Mean for the NBA Big Man?
July 9th, 2011 by Nick Hansen Leave a reply »
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