Yao Ming’s attendance at the Rockets game sparks heated discussion! US media highlight Jeff Van Gundy’s past remarks: He is better than Howard

On October 26th Beijing time, Yao Ming’s return to Houston to watch the Rockets drew discussions from US media. Some media shared Jeff Van Gundy’s previous comments about Yao Ming.

While serving as the Rockets’ head coach, Van Gundy quickly realized Yao Ming’s extraordinary talent as a player. Compared to other dominant big men in the league, Yao obviously had a height edge. Besides that, his style was delicate and he was capable of making jump shots. For Van Gundy, only Shaquille O’Neal and the emerging NBA superstar Dwight Howard posed serious challenges to Yao at that time.

Looking back at Yao Ming’s NBA career, Van Gundy shared his perspective on the competitive relationships between Yao, O’Neal, and Howard. He wrote in an article for “The Players’ Tribune”: “Throughout Yao’s career, he frequently faced off against two other Hall of Fame centers who were at different stages in their careers. O’Neal was in his 30s and still the best center in the league; Howard was the top young center in the league. Yao was in his 20s, younger than O’Neal but older than Howard.Yao was better than Howard, and the gap between Yao and O’Neal was smaller than the gap between Yao and Howard.”

Reflecting on the past, Yao certainly gave O’Neal and Howard a tough time during their matchups. Although O’Neal held a 10-8 edge in their direct confrontations,“The Diesel” still recalls how in their first encounter, Yao effortlessly blocked him three times in a row .

On the other hand,Howard praised Yao, saying that during their games, Yao never let him relax for a moment . For Howard, Yao was almost unstoppable on the court, making him the toughest opponent he faced.

Van Gundy is no stranger to witnessing the growth of outstanding centers. He saw how Patrick Ewing honed his skills over the years and eventually became one of the greatest big men in NBA history. However, Van Gundy firmly believes Yao Ming was unique.

What saddened Van Gundy was that most NBA fans never truly appreciated how special Yao Ming was. Unlike fans, he had the chance to observe this Chinese basketball icon up close and understand other qualities he possessed. Yet, what truly impressed Van Gundy about Yao wasn’t just his on-court performance.

Van Gundy revealed that Yao’s distinctive way of expressing his views and his genuine personality as a competitor left a deep impression on him.Van Gundy also said, “I have countless stories about Yao’s skills. For some reason, I feel we still haven’t fully grasped how excellent his technique was. But for me, what truly defines Yao’s greatness—his basketball ‘character’—are the moments on the bench or off the court.”

In Van Gundy’s eyes, although Yao wasn’t as physically strong as O’Neal nor as athletically gifted as Howard, he still forged his own legendary path in the NBA.