Josh Q. Public:  Advice is cheap you can take it from me.  It's yours to keep 'cause opinions are free.  -Billy Joel

Public Service Announcement:  Ok here we go!  I'm going over the top with this one.  Going over the top for Super Bowl Sunday.  Super Bowl fun day.  What?  You forgot?  You've been too busy Kobeing?  You've been too busy Agent Zeroing.  Too busy Steve Nashing?  Disco Dirking?  Houston, we have a problem.  Make that Phoenix.  Or Dallas.  Yao Ming.  The Ming Dynasty.  The Great Wall of China.  Chairman Yao.  All of it.  Working his way back to you babe.  This was going to be his year.  We all knew it was coming.  We all saw the writing on the Great Wall.  Best center in basketball.  MVP.    Championships.  He was going to have it all.  Then this happens.  Then the guy gets hurt.  You hate to see it.  It breaks your heart.  It tipped over the apple cart.  Rocket fans everywhere were falling apart.  This was one of the good guys.  This was the year.  This was the year he was going to number one.  Number one with a bullet.  He still is.  He's coming back.  He's coming back after the All-Star break.  Coming back with a vengeance.

Actually last year was his year.  His breakout year.  Thin Lizzy style.  Schoefield & Burroughs style.  Big X style.  Frank Morris style.  Ok, ok, I'm done.  Yao was just getting started.  Just getting retarded.  Like a work of arted.  Yao was starting something big in the Space City last year.  Real big.  Seven foot six big.  But unless you lived in the Space City last year, you may not have noticed.  You may not have noticed because he hurt his toe.   You may not have noticed because he missed 21 games.  You may not have noticed  because his team was 34-48, because they were decimated with injuries, because they were 10 games out of the playoff picture.  You may have missed it.  You may have missed Yao Ming busting out.  You may have missed Yao Ming busting out after the All-Star break.   After the All-Star break, Yao averaged 25.7 points and 11.6 rebounds.  After the All-Star break, he was the best center in NBA basketball.  This year, he was looking like the best player in NBA basketball.

Earlier this season.  Earlier this season when Shaq Daddy was healthy.  Earlier this season when Chairman Yao was healthy.  Earlier this season in a head-to-head match up, Yao outscored the Diesel 34 points to 15.  That 19-point margin is the largest margin the Big Aristotle has ever been outscored by any opposing center ever in his career.  Ever.  That tells you a little something something where Yao's game was heading this year.  Where he was treading this year.  If Shaq can't hang with Yao anymore, then I don't know who can.  These guys don't know either.  Tracy McGrady:  "I know Shaq's still around, but the way Yao is rolling, no one is playing better than him."  Timberwolves broadcaster and NBA veteran Jim Petersen: "Yao Ming is the best center right now in the NBA.  I don't think there is any doubt about that."   I agree.  I agree and I'll go one better. 

I think he's better than being just the best center.  Dig this; I think he will be vying for the MVP.  At the time of the injury, Yao was leading the Rockets in points.   He was leading the Rockets in field goal percentage.  He was leading the Rockets  in rebounds and blocked shots.  A team that features T-Mac.  Now dig this;  King James rolls into town.  Rolls into town with all the hoop-la.  Rolls into town as the Air apparent.  Everybody's darling.  Their little starling.   On a night when McGrady was out, Yao carried the Rockets.  Carried them on his back.  Carried them to victory.  Yao insisted for the rock.  Demanded it.  Insisted for the rock in the paint.   Delivered.  Delivered in the paint.  Delivered outside of the paint.  Embarrassed the other Wall.  Embarrassed Cav big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas.   Embarrassed him like he's been embarrassing all the other centers in this league.  Yao looked like a giant Kevin McHale.  He hit up-and-under dipsy doos and dipsy dees.   He hit fade-away Js with ease.   He made hook shots that would turn Kareem himself Japanese.  He won the ballgame single-handedly.  He has been winning ballgames for a while now.  He runs the floor.  He owns the block.  He passes the rock.  Puts you in shock.  A vitruouso like my main man, Johann Sebastian Bach.  He now has the confidence he once lacked.  He has now shed his unselfish international basketball ways.  Before the injury he had established himself as the best basketball player in the world.  In a few short weeks he will be back.  Look out West.  Wild wild West.  Wild and wooly West.  Geronimo, look out below.  Yao is coming back and he's stealing the show!