Yao Ming plans to meet with doctors next week for an update on
how his injured right knee is healing.
Yao told KRIV-TV in Houston on Friday that he hopes for a better
prognosis than the one doctors initially provided - that he would
be out of action until early February.
Yao fractured the right tibial plateau under his knee December
23 when he jumped to block a shot and his knee got caught under Tim
Thomas' body. Yao immediately grabbed his knee and screamed in
pain.
Yao was averaging 26 points and nine rebounds before the
injury.
"It's really hard," Yao said. "This is the best year I have ever
had for my team and for me personally."
Yao leads, Kobe, LeBron follow in All-Star
voting
Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets and Kobe Bryant of the Los
Angeles Lakers lead the Western Conference, while LeBron James of
the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat lead the
Eastern Conference in votes received after the second returns of
2007 NBA All-Star Balloting.
Yao leads the league with 1,411,923 votes. The Minnesota
Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett leads all Western Conference forwards
with 785,865 votes; followed by San Antonio's Tim Duncan (715,916).
Bryant (1,187,505) and the Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady
(1,057,057) lead all Western Conference guards. In third place
among Western Conference guards is Allen Iverson, who was acquired
by the Denver Nuggets from the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 19. Since
Iverson was traded to a Western Conference team after the All-Star
ballot was unveiled, his Eastern Conference votes will be applied
to the conference in which he now plays.
James leads all Eastern Conference players with 1,323,989 votes;
followed by Wade (983,321). The Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh
(497,283) is second to James among Eastern Conference forwards. The
New Jersey Nets' Vince Carter (726,040) is second to Wade among
Eastern Conference guards. Miami's Shaquille O'Neal leads all
Eastern Conference centers with 855,544 votes; followed by the
Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard (665,434).
Through the 2007 NBA All-Star Balloting program, NBA fans from
around the globe are responsible for voting in the starters for the
56th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played in Las Vegas on Feb.
18.
(China Daily via AP and ESPN December 30, 2006)