Although McGrady is stronger than Yao Ming, in the Rockets, Yao Ming s historical status is higher than McGrady

On July 24, in the history of the NBA, the Houston Rockets have always been the most special existence in the hearts of Chinese fans, and this is largely due to the collaboration between two legendary stars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady (McDy). Although McGrady seems to be better in terms of global influence and personal talent, when it comes to the Rockets' historical status, Yao Ming has an indisputable higher position. Behind this phenomenon is the result of the interweaving of multiple factors such as cultural identity, commercial value, and team contribution.

From the perspective of personal abilities, McGrady is undoubtedly one of the most talented scorers in NBA history. His 35.13-minute "McDie Moment" is still one of the league's greatest solo performances, with two-time scoring champions and seven-time All-Star honors confirming his superstar status. McGrady's style of play is elegant and elegant, her jump shot is as beautiful as a picture, and her breakthrough is as smooth as a flowing cloud. These traits make him a favorite of basketball fans around the world. In contrast, Yao Ming's career data is slightly "stubborn" - although his average of 19 points and 9.2 rebounds per game is excellent, he is far from the level of a historical center. However, basketball has never been a simple data comparison game. Yao Ming's significance to the Rockets and even the entire NBA has long surpassed the scope of technical statistics.

Yao Ming's establishment of the Rockets' historical status is first reflected in his revolutionary improvement in the team's international influence. After Yao Ming joined the Rockets as the No. 1 pick in 2002, this Texas team instantly became the home team of hundreds of millions of Chinese fans. The Rockets' home court Toyota Center's Chinese sponsor advertising, CCTV's record-breaking ratings, and the surge in jersey sales all demonstrate the business magic of the "Yao Ming effect". According to public data, the Rockets' market value soared from $255 million to $469 million during Yao Ming's playoffs, and this leapfrog growth is a miracle in the history of professional sports. Although McGrady has a higher popularity, her influence is mainly concentrated in the basketball fan group, and she has not become a cultural phenomenon that transcends the sports circle like Yao Ming.

At the competitive level, Yao Ming's role in building the Rocket system is also critical. As a traditional center, his solid basket skills, excellent support skills and super high basketball IQ have become the tactical axis of the Rockets' "slow-paced offense and defense" in the Jeff Van Gundy era. In the 2008-09 season, Yao Ming led the Rockets to break through the first round curse with McGrady's season reimbursement and fought seven games with the final champion Lakers. The scene of Yao Ming returning with an injury in this series became a classic moment in the history of the Rockets. In contrast, despite McGrady's amazing performance of 62 points in a single game, the embarrassing label of "first round Virgin" and frequent injuries have made him unable to lead the Rockets further. It is particularly worth noting that when Yao Ming was absent due to injury in the 2009-10 season, the Rockets could still win 42 wins; and after McGrady left the team, the Rockets quickly completed reconstruction, which to some extent reflects the different value of the two stars to the team system.

From the perspective of team cultural identity, Yao Ming has a height that McGrady cannot reach. At the Rockets' ceremony for Yao Ming to retire No. 11 jersey, the owner Alexander bluntly said: "Yao Ming made the Rockets from an ordinary team to a global brand." This recognition not only comes from the performance of the stadium, but also comes from Yao Ming's ten-year professional attitude - he organizes special training at his own expense every summer, takes the initiative to cut salary and renew his contract, and even participates in the Olympics with a broken foot. McGrady had many conflicts with the Rockets management due to controversies such as "privately announcing season reimbursement" and "negative training attitude". This difference in professionalism makes the Rockets inevitably have some inclination when evaluating the two legends.

From the perspective of NBA globalization strategy, Yao Ming's status is even more special. As the first foreign top pick, he successfully broke the US monopoly on basketball's voice, paving the way for the rise of international players such as Jokic and Antetokounmpo. Alliance President Stern once called Yao Ming "the bridge between Sino-US culture", and this epoch-making symbolism cannot be measured by any data. Despite McGrady's outstanding football skills, she is essentially a super scorer trained by the American basketball industry system and lacks groundbreaking significance in the historical dimension.

Of course, comparing two stars requires avoiding binary thinking that is either one or the other. It was the short-term glory of the Yao-Mao combination that created one of the most nostalgic periods in the history of the Rockets. The two teamed up to score 52 wins in the 2006-07 season, and McGrady's 30 points and 10 rebounds against the Jazz Series G1 is a masterpiece of his career. But the ruthless factor of injury ultimately destroyed the potential of the pair - Yao Ming missed 250 regular season games in total, while McGrady never played 70 games during the Rockets. This regret instead strengthens fans' imagination of healthy Yao and Mai, and to some extent beautifies their memory in the history of the Rockets.

Looking back now, the reason why Yao Ming's historical status in the Rockets is essentially determined by the diversified value standards of professional sports. In the modern NBA, where the team's commercial development, cultural communication, city business card and other functions are increasingly important, Yao Ming's Chinese market dividends and continuous positive influence have surpassed the judging framework of traditional basketball skills and tactics. McGrady was like a bright meteor, illuminating the Houston night sky with her ultimate talent, but failed to leave a deep enough mark. As Rockets celebrity Murphy commented: "Yao Ming redefined the genes of this team, and McGrady is just one of the most dazzling passers-by."

This difference continues to appear in the trajectory of the two stars after they retired: Yao Ming was selected for the Naismith Hall of Fame and served as chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, which continued to influence the development of basketball; McGrady appears more in the public eye as a commentator. In the selection of the Rockets' best team in history, Yao Ming is firmly in the center position, while McGrady often needs to compete with legendary point guards such as Drexler and Harden. This subtle difference may be the most authentic footnote to historical status.

Basketball is a team sport after all, and the historical evaluation of stars can never be separated from the specific context. In the Houston Rockets, a team with special emotional connections with China, Yao Ming wrote a chapter that is more profound than McGrady with his pioneering contribution, tenacious professional spirit and profound cultural influence. This is not a denial of McGrady's basketball talent, but an acknowledgement of the multidimensional value of sports – sometimes, people who change the way they play are worth remembering more than those who win.