“Shaq was the most dominant big man ever. And Yao comes in as this rookie and blocks him on the first play? The place was about to explode.” Longtime fan Peter Chang recalled in a 2022 Houston Chronicle interview. The selection of Yao Ming brought a cultural shift; a few thousand tickets were purchased for the city’s Chinese community to cheer on the 7-foot-6 star at the game on New Year’s Eve 2003. The fan favorite even recently met the key executives of the Rockets front office after his international trip.

Before returning to H-Town, the 8x All-Star NBA was present during the Rising Star Invitational in Singapore. After guiding the young stars with a speech, it was time for the 44-year-old to return to Houston as the trade talks for Kevin Durant’s deal took a turn. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Durant-to-Houston deal could soon balloon into the largest trade in NBA history — a seven-team trade that includes the Hawks, Nets, Warriors, Lakers, and Timberwolves.

Amidst this, on the Reddit fan page of the franchise, a post was trending. “Yao Ming spotted in the wild today.” The sighting was also not on any basketball court but in a museum. “Great choice with the natural science museum,” a fan commented. The location was the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS). The Rockets legend was sitting at the table alone, probably waiting for his food.

Since fans got to know that the 2002 overall #1 pick was on American soil, there was another glimpse of him, which the fans noticed. Just a few days ago, Yao Ming met with Patrick J. Fertitta, the son of the franchise owner Tilman Fertitta. A recent Instagram post from HoopsChina read, “YAO MING VISITING ROCKETS”. So, is he back to give his input on the complicated trade?

Yao Ming’s presence brings stability amid the trade chaos

KD was on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York when the news crashed through the actual topic of conversation. The 15-time All-Star joins a Rockets squad that finished No. 2 in the West but collapsed in Round 1. Under coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets boasted a balanced attack led by All-Star Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Fred VanVleet. The primary swap sends Durant to Houston, but the league’s front offices are reportedly scrambling to balance contracts, shuffle role players, and reroute draft picks to balance the finances.

“League sources tell The Athletic that the Rockets and Suns are working on expanding the Kevin Durant trade into a deal that would involve a league-record seven teams. Other teams involved in negotiations at the moment include the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources say,” Katz shared. Just a few days ago, Kevin O’Connor predicted this on his show. He further added it could mean the reunion of LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

Speaking of trade, Yao Ming is probably not weighing in on who should stay or go. But for Rockets fans, his return to the front office — right in the middle of this chaos — feels like a stabilizing force. A face that the fan can trust, who is in support of the front office, sends a strong image that the team might need now, as KD’s trade is yet to be official.