Yao May Never Play Again....

The Houston Rockets could be in a lot of trouble if the speculations of Yao Ming's foot injury proves to be career-ending. Some think he may be back next year, but nothing is known for sure and anything can end up happening.

Just to put it into perspective, if Yao misses next season, much less the rest of his career, then the Rockets will be without a dominant center. Dikembe Mutombo has already retired.

There are no other centers currently listed on Houston's roster. In fact, there's no one listed over 7'0'', with the next tallest player being Carl Landry at 6'9''. That's extremely bad news for the Rockets.

With the loss of Yao Ming, the Rockets would instantly drop from the top four in the Western Conference to one of the bottom-dwellers. The Western Conference is just that strong.

The damage gets even worse than that on a broader scale. The NBA could lose millions on Yao Ming from the international perspective. Yao is easily the biggest foreign star in the league.

The Rockets have declined to comment on the speculations but they have said that they want to wait till all the facts get out.

There are some positive signs that seem to show that the injury won't be as severe as some people are saying. Yao has said that his foot hasn't been swelling and doesn't feel tender.

As of right now, all the Rockets can do is keep their fingers crossed that Yao's treatment is a success and that he's able to return, if not next season, then by 2010. If not, then it could be back to the cellar for a team that just started to get the taste of success again.