Even though his last few seasons were plagued with injuries, Yao Ming is monumental in the sense that he has pretty much single-handedly brought basketball (and the NBA) to the mainstream and center stage in China. Certainly part of this has to do with 時勢做英雄, nevertheless, that doesn't diminish his achievements in basketball in China. Just as Li Ning was a milestone in gymnastics, Yao Ming will certainly be revered in the same way.