HOUSTON — Rockets center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season because of a stress fracture in his left ankle.
The Rockets announced the decision Friday, a day after the injury was found in an MRI exam. Team physician Walter Lowe said surgery is the usual treatment for such an injury, which has sidelined Yao since Nov. 10.
Yao, 30, still is consulting with doctors to determine how he will proceed. If he chooses surgery, it could be up to 10 months before he can return to the court.
The seven-time all-star sat out last season after reconstructive surgery to repair his broken left foot. Lowe said this injury is related to last year’s injury. He said the reconstructive surgery on his foot does not put him at a greater risk of stress fractures, but that Yao has always been prone to them.
“When you look at the course of Yao’s career, stress fractures have been part of his foot,” Lowe said. “So to say he’s not at a risk to continue to have stress fractures would be crazy. So he is at a continued risk.”
Footnotes.
Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy will miss the next three games because of a sore left knee.
• Heat forward Mike Miller (thumb) said he is close to being ready for game action and his season debut might come tonight against the Wizards.
