Yao Ming will be out the rest of the season due to a stress facture. This bombshell was announced eariler this afternoon.

After being examined after Monday's practice by the team doctor Tom Clanton, it was revealed that Yao Ming had a stress fracture in his left foot. This news leave very little options for Yao.

"It is not an injury we feel he can play with," Clanton said. "I've made the recommendation that it be treated surgically and we are working with him to get other opinions just to be certain that that is indeed what should be done.''

This is Yao's third season-ending injury in a row.

"I don't know why it happened," Yao said. "Maybe I'm just an unlucky guy."

The doctor said Yao should be able to recover in time for the Bejing Olympics though.

The Houston Rockets was on a 12-game winning streak before this announcement. Now with Yao out, it will be difficult for the Rockets to keep momentum given the void left by their All-Star center.
China responds.

Update 5/15/2008:
In a surprising turn of events, Houston managed to win a record 22 consecutive games without a lost without their star center. However, the Celtics put an end to that streak on March 18th.

The Rockets ended up with the 5th seed in the playoffs, but they were knocked out of the first round by the 4th seed Utah Jazz in 6 games.