background
In the summer of 2005, Yao Ming, whose rookie contract was about to expire, averaged 18+8 per game, a young genius with a gentle touch, attracted the attention of the whole league at that time, and the Lakers were among them. In the 2005 All-Star Game, Bryant began to lobby, but Yao Ming, who had one year left in his rookie contract, chose to renew his contract with the highest salary and became the lifelong man of the Rockets.
I think there are three detailed reasons:
Loyalty of orientals
As an NBA player from China, he has outstanding talent, but the Rockets chose Yao Ming as the No.1 pick, and Yao Ming regarded Houston as his second hometown. The plot of the home team must have made Yao Ming inseparable from Houston, who gave Yao Ming all-round training after choosing Yao Ming. It can be said that without the patient training of the Rockets, Yao Ming could not have reached its present position. Tang Shuai and Fu Laoda are unforgettable people for China fans, so they have a single-minded idea from the East.
Business choice
As the No.1 pick selected by the Rockets, Yao Ming is a restricted player and it is impossible to go anywhere. At that time, the Rockets renewed their contract with Yao Ming at the highest salary. No matter which team signs Yao Ming, the Rockets have the right to match, so although the Lakers extended an olive branch at that time, it was impossible for Yao Ming to separate the Rockets easily. Unless Yao Ming and the Rockets had a life-and-death relationship at that time, it was impossible to attack. Therefore, after analyzing the environment at that time, Yao Ming's business team chose loyalty, which was most beneficial to Yao Ming and of course to Yao Ming itself.
The power of the team
Another important reason why Yao Ming chose to renew his contract with the Rockets is that he is at the peak. In the 2004-05 season, Yao Ming averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds. In the 2005-06 season, Yao Ming scored 20+ 10(22.3 points 10.3 rebounds), ranking the top three in the independent league. What's more, McGrady, who averaged 25.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists at that time, was a very comprehensive performance, not worse than Kobe (Kobe averaged 27.5 points, 6 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 2004/05, and was both a father and a mother in the team). Unfortunately, Yao Ming was unlucky. At that time, the competitive Kobe kept improving his strength, and in the second year, he got 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. However, McGrady, a genius who has no determination to win, has gradually entered a healthy state after being troubled by injuries. At the same time, Yao Ming was overused under Adelman (averaging 37.2 minutes per game), suffering from injuries and ending his career in a hurry.
From the above three aspects, Yao Ming chose to reject the Lakers, not only because of his loyalty and gratitude, but also because of the business environment. Instead of fighting to the death, it is better to create an image of loyalty and gratitude, which is also in line with Yao Ming's own wishes. Although Yao Ming, the first basketball player in China, missed the championship, at that time, it was not necessarily impossible to win the championship by choosing the Rockets, so it was reasonable for Yao Ming to reject the Lakers and Jackson.