(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-27 09:19

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, of China speaks at a press conference announcing he would not play for the rest of the NBA basketball season due to a stress fracture in his left foot Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008 in Houston. [Agencies]

Clanton said there was no specific event that led to the injury, but rather an "accumulation of stresses on the bone. Yao first experienced soreness and pain in his ankle before the All-Star game and tests were done Monday when the situation didn't improve.

This is Yao's fourth major injury in the last two years. He missed 32 games last season with a fracture in his right leg and 21 games in late 2006 with a toe infection that required surgery. He missed four games in April 2006 after breaking his foot.

Houston went 20-12 when Yao was injured last season.

The Rockets, who remain in seventh place in the tough Western Conference despite their winning streak, will now have to rely heavily on 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo. The 17-year veteran has been averaging just eight minutes per game.

On Tuesday, the Rockets signed Bobby Jones to a 10-day contract and released Adam Haluska.

While it took more than two weeks to discover Yao's injury, Clanton said it sometimes takes months to diagnose.

"This is something that can be treated," he said. "We are catching this at a very early stage."

Clanton informed Yao of the extent of his injury, and said the player was worried whether he'd be healthy in time for the Olympics.

"I told him this was not anything he could have personally prevented," Clanton said. "I think that reflects on the character of the young man. He was very interested in the team and how it would affect the team."

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