NFL Defensive Player of the year JJ Watt had a bite to eat with another Houston sports legend on Tuesday. Yao Ming is in town for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game festivities, and he appeared in a photo on JJ Watt's Twitter Profile.
Both players were commanding physical presences in their respective domains, with Watt currently dominating offensive linemen throughout the NFL and Ming a year-plus removed from ruling the paint on the NBA's hard courts. Which one means more to the Houston sports community, Yao Ming or JJ Watt?
The short answer is Yao Ming, but there's plenty of discussion to be had there. Ming's career was cut short by injuries, but he had one of the best runs an NBA center has ever had. Yao shot .500 or better in seven of his eight seasons, with the only one he didn't coming in his first year in the league (.498 in 2002-2003). He averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and is one of the tallest players in NBA history.
The argument for Watt is straightforward: he's currently one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, and he's still playing today. You can argue Ming isn't even the best player in Houston history at his own position, as the Rockets have had two other incredibly successful centers: Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo.
When it comes to off-field recognition, there's no contest between the two. Between Ming's towering stature and his Chinese background, he is one of the most popular athletes in the history of team sports. That's not a knock to Watt, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that doesn't identify as a football fan that could tell you who JJ Watt is, who he plays for or what he looks like.
Watt is only in his second professional season, so he has a long way to go to match the eight-year period of Ming's successful career. Half a decade from now or more, he may prove more valuable to the Texans team, though it's doubtful he'll ever reach the popularity Ming has worldwide.
In the Houston area, there's one major factor that Watt could prove better in to significantly increase his case for winning this argument: championship rings. Yao didn't have any in his time with the Rockets. Watt's two seasons are the only two the Texans have made the NFL Playoffs, and for a good 12 weeks, Houston was the team to beat this season. If the team improves upon that run and Watt is a significant factor, don't be surprised to see him with a ring or more in his future. Outside of a few Super Bowl wins, there's not much Watt can do to become more of a fan favorite than Yao, but it doesn't mean he can't carve a comfortable niche out for himself in one of the largest markets in the U.S.