Jeff Van Gundy jokes about Yao Ming's partial deafness

Having coached Yao Ming for four years with the Houston Rockets, Jeff Van Gundy has a deep appreciation for the Chinese center's contributions to basketball, as well as his demeanor and sense of humor.

Ahead of Ming's induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend, Van Gundy raved about the 7-foot-6 big man. He also got a couple of knocks in for good measure, telling Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical:

Yao was deaf in one ear, and to this day, I still do not know which one. He would always make me switch sides, ask me to talk into the opposite ear. Of course, when I told him to get into a lower stance in the pick-and-roll defensive coverage, he became deaf in both ears.

The former bench boss, who's currently a broadcaster for ESPN, said he smiles whenever he thinks of Ming, whose induction speech he was on hand for in Springfield, Mass. on Friday night.

Ming shouted out his former coach in the presentation, crediting him with turning Houston into a "tough defensive team, like he always does."

The pair had a combined 328-183 (.555) record together, but never made it past the first round of the playoffs. Despite this - and the fact Van Gundy may never find out which ear Ming's deaf in - it's clear they both left "Clutch City" with a bond that transcends the game.