Factfile for Yao Ming
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| Yao Ming (R, back) and his family pose for a group photo at a press conference in Shanghai, east China, July 20, 2011. Yao Ming announced his retirement from basketball here on Wednesday. The 2.26-meter Shanghai native, who played for eight seasons in the NBA after being the top overall pick in the 2002 draft, has been troubled with a series of injuries. Yao, who will turn 31 in September, averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds and has been named to the NBA All-star team eight times. (Xinhua/Fan Jun) |
SHANGHAI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- "Gentle Giant" Yao Ming announced his retirement from basketball here on Wednesday.
"Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future," said Yao, who has impressed the world with a formidable set of basketball skills, an engaging personality and the commitment to social responsibility..
"I had to leave the court when I suffered stress fracture in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months was an agonizing wait. I had been thinking (about my future) over and over.
"Today I would announce my personal decision to end my career as a basketball player and officially retire."
The 2.26-meter Shanghai native, who played for eight seasons in the NBA after being the top overall pick in the 2002 draft, has been troubled with a series of injuries.
Yao, who will turn 31 in September, averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds and has been named to the NBA All-star team eight times.
Apart from his on-court performance, Yao's achievements off the court made him a phenomenen more than a player.
The Chinese big guy wearing Rockets' 11 shirt single-handedly raised the NBA profile among one fifth of mankind, helping to promote exchange between the Chinese and American cultures.
