After a career that has been filled with injuries, Yao Ming has decided to end his basketball career Wednesday in a packed news conference in his hometown in China.
Ming, a 7-foot-6 center for the Houston Rockets and formerly No. 1 draft pick in the 2002 NBA draft, played eight seasons in the NBA, but missed an estimated 250 regular-season games over the past six years.
After weeks of speculation about his retirement Yao opened with a simple statement: “I will formally end my career.”
Although he stated that his playing days are now over, he promised he wouldn’t stay far away from the sport that made him a household name in China. He has expanded the game into a place where many never imagined basketball talent could come from. He has created a boom in merchandise sales for the league and TV ratings that skyrocketed whenever the Rockets played.
Expect Yao Ming to be around the game for the many years to come, as the game needs Ming to help inspire many to come to the NBA with their talents.
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