SHANGHAI |
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's Yao Ming, who opened up the world's most populous country to the NBA and became an Asian sporting icon, officially announced the end of his basketball career on Wednesday.
The towering 30-year-old had been plagued by foot and ankle injuries toward the end of his eight seasons in the National Basketball Association, playing just five games in the past two seasons for the Houston Rockets.
Yao said he had been steeling himself for this day and thanked his family and friends for helping him handle the decision to stop playing.
"I am ending my athletic career and am retiring from basketball," Yao said through an interpreter at a plush Pudong hotel on Wednesday. "Basketball has given me so much. It has led me to a bigger and brighter stage to showcase my abilities."
Yao, who had been widely expected to retire after telling the Rockets he would not be returning, said persistent foot injuries had forced him to retire.
"This process has been quite lengthy. I got a lot of support from my family and friends in making this decision," he added.
"When I started playing basketball, my parents told me: 'Do your best but one day things will have to come to a stop and you have to think about the next step'.
"So I have been preparing for this day for 18 years, although today comes a bit fast."
In 2002, the seven foot, six inch (2.30m) Yao became the first international player to be top pick in the NBA draft and wasted no time making an impression with the Rockets with his foot speed, positional play and silky shooting.
'EXTRAORDINARY BRIDGE'
However, it was the way Yao so easily straddled East and West that appealed to the NBA and its legion of fans, his laconic, easy-going manner and quick wit making people warm to him almost instantly.
The NBA also got a foothold in China thanks to Yao and saw a surge in television coverage and apparel sales in the country.
League Commissioner David Stern said Yao's retirement was the NBA's loss.
"Since entering the league ... Yao Ming has been a transformational player and a testament to the globalization of our game," Stern said in a statement.
"His dominant play and endearing demeanor along with his extensive humanitarian efforts have made him an international fan favorite and provided an extraordinary bridge between basketball fans in the United States and China."
Yao thanked those who had influenced his career, particularly NBA and Houston Rockets officials who eased his transition to the United States.
He would not be leaving the game completely, he added, and would continue to work with the Shanghai Sharks -- the Chinese Basketball League team he owns and who he led to the title before moving to the United States.
"Even though I am leaving the basketball court I will not be leaving the game. The Shanghai Sharks is how my professional life will continue and I am continuing to learn to manage the team."
(additional reporting by Samuel Shen)
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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