Yao Ming retired?

Chinese basketball fans reacted with disbelief and sadness on Saturday over reports of Yao Ming's sudden retirement from basketball.


Although the 2.25-metre (7-foot-6) Houston Rockets player has not formally announced his retirement, the NBA's official website reported the news on Friday.

Yao Ming

Thousands of fans flooded online forums on Saturday reacting to the news. One wrote: "He's China's top athlete...it's a pity to lose such a sports icon."


Other fans like Liu Kan, 28, a security guard in central Beijing, said Chinese fans should thank Yao Ming for bringing a sense of pride to Chinese sports.

"His retirement will be a huge loss for China since he's one of our biggest stars," said Liu. "The news still hasn't sunk in, so I 'm in denial until he officially announces his retirement."


China's most popular online portals, sina.com and sohu.com, headlined the news of Yao's possible retirement prominently on their homepages.


"Declaring the end of a Yao era," said the headline of a sohu.com story.

Yao Ming and his former coach share a serious moment in Shanghai

Over the past nine seasons with Houston, Yao has taken on the status of a national icon in China. He almost single-handedly expanded the NBA's reach throughout Asia, spiking merchandise sales and TV ratings for games after the Rockets made him the top overall pick in the 2002 draft.


'I am not denying the reports ... I'm just saying Yao Ming has not announced his retirement,' Zhang Mingji, Yao's agent in China has been quoted saying. "On July 20, we will hold a press conference in Shanghai to discuss the future plans of Yao Ming."