Houston Rockets planned to retire Yao Ming’s No. 11 jersey in February. The ceremony is scheduled to take place during halftime in the game against Chicago Bulls at Toyota Center on Feb. 3, 2017.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, Dec. 28 as reported by CBS Houston. Yao No.11 jersey will be the sixth jersey to be raised in the rafters at the Toyota Center following the No. 22’s Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone (#24), Calvin Murphy (#23), Hakeem Olajuwon (#34), and Rudy Tomjanovich (#45).
Initially, the ceremony will be held a day before on Feb. 2 in the game against Atlanta Hawks. But due to "network television obligations" as reported by USA Today, the ceremony is pushed back a day later.
The 7’6” player was inducted into the Hall of Fame last September. During his tenure in the Houston Rockets he avaraged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. He played for the Rockets from 2002 to 2011 as a starting center.
He announced his retirement from the NBA on July 20, 2011 citing his recurring ankle and foot injury. He is now the president of the Shanghai Sharks, his team before joining the NBA. Shanghai Sharks is one of the team competing in the Chinese Basketball Association.
In his eight seasons with Houston Rockets, Yao has been delivering a great game of basketball and he showed a remarkable play. In his first encounter with Shaquille O'Neal on Jan. 17, 2003, he blocked O’Neal twice and match the athleticism of the then Lakers center. O’Neal admitted that later he was sorry for underestimate Yao.
Unfortunately, his career was plagued with injury entering his fourth season. He suffered broken bone and ankle injury which made him being sidelined for months. However, in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game ballot he received the most vote from fans and become the first time for player from outside United States won the highest vote in the NBA All-Star.
Watch the Top 10 plays of Yao’s NBA career from the NBA below:
