Despite his injuries, Yao Ming averaged 19 points and nine rebounds, leading the Rockets to four post-season playoff appearances. He made the NBA's All-Star team eight times.

In a video message played at the press conference, NBA Commissioner David Stern called Yao Ming a "transformational player", adding that he was a testament to the globalization of the game of basketball.

Yao Ming's success not only made him an international superstar, but helped expand the NBA's fan base into China and other parts of Asia.

Brook Larmer, author of Operation Yao Ming: The Chinese Sports Empire, American Big Business and the Making of an NBA Superstar“ says the Chinese basketball star was not only a bridge for sports between the U.S. and China but also for business and diplomacy.

“It's a slightly bittersweet end to really an amazing journey and I think we have to remember how unusual this was when it happened [when Yao Ming made it into the NBA]", said Larmer. "Yao Ming was born right at the beginning of China's great expansion in 1980. Really his rise parallels China own rise in the world and certainly from the beginning he was seen as more than just a basketball player.”
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