With a short statement, China's tallest superstar Wednesday made it official that he has quit playing basketball, after weeks of intense media speculation on his future."I will end my athletic career and formally retire from the game of basketball," Yao Ming, who turns 31 in September, told a packed press conference in his hometown.
The Shanghai native, who stands at 7 feet and 6 inches (2.29 meters), blamed persistent injuries for cutting short his decorated career on the court.
"At the end of last year, I once again had a stress fracture in my left foot and had to sit out of basketball," he said. "Since then, like many friends who cared about me, I waited and hoped that I could return."
The nicknamed "Little Giant" was signed by the Houston Rockets in 2002 as the top overall pick of the National Basketball Association in North America.
