New York, Mar 31 (IANS): Former NBA eight-time All-Star Yao Ming has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
The official announcement will be made on Monday in Houston where Yao played for the the Houston Rockets for nine years, reports Xinhua news agency.
"Yao Ming was far more than just another talented prospect when the Houston Rockets made him the No.1 pick in the 2002 draft. The centre from Shanghai was a bridge for the NBA to make inroads into China and was a key player in the globalisation of the game," said an article on NBA.com on Wednesday.
The star centre from China began his career with Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association before becoming the No.1 overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft.
Yao, 35, averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots a game for the Rockets over his NBA career. He retired in 2011.