New York, Apr 1 (IANS): It is reported that former NBA star Yao Ming has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The official announcement will be made on Monday in Houston where the Chinese star played for the Houston Rockets for nine years, according to Yahoo Sports, reports Xinhua.

"Yao Ming was far more than just another talented prospect when the Houston Rockets made him the No.1 pick in the 2002 draft," said an article on NBA.com.

"The 7'6 center from Shanghai was a bridge for the NBA to make inroads into China and was a key player in the globalisation of the game."

Yao, who made it to the NBA All-Star team eight times in his career, began his career with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association before becoming the number one 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.