Yao's retirement to be media event of the year in China

[djohn2oo8]

Yao set to formally announce his retirement from NBA

Posted Jul 19 2011 7:41AM

SHANGHAI (AP) -- Yao Ming is likely to make it official on Wednesday, announcing what is expected to be his retirement from the NBA and a sport that made him a household name in China.

The 7-foot-6 center for the Houston Rockets played eight seasons in the NBA, but has missed 250 regular-season games over the past six years.

His career, including frequent appearances for the Chinese national team at Olympics and world championships, has included leg and foot injuries.

On Wednesday, a large reception hall at a hotel in the Pudong section of Shanghai - Yao's hometown - has been booked for what will likely be the country's media event of the year.

Hundreds of media have been accredited to attend the restricted event and are expected to arrive hours early to go through security checks. It is expected to be broadcast live in China and in many countries around the world.

Reports have been circulating for nearly two weeks that the 30-year-old star would retire, but the Rockets have not commented due to the NBA lockout and his management refused to confirm the reports. The NBA said it has not received official retirement paperwork from Yao.

Yao's contract expired after last season, and the Rockets said they were interested in re-signing him if he came back healthy. Yao said in April in China that his professional future depended on his recovery from a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Selected to the NBA All-Star team eight times after being the top overall pick in the 2002 draft, Yao averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds. More importantly, his impact expanded the NBA's influence in Asia into lucrative merchandise sales and TV ratings.



Wow, really?
:lmao

[lefty]

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp97/Kentrinspuppet/batmanvillainsdisapprove.gif

[hater]

http://bouncer.nl/pic/1488.gif

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

http://i401.photobucket.com/albums/pp97/Kentrinspuppet/batmanvillainsdisapprove.gif

"...It was a big rock..."

[redzero]

http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/2/215yc2.gif

[Dex]

http://i.imgur.com/qAGv5.gif

[lefty]

http://i.imgur.com/qAGv5.gif
Well



WTF

[DMC]

http://www.gifbin.com/bin/082009/1249895526_bruce_lee_kick.gif

[frodo]

his wife gave birth to a baby girl about the same time last year which was also an event of the year imho, the irony is the baby girl is naturally an american since she was born in the US

[pass1st]

China loves the NBA, y'know.

[TDMVPDPOY]

nobody gives a shit if ur a nobody

[Indazone]

tjP0806a1Qg

:hat

[Indazone]

SHANGHAI (AP) — Yao Ming has made it official Wednesday, telling a packed news conference in his hometown that a series of foot and leg injuries have forced him to retire from basketball.


By Philippe Lopez, AFP/Getty Images
Chinese basketball player and NBA superstar Yao Ming made his retirement official with a press conference in Shanghai.


"I will formally end my career," said Yao, the 7-foot-6 center who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets as the top draft pick in 2002.

Yao played eight seasons in the NBA, but missed 250 regular-season games over the past six years.

"Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future," Yao said in comments translated into English. "I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were an agonizing wait. I had been thinking (about my future) over and over. Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening."

Houston general manager Daryl Morey attended Yao's farewell conference Wednesday, and NBA Commissioner David Stern sent a message via video link. Morey had to get permission from the NBA to be attend because the lockout prohibits contact with players.
"Yao Ming has been a transformational player and a testament to the globalization of our game," Stern said in a statement. "His dominant play and endearing demeanor along with his extensive humanitarian efforts have made him an international fan favorite and provided an extraordinary bridge between basketball fans in the United States and China."
Yao said he will return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He plans to continue his philanthropic work with his Yao Foundation.

Yao entered the conference room at a five-star hotel dressed in a dark suit, after the master of ceremonies led a count down to his arrival.

Yao's wife, Ye Li, and their young daughter, Yao Qinlei, and Yao's parents were in the room. Qinlei was dressed in a red qipao, a traditional Chinese dress. He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the room.

He thanked his family, friends, coaches in China and in Houston and fellow competitors such as Shaquille O'Neal "for making me a better player."

"I will be always with you," Yao said. "Thank you."

Despite news of Yao's pending retirement being out for several weeks, the actual announcement was treated with the pomp that Yao's appearances in China bring. Media were asked to sign up weeks in advance for the conference and show up two hours early to pass through airport-style security checks.

The Grand Shanghai Ballroom was crammed at the back with dozens of television cameras and black-suited security men outnumbered the hundreds of media. China Central Television planned to carry five continuous hours of Yao coverage beginning at 1 p.m. local time, including 90 minutes live from the media conference.

Yao's contract expired after last season, and the Rockets said they were interested in re-signing him if he came back healthy. Yao said in April in China that his professional future depended on his recovery from a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Selected to the NBA All-Star team eight times, Yao averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds. More importantly, his impact expanded the NBA's influence in Asia into lucrative merchandise sales and TV ratings.

After his rookie season, Yao helped the Rockets reach the playoffs in the next two seasons.

Yao played in 77 games in the 2008-09 season, when Houston reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

But Yao broke his left foot in a playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and underwent complex surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2009-10 season. He lasted only five games at the start of the 2010-11 season, before breaking his left ankle. He had surgery in January, and was lost again for the season.

Yao had played six years with the Chinese national team before joining the Rockets, and was already a star in his home country. He carried the Olympic torch through Tiananmen Square and his country's flag during the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He also donated $2 million and set up a foundation to rebuild schools in the wake of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.

Oh well...all joking and trolling aside. Good luck Yao. Was nice while it lasted. Frustrating at times but the ride was fun. Won't miss the rollercoaster though.

[Indazone]

Year of the Yao for those who have never seen the movie.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7oiq7_the-year-of-the-yao-1-www-desipad-c_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7oiwr_the-year-of-the-yao-2-www-desipad-c_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7oj3m_the-year-of-the-yao-3-www-desipad-c_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7oj6a_the-year-of-the-yao-4-www-desipad-c_sport

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7oj9c_the-year-of-the-yao-5-www-desipad-c_sport

I'll still never forget that moment when Charles Barkley had to kiss Kenny's Smith's Ass.

"Sometimes when you win you lose", Kenny Smith

[cheguevara]

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/7094/4aba1def070ee360x272.gif

[Pelicans78]

Slap in the face to Houston and the Rockets. The team paid him well for alot of years and he screwed it up by playing too much for his country. He should give the Chinese the middle finger and thank the Rockets because he owes them for stealing their money.

[Halberto]

Slap in the face to Houston and the Rockets. The team paid him well for alot of years and he screwed it up by playing too much for his country. He should give the Chinese the middle finger and thank the Rockets because he owes them for stealing their money.

:rolleyes

[frodo]

Slap in the face to Houston and the Rockets. The team paid him well for alot of years and he screwed it up by playing too much for his country. He should give the Chinese the middle finger and thank the Rockets because he owes them for stealing their money.

yeah but that would be the last thing a chink wants to do imho, dem yellows be obsequious as fuck they ain't daring to do shit against the commies ######s otherwise there wouldn't be such a government bullying around in the UN committee