Former NBA star Yao Ming is urging society to let sport return to its original function of bringing joy to children.
Basketball has suffered a big loss: Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 center and 8-time NBA All-Star is reportedly retiring due to career-ending injuries.
BEIJING - Although iconic center Yao Ming's possible retirement is yet to be officially announced, Chinese hoops celebrities and fans have already begun to recall the giant's outstanding career - along with some of his fellow NBA players.
Yao Ming told media Saturday that the Chinese giant star would hold a news conference on July 20 about his "personal future development plan".
Chinese basketball fans reacted with disbelief and sadness over reports of Yao Ming's sudden retirement from basketball.
Yao Team is planning to announce Yao's retirement soon, a source told Xinhua. The veteran Rockets center is to hold news conference on July 20 about his "personal future development plan". 
Fans shocked
China's NBA star Yao Ming of Huston Rockets (L), global ambassador of the Special Olympics, plays man-for-man offence and defense with former teammate Dikembe Mutombo.
Yao Ming and Zhang Ziyi, Special Olympic Global Ambassadors, will travel to Athens to cheer the Chinese athletes and to promote for the upcoming 13th World Special Olympic Summer Games, running from June 25 to July 4 in Athens.
JIUQUAN, Gansu province - Although recovering from his left ankle injury, Yao Ming is not overly "optimistic" about his pro basketball career.
Sanandaj is a member of the baseball team of Hainan No. 1 Minzu Senior Middle School in the Hainan Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Northwest China's Qinghai province. Since the establishment of the team in 2006, the baseball side from the Tibetan Plateau has shown a strong performance in national junior tournaments, which drew the attention of MLB (Major League Baseball) China.
Star basketballer Yao Ming has filed a lawsuit against a local sportswear producer for name and portrait infringements, the Yao Team announced here on Thursday.
BMW, one of the top auto brands in China, got a little help from Chinese basketball star Yao Ming to launch an electric concept car.
Chinese basketball star Yao joins other successful youths including Yang Yang, Chinese Olympic champion-turned-IOC member, and Ma Yanli, Chinese supermodel-turned-fashion designer, in a "round table meeting for youth leaders."
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