Chinese laud Yao

Fans pay respect to landmark figure who looks set to retire

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.

Plagued by a series of foot injuries, the Houston Rockets' all-star center appeared on court only five times over the past two seasons and was reported by multiple sources to have retired from the game on Saturday.