Editor's note: Since the Chinese sports icon Yao Ming officially announced his retirement on July 20, the Internet has been inundated by fans' comments, mostly paying tributes to the man who single-handedly raised NBA's - and basketball's - profile to a whole new level in the world's most populous nation. He is also lauded as a cultural bridge between China and the United States. We have selected some of the comments from Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, and let's see what they have to say about Yao Ming. 

@Liguangdou

The man of greatest investment vision in China's sports world Li Ning just transforms his image into a brand, while Yao Ming was investing into the building of his business empire. In the last nine years, Yao Ming has at least accumulated two billion yuan ($309.9 million). The music website he invests into, top100.cn, is planning to be listed. Yao has also taken over Sunflower Hotel (Tongzhou, Beijing), California Fitness Yao Ming Club and Shanghai Men's Basketball Team. At present, Yao's investments extend across website, restaurant, real-estate,stock market, hotel and other fields .

@Lezhuhui:

Yao Ming promises to commit himself to public welfare cause, as he always do, and to utilize his fund as a foundation, inviting more people to participate in charitable undertakings. Sports career has an end but charity will last forever. We hope that Yao Ming has a bright future, and that China's public welfare will welcome its spring with the efforts of thousands of people like Yao Ming.

@virgozy:

Will CCTV (China Central Television) continue to relay the NBA games after Yao Ming's retirement? Yao Ming is very tough. He is also a smart guy with high IQ and EQ. It is not easy to play basketball abroad, and even harder to do it well and profit large sums without doing or saying anything that would hurt the nerves of all the cynics at home.

@fly's caicai:

Yao Ming, I have so much memory of youth about him. I am not a basketball fan, but a fan of Yao. I have seen his every game since 2003, when I went to college. NBA, World Championship, Olympics...even after I began to work, I would read live reports about them on the website, keeping an eye on the results. I have so many important moments accompanied with his news, and his retirement also seems to draw an end to my immature days. Farewell, Big Yao; Farewell, my youth.

@Tan-teng:

When I was a student, every time there is a Rocket game, all the boys who loves basketball would rush to the TV set in the canteen to watch the game as soon as the class finished. Even in class, some would read live reports through cellphones. Rather than the Rockets or NBA, what we were really watching was our hero!It was for him that we watched the games. It was for him that we remembered the names of all the basketball teams. And It was for him that we knew Kobe and James...If there is no Yao Ming, we would only watch the NBA final!

@Sser_yangzai-_-:

No one can escape the destiny of growing old. An age is sure to pass. Audience always has new favorites, and they may have their new idol, but the feelings for the old days can never be replaced. For Yao Ming, the best days are as short as a couple of years. For the basketball fans, their stars only live in that generation, and the most passionate days of watching games are just those several years. We had youth, but once it passed, it would never come back.

@Muhoushuangyan:

I like his announcement of retirement. He showed the emotions and elegance and his eyes were filled with love. I like the way men look after their kids.

@Yaohongsheng:

Excellent player as Yao Ming was, he has to take cultural courses to catch up. So it's obvious to see the defects of the system in which players are selected to be coaches. It is just like marriages in proximity, which has a bad influence on the offspring.

@Mingmingdidiao:

I don't know whether I should cheer or bewail for your better business sense and intelligence. I think you may create more value for the society and the country after retirement, but for the most part, for yourself. Correspondingly, the pure persistence held by an athlete will die away. The endeavor and the honor will not belong to the whole China. That's what saddens me the most.

@Dazuihanqiaosheng

I was watching an interview of Yao Ming: In 2004, Yao's chief coach said something that has a great influence on his mind, "You may not know what fast time flies, and you may never know whether you can put on the basketball outfit, and appear with this number on the court tomorrow." This can also be a motto of our life. Yao is really wise, humorous, modest, pure and mature.