YAO MING, the first man to become the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft without playing in college, was honored Friday night as the Houston Rockets retired his No. 11 jersey.

    Yao, 36, played seven NBA seasons before missing the 2009-10 season with a foot injury. He played just five games in 2010-11 because of an ankle injury.

    The center was named to the All-NBA second team twice and third team three times, and in 2005 he broke Michael Jordan’s record for All-Star votes with 2,558,278.

    “I didn’t know what to expect,” Yao said of when he was drafted in 2002 out of Shanghai, China. “I just wanted to play basketball, the NBA way, against the best players in the world. I just wanted to be deserved to play on this court.”

    Yao’s news conference Friday was attended by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander and numerous international media members.

    The Rockets held an extended halftime ceremony during their game against the Bulls. Former teammates, including Tracy McGrady, Dikembe Mutombo and Shane Battier, were in attendance, as were legendary Rockets players such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Calvin Murphy.

    The Rockets have now retired six jersey numbers in franchise history. Yao joins Drexler, Moses Malone, Murphy, Olajuwon and Rudy Tomjanovich. Former Rockets GM Carroll Dawson is honored with a banner of his initials inside the Toyota Center.

    After he was the first overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft, Yao excelled on and off the court. He became nearly an instant sensation, helping the NBA become a global brand in China. When Yao played he propelled the Rockets to become the No. 1 team among fans in China.

    Yao was an eight-time All-Star who averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 52.4 percent from the field.

    (SD-Agencies)