Chinese basketball legend and former NBA All-Star center Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yao, who stand 7-foot-6 tall, began his professional career with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He was the 2002 NBA No. 1 overall pick and has been credited for bringing the most popular basketball league in the world to China.

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He was the NBA's first Chinese superstar, and television ratings and NBA merchandise sales have significantly increased in China during his career. In 2007, more than 200 million Chinese nationals watched Rockets played against Milwaukee Bucks, who featured the young Yi Jianlian then.

The game was broadcasted on 19 networks in China, making it one of the most-watched NBA match in history.

Yao, 35, is an eight-time All-Star and was named as part of the All-NBA second team twice (2007 and 2009). Yao is also a three-time member of the All-NBA third team (2004, 2006 and 2008) and was named to the All-Rookie first team in 2003.

He is one of China's best known athletes. Yao was a dominant force in the CBA, reigning for three seasons as the league's rebound and blocked shots leader (2000, 2001 and 2002) and won the Most Valuable Player of the Year award in 2002.

Yao has three Olympic Games appearances with the Chinese Men's National Basketball Team and was a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP (2001, 2003 and 2005)

Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball due a series of foot and ankle injuries in July 2011. At the time of his final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA.

The announcement of Yao's induction into the Hall of Fame is expected to come at the NCAA Final Four in Houston this weekend. 

TagsYao Ming, NBA, cba, Shanghai Sharks, houston rockets, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of fame, NBA All-Star, FIBA