Houston Rockets center and basketball icon Yao Ming was an eight-time NBA All-Star. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Yahoo! Sports recently reported that Houston Rockets center and international basketball star Yao Ming is retiring from the NBA.

Given Yao’s history of foot problems (he’s only played more than 60 games once since 2005-06) it’s not shocking that the 30-year-old, 7-foot-6 Chinese legend is calling it quits. He missed the entire 2009-10 season recovering from surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot and played just five games in 2010-11 after suffering a stress fracture in his ankle.

With Yao being the prideful man that he is, not being able to compete at the highest level is not something he would like to explore.

Yao was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2002 NBA draft and was voted to the All-Star game in each of his eight seasons in the Association. He scored 9,247 points in only 486 games. He averaged 19 points per game, and shot 52% from the field and 83% from the free throw line, a rare feat for 7-foot centers. But Yao’s contributions to the sport can’t be measured by statistics. He was a global icon who helped the NBA brand break new ground in Asia. Yao may not have won an NBA title, but he left a huge impression the NBA that will last forever.

OneManFastBreak.net examines Yao’s five greatest moments:

5. AND THE NO. 1 OVERALL SELECTION IN THE 2002 NBA DRAFT . . .

Yao became the first Chinese-born player to be selected the top pick in the NBA draft, an honor that was both a blessing and a curse. Being chosen No. 1 turned Yao into an overnight sensation and shed light in a growing basketball market in Asia. However, being chosen No. 1 also had its drawbacks. Yao never fulfilled his full potential because, first of all, the hype that surrounded him was ridiculously unattainable and, secondly, injuries cut short many of his seasons.

4. YAO VS. SHAQ: THE GREAT WALL MEETS THE BIG ARISTOTLE

When the Houston Rockets met the Los Angeles Lakers during a regular-season game in the 2002-03 season, the game took a back seat to the titanic matchup between the two starting centers for each team. It was the first time Shaquille O’Neal met someone bigger than him, and it was the first time Yao Ming met someone who could overwhelm him. Prior to the game, Shaq poked fun at Yao with his infamous Shaq-talk-Chinese soundbite. O’Neal later apologized for the insensitive comment, and Yao accepted. It was the first of many meetings between the two giants, evoking memories of legendary center matchups such as Russell vs. Wilt, Kareem vs. Moses, and Ewing vs. Olajuwon.

3. ‘WILLIS REED’ MOMENT AGAINST THE LAKERS IN 2009 NBA PLAYOFFS

After colliding knees with Kobe Bryant with five minutes remaining in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal game in L.A., Yao went down and appeared to be done after being helped off the court by Houston trainers. But Yao stopped halfway to the training room and, against his trainer’s advice, decided against getting his knee examined. He knew the importance of the moment and he wasn’t about to let another injury check him out. He began stretching his knee in the tunnel by squatting and pushing himself against the wall. He would returned to the game and made a crucial 19-foot jump shot and knocked down six free throws in the final three minutes to lead the Rockets to a huge upset. Yao would play in games 2 and 3, but a hairline fracture in his left foot forced him out of the series. The Rockets eventually lost to the Lakers in seven, grueling games.

2. EIGHT-TIME ALL-STAR AND STILL GETTING VOTES . . .

Whether he deserved it or not, Yao was voted into the All-Star game eight times so for nearly a decade he was the starting center for the West. It showed the power of Yao’s popularity, but it also cast a huge dark cloud over the entire voting process. The worst came in the 2010-11 season when Yao played in just five games and was lost for the season. But that didn’t stop fans from punching his ticket to start the All-Star game in Los Angeles. And if Yao’s name will be on the ballot for the 2011-12 season, it wouldn’t be a shocker if fans voted for him again to start the All-Star game. He’s that popular!

1. LEADING CHINA IN THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS

Coming off yet another injury, Yao vowed he would play for his national team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In fact, Yao said he would have been absolutely devastated if he didn’t get an opportunity to represent his country while it hosted the Olympic Games. Yao worked tireless to rehab his body, and his hard work paid off when he proudly carried China’s flag during the opening ceremonies. China took on the United States led by Kobe, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – also known as the Redeem Team – to kick off pool competition. Yao scored the game’s first points when he buried a 3-point shot from near the top of the arc. However, that would be the lone bright spot for China as Team USA flexed its muscles and won by 31 points. Despite the blowout, the game was a TV ratings bonanza and the popularity of the sport was at an all-time high (post Michael Jordan).  Yao will never be considered one of the greatest centers to play the game because his career will have a big INC next to his name. However, when you factor in his impact from a global perspective, it’s hard to find anyone who transcended the sport better than Yao Ming.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter at: twitter.com/onemanfastbreak. (Photos courtesy of The Associated Press and NBC Sports)

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According to TNT's David Aldridge, Rockets center Yao Ming is expected to play this season. (EPA)

Yao Ming was recently quoted of saying he will seriously consider retirement if he doesn’t recover from his latest foot injury.

“If the foot injury does not heal next season, I might choose to call it quits,” Yao reportedly said.

Yao, who turns 30 in December, was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA back in 2002 by the Houston Rockets and although it took him a while to become a force in the league, he is now considered one of the top five centers in the world.

He missed all 82 games last season for the Rockets and has not played more than 77 games in a season since 2005-06. He played 77 games in 2008-09, 55 in 2007-08, 48 in 2006-07 and 57 in 2005-06. His 7-foot-6, 310-pound frame may be getting too taxing for his feet, but the Rockets are not ready to give up on their franchise center.

TNT’s David Aldridge doesn’t believe the six-time NBA All-Star is ready to retire, citing that Yao’s latest comments were somewhat taken out of context. “He was responding to a hypothetical question,” Aldridge recently said on NBATV’s “Game Time.”

“Everything that I’ve told from Houston is that rehab is on schedule, he’s gonna play next season, they are not going to push him at the start of training camp, even though he could probably be cleared for training camp, they want to make sure he’s healthy in March not September or October,” Aldridge reported. “They’re going to take it very easy with Yao for the first month or two of the season, he’s going to be on a minutes limit, but [the Rockets] feel like he’s going to be ready to play next season.”

Aldridge noted there have been no setbacks and, so far, there is no issue with his foot.

“It’s coming along. It’s better than what it was,” Aldridge said. “He’s doing the rehab work, he hasn’t missed the rehab work and he’s on schedule to play next year.”

If Yao returns this season, the Rockets could be a playoff contender. He’ll be surrounded with a strong supporting cast led by point guard Aaron Brooks, shooting guard Kevin Martin, small forward Trevor Ariza and power forward Luis Scola, who recently signed a contract extension.

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After helping the Los Angeles Lakers win an NBA title in June, Trevor Ariza reportedly signed a five-year, $33 million deal with Houston.

Trevor Ariza disclosed on Monday that the Lakers never made a serious effort to re-sign him and owner Jerry Buss had his sights set on Ron Artest when the free agency period began.

“From my understanding, they told me that my work was like the mid-level or whatever, and to go find an offer and they’ll match it. The next day, I heard Artest had dinner with Buss and came to an agreement,” Ariza told Los Angeles radio station KLAC-570.

Artest reportedly signed a three-year contract worth $18 million, which amounts to $6 million per season. Final terms of the deal could not be finalized until next season’s salary cap is announced.

Just hours after the Artest signing, Ariza agreed to terms with the Houston Rockets for a reported five-year, $33 million deal, which amounts to a little more than $6 million a season. In short, the Lakers replaced the underrated Ariza with the more established Artest.

“It is what it is. I thank the Lakers for giving an opportunity to play for a championship,” Ariza said. “Things happen and it’s all part of business. I really don’t think I did anything wrong in this situation. They signed Ron Artest, and there’s not much I could do.”

Ariza, who turned 24 years old on June 30, admitted he never wanted to leave Los Angeles and his desire all along was to play for the Lakers. However, the Lakers had other plans.

“I mean, what kid from L.A. would want to leave L.A.?” asked the former Westchester High School and UCLA standout. “The business side is not always the pleasant side. You’re not always gonna like what you hear.”

During the regular season, Ariza averaged 8.9 points per game, 4.3 rebounds and was among the league leaders in steals (1.7). The 6-foot-8 small forward also converted a career-best 61 3-pointers. In his previous four seasons, he made just nine 3-pointers.

His stock soared during the playoffs, becoming a critical cog to the Lakers’ machine that delivered L.A. its 10th NBA championship and the 15th trophy for the franchise. His defense and timely outside shooting were key factors in the Lakers eliminating Utah, Houston and Denver in the Western Conference playoffs and zooming past Orlando in the NBA Finals.

After the championship parade where nearly 90,000 Laker fans at the L.A. Coliseum begged Ariza to stay, Ariza and his agent David Lee were led to believe the team was working on a long-term deal that would keep Ariza in a Lakers uniform. But contract talks never got off the starting blocks and Lee was heavily criticized for trying to “bluff” his way to getting more money for his client. When Ariza agreed to the $33-million deal offered by the Rockets, the prevailing thought was he chose money over winning.

Ariza claimed that was not the case at all.

“There wasn’t any negotiations. There was no, ‘We’re willing to give you this,’ ” Ariza explained.

“Me, I’m a competitor. I always want to win in anything. I love to win and I’m gonna do everything I can to win,” he said. “I had to do what’s best for me. At the end of the day, it’s a business.”

Ariza was not the only one who was taken by surprise. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said last week that he was not given an “either/or” when it came down to deciding between Artest and Ariza.

“I knew we had Ron on our wish list for, what, three years now? And we needed a lockdown defender besides Kobe Bryant that would take on the chores,” Jackson said. “Trevor turned out to be that guy this year. So I was quite surprised, as was most of our fans, that negotiations did not go well with Trevor and his people. We think that we have a player that has probably a little more dimension to Trevor, but still Trevor has that youth and that speed that we’ll miss.”

Despite being hugely disappointed he won’t get a chance to play for his hometown team, Ariza says he does not have any ill feelings toward the franchise or the teammates he left behind.

“Of course there’s not gonna be any hard feelings. Everybody wished me the best of luck and they said they were always going to be there for me, and that gave me a good feeling,” Ariza said. “What’s done is done and you move on.”

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Tracy McGrady's knees have been so problematic he was forced to sit out the playoffs.

The Houston Rockets finally figured out a way to get out of the first round – don’t play Tracy McGrady. The harsh reality of the situation is McGrady was holding back the Rockets and probably the best thing that could have happened was T-Mac getting hurt and sitting out the NBA playoffs.

For whatever reason, McGrady has never been able to get his teams past the first round. But the moment he puts on a suit and posts a DNP on the box score, the Rockets find themselves in the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 1997. Coincidence? Not likely.

For all his wonderful individual accomplishments, T-Mac is a reluctant superstar. He just does not have a closer’s mentality. He would rather pass up a shot than take it himself. When things get rough and tough, McGrady grows soft, which does not translate well to his teammates who are all looking to their All-Star guard to deliver daggers instead of wet pampers.

He is also prone to injury, logging more minutes on the trainer’s table than on the court, which makes him more of a She-Mac than a T-Mac in the eyes of most observers. Perception sometimes becomes reality, and T-Mac has never been able to shed his cream puff image. Like a nasty computer virus, T-Mac’s sagging attitude has infected the rest of the team, particularly center Yao Ming. Yao’s confidence comes and goes, and some blame T-Mac for bringing down his 7-foot-6 center.

The Rockets may not be a better team talent-wise without McGrady, but they are certainly playing better without their much-maligned superstar and have a better shot in the second round with the tandem of Yao Ming and Ron Artest leading the way.

Sure, Artest tends pound the ball too much and take ill-advised shots, but what Artest brings to the table is a certain swagger and toughness the Rockets have been lacking in more than 10 years.

And Yao seems to truly enjoy playing with his new BFF.

At the postgame press conference following the victory in Game 6 against Portland, Yao and Artest were laughing and joking with reporters. Artest was in such a great mood he went into the stands. (No! Not again, right?)  This time, Artest exchanged celebratory handshakes with the fans.

“It’s not the first time I’ve been in the stands,” Artest joked. “This guy offered me a (drink), so I went in there and sat down with him.” Then, when Artest stood up and left the podium, Yao spoke into the microphone and told Artest, “I’ll see you in the club.”

How times have changed in Houston. The dark cloud that had been hovering over the franchise for years is finally lifted, and Yao and Artest are smiling from ear to ear and are going clubbing.

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