Yao Ming retired from professional basketball in July 2011 due to chronic injuries, particularly to his foot and ankle, which severely limited his playing career
. Despite his early retirement at age 30, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, and his Houston Rockets jersey number 11 was retired in 2017
. After retiring as a player, Yao became heavily involved in Chinese basketball administration. He served as president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) from 2017 until his resignation in 2024, stepping down due to personal reasons and the national team's poor performances
. His tenure included efforts to commercialize and reform the league, which faced challenges such as corruption allegations and management issues
. Yao's playing career was marked by immense talent but also by the heavy physical and mental burden of representing China on the international stage year-round, which contributed to his injuries and early retirement
. Since stepping down from the CBA presidency, Yao has remained a prominent figure in basketball and Chinese sports culture. In summary, Yao Ming retired from playing in 2011 due to injuries, had a distinguished Hall of Fame career, then led the Chinese Basketball Association for seven years before resigning in 2024
