Rockets to retire Yao Ming's No. 11 on Feb. 3
No. 11 is going up in the rafters at Toyota Center.
The Houston Rockets are set to honor Yao Ming by retiring his jersey during halftime against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 3.
The team previously announced it would have the ceremony on Feb. 2, but had to move it as a result of TV obligations. At the time, the humble 36-year-old said he was honored, but it was happening "too soon."
In September, Yao was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. In his speech, the Shanghai native declared: "I'm a Texan, and a Houston Rocket for life."
The 7-foot-6 center averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 assisted over eight seasons in Houston. He dominated while he was on the court, but unfortunately injuries cut his career short.
The former first overall pick will be the sixth player to have his number retired by the Rockets, joining Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone, Calvin Murphy, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Rudy Tomjanovich.