Yao Ming hopes retired jersey will remind people of his NBA story

The Houston Rockets will raise Yao Ming's No. 11 to the rafters on Friday night, and the recent Hall of Fame inductee still hasn't wrapped his head around what that might feel like.

"I haven't thought about that yet," he told reporters at Toyota Center, where the Rockets will honor him at halftime of their game against the Chicago Bulls.

"I remember the first time I watched an NBA game," he said, after a moment's consideration. "I randomly see the cameras give a shot on those retired jerseys. After I read a story I know that's the highest honor a player can reach, for themselves and the accomplishment (of) the team."

Yao would go on to play eight NBA seasons - all with the Rockets - and be voted into the All-Star Game in each one. The Rockets had four 50-plus-win seasons and just one losing season during his tenure. Though injuries derailed his career, he ranks second in franchise history in blocks, sixth in rebounds, seventh in points, and fourth in PER.

He left a huge mark not only on the franchise or the NBA but on the game of basketball, and he stands as an enduring symbol of its global reach. His journey is the kind he might've dreamed up while watching that first NBA game all those years ago.

"From that day, I think, I always asked myself, 'What is the story behind it?'" he said. "And I hope the people who see (my) jersey there can remember the story. The story not only about myself, but also my teammates, my opponents. We created the story together."