Humble Yao says Rockets retiring his jersey too soon

Although his career was cut short by foot injuries, Yao Ming was a dominant figure on the court, and an icon to billions in his homeland of China.

Yao was accordingly inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September, and the only NBA franchise he knew in the Houston Rockets are looking to follow suit by retiring Yao's jersey on Feb. 2.

The humble 7-foot-6 center, however, thinks it's a little too soon for his name to join the likes of Hakeem Olajuwan, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Clyde Drexler in the rafters.

"Jersey retired?" Yao said Sunday before an exhibition game between the Rockets and Yao's Shanghai Sharks. "It just happened too soon. It's something I couldn't have dreamed of. I appreciate everything Houston did for me, the opportunity to come over here and play.

"I said it before, but so many nights when I walked through that court or played on that court, I looked up to those jerseys and thought, 'Those jerseys are the spirit of the team of Houston,'" Yao said.

"Those jerseys are honored, and those jerseys are motivation ... I would be honored to continue."

Yao joined the Rockets as the first overall pick in 2002. He went on to rack up eight all-star nods, five All-NBA team honors, and finished his career with averages of 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks.