Chinese web users were in mourning on Saturday over the reported retirement of NBA superstar Yao Ming but expressed sympathy for the basketball icon, state media said.
In a survey on web portal Sina.com, some 22,000 web users said the 2.29-metre basketball star's retirement "would be the end of an era", the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Of 125,000 respondents, 37.6 percent said it was "sad" and Yao "should have achieved more", while 25.1 percent were "calm" because they had "seen this coming".
The Houston Chronicle reported Saturday that 30-year-old Yao had told the Houston Rockets a month ago he would not be coming back after eight seasons in the NBA, the last two of which have been dogged by injuries.
Yao's agent in China meanwhile told reporters that his man would make an announcement in his home city of Shanghai on July 20, fuelling speculation this would bring formal news of his retirement.
"He created an NBA era, an era belonging to China," Xinhua quoted web user Boshilicai as saying. "Thank you Yao Ming."
"I respect Yao's decision. I hope the injury-plagued big guy would not feel regretful," another netizen, Yuzhe, was quoted as saying.
Yao's former coach in Shanghai, Li Qiuping, said: "We all hope he can play for a bit longer. It should have been his prime time at present.
"His injuries force him to face the reality. If he has decided to retire now, I totally understand and there are so many things Yao can do after retirement, such as training teen players," Li added, according to Xinhua.
While Yao was not the first Chinese player in the NBA, his engaging personality made him a favourite for sponsors seeking a way to attract interest in the hugely profitable China market and for NBA fans across Asia.
He made his debut for the Rockets in 2002 after a stellar career for the Chinese national team and the Shanghai Sharks.
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