The year of 2011 is remarkable for Chinese basketball as the past 12 months witnessed not only the retirement of superstar Yao Ming, but also the continuous development of the sport in China since the flag-bearer stepped out.
The date of July 20, 2011 has been inked in the history book of the Chinese basketball as the Houston Rockets center Yao Ming announced his retirement from professional career in his hometown of Shanghai.
Five days later, the Chinese pivot announced retirement from the national team in Beijing, concluding his playing career at the age of 30 years and 10 months old.
The news hit headlines of most Chinese media and fans all over the world sent their wishes to Yao on the website.
The national team retired Yao's jersey, the first time for a Chinese basketball player to receive such honor.
Yao is quite a rare example of a successful Chinese athlete without spectacular title or medal achievements. He led China to the quarterfinals twice at the Olympic Games (2004 and 2008) and finished 12th at the World Championships in 2002. His best mark in the NBA was a second-round finish in the playoffs in 2008-2009 season.
Although Yao had never won an Olympic medal or the championship of the National Basketball Association (NBA), praises and compliments were still piled up for him on his retirement as Yao's success is beyond the basketball court.
Yao was known by the world when he was selected as the No.1 pick by the Rockets in 2002, and was loved as a new idol by fans around the world for his diligence, determination and passion in basketball.
As a basketball icon, Yao led Chinese basketball to the center stage of the sports field, making basketball one of the most watched and popular sports in China.
However, when some were still regretting for Yao's decision to retire, his former national teammates had already satisfied the fans desire.
Two months after Yao left, China's men's and women's basketball teams both qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The Chinese girls beat South Korea 65-62 to win the title of the Asian Women's Basketball Championships in Japan on Aug. 28 to clinch the only automatically qualification berth for the finals in London.
The men's team survived a 70-69 final against Jordan to reclaim the continental title for the first time in six years in Wuhan on Sept. 25, also notching the ticket to London.
The domestic league of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) raised its curtain for the 16th season in November and hit a series of records of audiences, TV viewers and sponsors.
An unofficial release from Infront Ltd., CBA's promoting company, showed the TV viewers of 86 matches of the past 11 rounds had surpassed the whole number of last season. The CBA said audiences rate rose from 75 percent last season to the current 85.
Yao's stepping out has not hindered the development of the game in China. Instead, China's basketball is moving forward for a brighter future.