Ground-breaking former Rockets center Yao Ming has been elected for inductions in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, a person with knowledge of the voting confirmed on Wednesday.
Yao, the first player taken in the 2002 draft who became a bridge to the NBA's successful outreach into China, was an All-NBA second-team selection twice and third-team pick three times before foot injuries cut his career short after playing parts of just eight NBA seasons.
One of the world's most popular athletes, Yao, 35, was nominated by the Hall of Fame International Committee, automatically making him a finalist.