NEW YORK, March 31 -- It is reported that former NBA eight-time All-Star Yao Ming has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The official announcement will be made Monday in Houston where Yao played for the the Houston Rockets for nine years, according to Yahoo Sports on Wednesday.

"Yao Ming was far more than just another talented prospect when the Houston Rockets made him the No.1 pick in the 2002 draft," said an article on NBA.com.

"The 7-6 center from Shanghai was a bridge for the NBA to make inroads into China and was a key player in the globalization of the game."

The star center from China began his career with the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association before becoming the number one overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Yao, 35, averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots a game for the Rockets over his NBA career.

He retired in 2011.