Yahoo! Sports' report that Yao Ming is retiring left Chinese basketball fans in disbelief.
Thousands of fans flooded online forums on Saturday reacting to the news. One wrote: "He's China's top athlete...it's a pity to lose such a sports icon."
Other fans such as Liu Kan, a 28-year-old security guard in central Beijing, said Chinese fans should thank Yao for bringing a sense of pride to Chinese sports.
China's most popular online portals, sina.com and sohu.com, headlined the news of Yao's possible retirement prominently on their homepages.
The 7-foot-6 Yao, who turns 31 in September, has been plagued by leg and foot injuries with the Houston Rockets. He missed 250 regular-season games over the past six seasons.