Yao Ming revealed recently that he is partially deaf in his left ear.
Yao Ming feels that it's too soon for him to receive a Hall of Fame nomination as a contributor.
Yao Ming made his retirement official Wednesday at a news conference in Shanghai.
Yao Ming's retirement press conference will be aired on NBATV at 2 a.m. Eastern Time (11 p.m. Pacific) late Tuesday night.
Yao Ming is expected to formally announce his retirement Wednesday in Shanghai.
The Rockets have been given permission to attend Yao Ming's retirement press conference in Shanghai on July 20.
Yao Ming has scheduled a press conference for July 20th in his hometown of Shanghai, where he will officially announce his retirement from the NBA.
Yao Ming has announced his decision to retire from the NBA at the age of 30.
Yao Ming declined to answer questions about his future at a charity appearance Sunday.
Yao Ming conceded that he might have to retire if he can't properly rehab his ankle this summer.
Yao Ming's ankle is reportedly only 30 percent healed, according to the China Daily website.
Yao Ming's rehab is proceeding on schedule, but according to the Houston Chronicle he has "never sounded so unsure about his ability to recover from an injury."
Yao Ming (ankle) received good news from his doctor, who said that "everything looks good" with Yao's recovery from injury.
Impending free agent Yao Ming (ankle, feet) is in doubt for the 2011 FIBA Asian Championships, according to teammate Liu Wei.