姚明正式入选NBA名人堂

 The retired¹ 7-foot-6 centre, who spent his entire 9-year NBA career with the Houston Rockets, has once again become the topic of discussion in the sports world.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame said Yao Ming had changed the face of global basketball as a respected player and ambassador of the game.

Yao is currently in Shanghai and couldn't attend the official announcement in Houston, the US. Hearing that he was on the candidate list for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Yao said he was surprised and honoured.

"First of all, I was very surprised, of course, just like everyone else. And I feel very honoured that I can be part of the list. And I also know who is also on the list, O'Neil, A.I. and other great guys from basketball history. That's why I feel really honoured that I can be here. "

姚明正式入选NBA名人堂

Also headlining the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class are NBA greats Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson.

O'Neal has spoken about his first impressions of Yao Ming and congratulated him and China for his nomination².

"The first time I met him, he blocked my shots seven times and I didn't know who he was. He was the first guy who turned around and looked at me in the eyes and he would jump in my face. Well, Yao, I wanna say congratulations to you, congratulations to China. You definitely deserve it. You are a great player, a great ambassador to the game, a great friend. Nihao, and congratulations brother."

Ming, the No. 1 overall pick in 2002 of the Houston Rockets, is recognized as much for opening the door to international stars as his statistics.

Ming's career ended early because of foot injuries but he averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds³ and 1.9 blocks per game in eight seasons in the NBA but played only five games combined in his final two seasons.

Yao led his hometown Shanghai Sharks to a Championship of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002 and as the anchor of the Chinese National Team, Yao was named a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP.

Yao's former coach Jeff Van Gundy also speaks highly of him as a basketball player.

"I'm so happy that Yao Ming is getting a just honour and being inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is the first class player who had a career cut-short back injury. But he was the most outstanding player you could ever hope to coach, a great leader, a great teammate—he had every single intangible that you needed on a team. So for Yao to get inducted like this and people to recognise his greatness, it's a great thing for Yao and a great thing for the Houston Rockets."

The induction⁴ ceremony will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 9, 2016.

Longtime Chicago Bulls owner and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf will also be enshrined. He is identified for elevating the Bulls into consistent winners during the pairing of Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. The Bulls won six NBA championships in the 1990s.

Since 1959, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has inducted 361 Coaches, Players, Referees⁵, Contributors, and Teams.

As the highest honor in Basketball, entrance into the Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding contributions to the sport.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

3 rebounds   

反弹球( rebound的名词复数 )； 回弹球； 抢断篮板球； 复兴

参考例句：

• V is the velocity after the gas particle rebounds from the wall. V是粒子从壁上弹开后的速度。
• In the former case, the first body rebounds with practically its original velocity. 在前一种情况下，第一个物体实际上以原来的速度弹回。

4 induction   

n.感应，感应现象

参考例句：

• His induction as a teacher was a turning point in his life.他就任教师工作是他一生的转折点。
• The magnetic signals are sensed by induction coils.磁信号由感应线圈所检测。

5 referees   

n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人

参考例句：

• The fiery player has had numerous run-ins with referees. 这位脾气暴躁的队员曾和裁判员发生过无数次争吵。
• If you want to appeal, the Court of Referees will decide. 如果你要上诉，可以由仲裁法庭去判决。 来自辞典例句