Bryant hails 'retiring' NBA superstar Yao

Kobe Bryant on Wednesday hailed fellow NBA superstar Yao Ming for the Chinese giant's contribution to basketball amid reports the Houston Rockets centre would soon retire. Los Angeles Lakers guard Bryant, in the Philippine capital on the first stop of a three-nation Asian tour, said he had not heard from Yao about his supposed retirement but said the 30-year-old's legacy to the sport was enormous. "His contributions to the NBA cannot be overstated. He is such a huge man and on top of that, he is a phenomenal player," Bryant, 32, told reporters. "We were talking about his injuries but when he was playing and he was healthy he was dominant in the NBA," said Bryant, a five-time NBA title winner himself. The 2.29-metre (7ft 6in) Yao, the first Asian superstar of the National Basketball Association, is reported to have told the Rockets and the NBA that he had retired after injuries limited his playing in the past two seasons. His groundbreaking eight-season career in the NBA helped the global growth of basketball and made him one of China's most famous exports. Yao's agent in China told reporters the player would make an announcement in his home city of Shanghai on July 20, fuelling speculation in China's media that he would formally announce his retirement then. In Manila, Bryant did promotional work for one of his major sponsors while meeting with poor Philippine children and local players. After Manila, Bryant was scheduled to visit South Korea and China.