"The Rockets have kept me informed of what they are doing and why. I support them in their efforts to make our team as good as possible," Yao said in his statement.

Yao played in 77 regular-season games in 2008-09, his most durable year since 2004-05, when he played in 80. In between, Yao missed chunks of three seasons with leg and foot injuries.

Meanwhile, Yao has no plans to buy his former team, the Shanghai Sharks, as reported earlier. However, Team Yao, his management team, is working with the Sharks to find buyers and drag the Chinese Basketball Association outfit out of the financial quagmire.

Yao played for the Sharks for nine-straight years since the age of 13.

The Shanghai native cannot afford to buy the team with his personal income alone, according to Oriental Morning Post.

The Sharks have lost 96 million yuan (US$14 million) in the last 10 years, club manager Zhang Zhengming told the Post.

Title sponsor Xiyang Group also shunned the side after a miserable season last year when the former champions could muster only six wins and lost 43 matches.

The Sharks are now owned by Shanghai Media Group, Shanghai Sports technical Institute and Hongqiao Airport. SMG is currently the largest shareholder of the club. All the three companies are owned by the state.

Several companies have been cited as potential new owners of the Sharks. According to Xinhua news agency, Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank are leading the race.

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