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NBA

Yao Ming could be forced into early retirement after his foot injury was described as "career threatening" by the Houston Rockets.

The Chinese star suffered a fracture in his left foot during the NBA Western Conference semi-finals against the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year and the injury has since worsened.

The Rockets had initially announced that Yao would be out for eight to 12 weeks but a bone scan has revealed problems in the healing process, meaning the centre could miss the whole of next season or even see his career ended prematurely.

"At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career threatening,"  team physician Tom Clanton said in the Houston Chronicle.

"One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery."

Yao had a pin inserted in his foot in February last year and featured for China at the Olympics less than six months later.

A similar surgery is being considered for his latest injury while a bone graft or realignment of the foot are other options.

"At this stage, he is having no symptoms or physical signs," Clanton added. "He has no tenderness, no swelling, no redness. When he came back in, he was feeling like everything was perfect, and he would start rehabilitation and get ready to play.

"The findings on the CT were shocking for him and for us. We are looking for every reason to treat this on clinical findings but don't want to put him at risk for a greater fracture."