"A day later, Yao Ming was at peace, comfortable with his decision to retire and whatever would come next.

There was, however, a realization that hit him, as if he did not have time to consider it before.

"I guess," he said, "I have to find a job."

That should not be a problem, with opportunities and options expected to flood in, from NBA commissioner David Stern's stated intention to find a place for Yao in the NBA's initiatives in China to Yao's ownership of his China Basketball Association team, the Shanghai Sharks.

Yao made his retirement from basketball official in a packed Shanghai hotel ballroom Wednesday morning. His career is over, cut short after nine NBA seasons by foot injuries he no longer believes he could avoid. He is ready to move on, but he could not help but indicate that for all his planning, he never intended to end his career quite yet.

"I've been preparing ever since I began playing basketball," Yao said at the news conference that followed his announcement. "Still, it was fast. It came too soon."

Yet the next morning in Shanghai, he was at ease with his career and his decision to end it. More than that, Yao said he valued the time he had as a player throughout his career, citing the lessons from his parents about the impermanence of athletic careers."