Durant told reporters Tuesday while on a promotional tour in China that it has been an honor to play against the 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets center.

Yao is expected to announce at a news conference on July 20 that he’s retiring from the NBA after nine seasons because of leg and foot injuries.

Durant says that Yao plays “phenomenally well” despite his injuries.

Asked if he thought Yao should have a place in the basketball Hall of Fame, Durant said Yao deserves the honor because he has done a lot for basketball.
 
NBA hosts 10th BWB camps, minus active players

Meantime, the NBA is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Basketball without Borders program, the first that won’t involve active players.

Camps will be held in Slovenia, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Rio de Janeiro. The Slovenian camp will be the first held in one of the former Yugoslav republics, where the 50 campers who attended the inaugural camp in 2001 came from.

The camps, organized by the NBA and FIBA, bring young players together for on-court instruction and life-skills seminars. The campers won’t get any coaching from active players, because they are prevented from taking part in league activities during the lockout.

Commissioner David Stern said during the finals the league’s community outreach initiatives would continue without them, relying on retired players.