Yao Ming is the Big Man on Campus; He Returns to School

Former Houston Rockets player Yao Ming, 31, who retired from basketball in July, is now a freshman at a management school at an elite university in Shanghai.

Chinese new source Xinhua reported that on his first day at Antai Economics and Management College of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Ming told reporters that had strong desire for academic studies.

He also said that university life was purely for personal fulfillment. On his first day, the big man on campus - literally, he's 7 feet 6 inches tall - took classes in mathematics, English and modern Chinese history, according to Xinhua.

I liked the history subject when I was in high school, Ming told Xinhua. And I was so eager to sit in the classroom to have my first history class in college.

Ming announced his retirement on July 20 from the Houston Rockets. School is the latest addition to Ming's schedule as he is also a basketball team manager.

On Monday, Ming said he was worried that it might be hard keeping up with his class schedule, especially seeing that he has been away from school for so long.

I think I need a better schedule as I cannot study full time as a normal college student, Ming said. I've got other things to do and I need to balance my time.