Rockets legend Yao Ming can add another achievement to his lengthy resume: College graduate.

The eight-time All-Star and Naismith Hall of Famer received a degree in economics from China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Sunday. Yao initially enrolled in college back in 2011, the same year he was forced to retire at 30 after a series of injuries.

“At a certain stage in the future, you should try to combine your future with the future of the society, because that’s how you can find larger space for yourself to explore,” he said in a speech to his fellow graduates.

In addition to his myriad accomplishments on the court, Yao’s popularity back home helped the NBA develop a huge fan base in China that continues to thrive nearly a decade after his retirement.