Chinese basketball star Zhu Fangyu officially announced his retirement on Sunday bidding farewell to a career that stretched over 18 years. 

The 34-year-old former member of Chinese men's national basketball team and Guangdong Southern Tigers said on his account on China's Twitter-like Weibo, "It's a tough decision, but it will come eventually. My basketball career is officially over today." 

Zhu Fangyu was No.8  in his provincial team Guangdong Southern Tigers. /VCG Photo

Nicknamed as the "Rain of Three Pointers," Zhu fired up the court both at home and abroad with his electrifying ability to score from outside the three-point arc at crucial moments and his unforgettable defense skills and consciousness. 

Zhu is retiring as the league's all-time highest scorer.  In February last year, he became the first player to score over 11,000 points in the history of China Basketball Association.

The best small forward in Asia, Zhu has won the MVP titles of the CBA Finals in 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010. He was also the regular-season MVP in 2008 and 2012. 

Zhu Fangyu in 2008 Beijing Olympic games with Yao Ming. /VCG Photo

Zhu competed in three Olympics for China, assisting the national team reach the last eight in Athens in 2004 and at the 2008 Beijing Games with the legend center Yao Ming. 

His in-coming position will be shifted to the general manager of the Guangdong Hongyuan club.