Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese
basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the
Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the
Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Yao was
selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game
eight times, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. During his
final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA, at 2.29 m (7
ft 6 in). >
Yao, who was born in Shanghai, started playing for the Sharks as a
teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the CBA,
winning a championship in his final year. After negotiating with the CBA
and the Sharks to secure his release, Yao was selected by the Rockets as
the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. He reached the NBA
playoffs four times, and the Rockets won the first-round series in the
2009 postseason, their first playoff series victory since 1997. In July
2011, Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball because
of a series of foot and ankle injuries which forced him to miss 250
games in his last six seasons. In eight seasons with the Rockets, Yao
ranks sixth among franchise leaders in total points and total rebounds,
and second in total blocks.
Yao is one of China's best-known athletes, with sponsorships with
several major companies. His rookie year in the NBA was the subject of a
documentary film, The Year of the Yao, and he co-wrote, along with NBA
analyst Ric Bucher, an autobiography titled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds.
Known in China as the "Yao Ming Phenomenon" and in the United States as
the "Ming Dynasty", Yao's success in the NBA, and his popularity among
fans, made him a symbol of a new China that was both more modern and
more confident.
In April 2016, Yao was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame,
alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. In February 2017, Yao was
unanimously elected as chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association.
