Yao Ming

For the singer, see Yao Min.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Yao.

Yao Ming
Yao in 2014
6th President of the Chinese Basketball Association
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 23, 2017
Preceded byYu Zaiqing
Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (12th)
In office
March 2013 – March 2018
ChairmanYu Zhengsheng
Personal details
Born (1980-09-12) September 12, 1980 (age 44)
Shanghai, China
Spouse
​
(m. 2007)​
Children1
OccupationBasketball player / administrator
Basketball career
Personal information
Listed height7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
Listed weight310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2002: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career1997–2011
PositionCenter
Number11
Career history
1997–2002Shanghai Sharks
2002–2011Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points9,247 (19.0 ppg)
Rebounds4,494 (9.2 rpg)
Blocks920 (1.9 bpg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Basketball Hall of Fame
FIBA Hall of Fame
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  China
FIBA Asia Cup
Gold medal – first place 2001 Shanghai
Gold medal – first place 2003 Harbin
Gold medal – first place 2005 Doha
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2002 Busan
Yao Ming
Yao's name in Chinese characters
Chinese姚明
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYáo Míng
Bopomofoㄧㄠˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhYau Ming
Wade–GilesYao2 Ming2
IPA[jǎʊ mǐŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationYìuh Mìhng
Jyutpingjiu4 ming4
IPA[jiw˩ mɪŋ˩]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJIâu Bêng

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 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m).[1]

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.[2] In eight seasons with the Rockets, Yao ranks sixth among franchise leaders in total points and total rebounds, and second in total blocks.[3]

Yao is one of China's best-known athletes internationally, 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.[4] Yao is also an entrepreneur and owner of Yao Family Wines in Napa Valley, California.[5]

In April 2016, Yao was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson, becoming the first Chinese national to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.[6][7] In February 2017, Yao was unanimously elected as chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association.[8] Yao had a storied career as a member of the Chinese national team.[9] With the national team, Yao won the FIBA Asia Cup in 2001, 2003, and 2005, winning MVP of the tournament all three times.[10] He also made the All-Tournament Team at the FIBA World Cup in 2002. Yao retired from the Chinese national team after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[11][12]

  1. ^ "NBA.com Yao Ming Info Page". NBA. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013.
  2. ^ Passa, Dennis. "Chinese great Yao Ming retires from basketball". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011.
  3. ^ "Chinese star Houston Rockets' Yao Ming retires, ending basketball career". ESPN. July 14, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Pomfret, John (2016). The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom: American and China, 1776 to the Present. New York: Picador. p. 582. ISBN 978-1-250-16063-8.
  5. ^ Rothbaum, Noah (May 26, 2021). "From the NBA to Napa: Talking Cabernet Wines with Yao Ming". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  6. ^ "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Announcement presented by Haggar Clothing Company". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. April 4, 2016. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  7. ^ "Basketball Legend Yao Ming to Speak at NYU Shanghai 8th Undergraduate Commencement". shanghai.nyu.edu. May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "Former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming named president of Chinese Basketball Association". NBA.com. February 23, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  9. ^ Wells, Adam. "Video: Rockets Legend Yao Ming Inducted into FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2023". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  10. ^ "Asian Legends Series: Yao Ming". FIBA.basketball. September 2, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  11. ^ BLINEBURY, FRAN. "Yao, China come to quiet end with loss to Lithuania". Chron. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Yao Ming". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016.