Hubbry Logo
Yao MingYao MingMain
Open search
Yao Ming
Community hub
Yao Ming
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Key Information

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 then spent his entire nine-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Houston Rockets. 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]

Early life

[edit]

Yao Ming was born on September 12, 1980, in Shanghai, China.[13] He is the only child of 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) Yao Zhiyuan and 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m) Fang Fengdi,[14] both of whom were former professional basketball players.[15] At birth, Yao weighed 11 pounds (5.0 kg), more than twice the average weight of a Chinese newborn.[16] When Yao was nine years old, he began playing basketball and attended a junior sports school.[17] The following year, Yao measured 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m)[18] and was examined by sports doctors, who predicted he would grow to 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m).[18]

Professional career

[edit]

Shanghai Sharks (1997–2002)

[edit]

Yao first tried out for the Shanghai Sharks' junior team of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) when he was 13 years old, and practiced ten hours a day for his acceptance.[19] After playing with the junior team for four years, Yao joined the Sharks' senior team, where he averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds a game in his rookie season. His next season was cut short when he broke his foot for the second time in his career, which Yao said decreased his jumping ability by four to six inches (10 to 15 cm).[20] The Sharks made the finals of the CBA in Yao's third season and again the next year, but lost both times to the Bayi Rockets. When Wang Zhizhi left the Bayi Rockets to become the first NBA player from China the following year, the Sharks finally won their first CBA championship. During the playoffs in his final year with Shanghai, Yao averaged 38.9 points and 20.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 76.6% from the field,[21] and made all 21 of his shots during one game in the finals.[22]

Houston Rockets (2002–2011)

[edit]

Yao was pressured to enter the NBA draft in 1999 by Li Yaomin, the deputy general manager of the Shanghai Sharks.[16] Li also influenced Yao to sign a contract for Evergreen Sports Inc. to serve as his agent. The agreement entitled Evergreen to 33% of Yao's earnings,[16] but the contract was later determined to be invalid.[23]

As American attention on Yao grew, Chinese authorities also took interest. In 2002, the Chinese government released new regulations that would require him and other Chinese players to turn over half of any NBA earnings to the government and China's national basketball association, including endorsements as well as salaries.[24]

When Yao decided to enter the 2002 NBA draft, a group of advisers was formed that came to be known as "Team Yao". The team consisted of Yao's negotiator, Erik Zhang; his NBA agent, Bill Duffy; his Chinese agent, Lu Hao; University of Chicago economics professor John Huizinga;[25] and the vice president for marketing at BDA Sports Management, Bill Sanders.[26] Yao was widely predicted to be picked number one overall.[27][28][29] However, some teams were concerned about Yao's NBA eligibility because of uncertainty over whether the CBA would let Yao play in the United States.[30]

Shortly after Wang Zhizhi refused to return to China to play for the national team and was subsequently banned from playing for China,[31] the CBA stipulated that Yao would have to return to play for the national team.[32] They also said they would not let him go to the United States unless the Houston Rockets would take him first overall.[33] After assurances from Team Yao that the Rockets would draft Yao with their number one pick, the CBA gave permission on the morning of the draft for Yao to play in the U.S.[34] When the Rockets selected Yao with the first pick of the draft, he became the first international player ever to be selected first overall without having previously played U.S. college basketball.[35]

Beginning years (2002–2005)

[edit]

Yao did not participate in the Rockets' pre-season training camp, instead playing for China in the 2002 FIBA World Championships.[36] Before the season, several commentators, including Bill Simmons and Dick Vitale, predicted that Yao would fail in the NBA,[37][38] and Charles Barkley said he would "kiss Kenny Smith's ass" if Yao scored more than 19 points in one of his rookie-season games.[39] Yao played his first NBA game against the Indiana Pacers, scoring no points and grabbing two rebounds,[40][41] and scored his first NBA basket against the Denver Nuggets.[42] In his first seven games, he averaged only 14 minutes and 4 points, but on November 17, he scored 20 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line against the Lakers.[43] Barkley made good on his bet by kissing the buttock of a donkey purchased by Smith for the occasion (Smith's "ass").[39]

In Yao's first game in Miami on December 16, 2002, the Heat passed out 8,000 fortune cookies, an East Asian cultural stereotype.[44][45] Yao was not angry with the promotion because he was not familiar with American stereotypes of Chinese.[46] In an earlier interview in 2000, Yao said he had never seen a fortune cookie in China and guessed it must have been an American invention.[47]

Before Yao's first meeting with Shaquille O'Neal on January 17, 2003, O'Neal said, "Tell Yao Ming, ching chong-yang-wah-ah-soh", prompting accusations of racism.[46] O'Neal denied that his comments were racist, and said he was only joking.[48] Yao also said he believed O'Neal was joking, but he said a lot of Asians would not see the humor.[48][49] In the game, Yao scored the Rockets' first six points of the game and blocked O'Neal twice in the opening minutes as well as altering two other shots by O'Neal, all 4 of those attempts coming right at the rim, and made a game-sealing dunk with 10 seconds left in overtime.[50] Yao finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks; O'Neal recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 0 blocks.[51] O'Neal later expressed regret for the way he treated Yao early in his career.[52]

The NBA began offering All-Star ballots in three languages—English, Spanish and Chinese—for fan voting of the starters for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.[53] Yao was voted to start for the West over O'Neal, who was coming off three consecutive NBA Finals MVP Awards.[54] Yao received nearly a quarter million more votes than O'Neal, and he became the first rookie to start in the All-Star Game since Grant Hill in 1995.[55]

Yao prepares to shoot a free throw with John Stockton in the background

Yao finished his rookie season averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game,[56] and was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting to Amar'e Stoudemire,[57] and a unanimous pick for the NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.[58] He was also voted the Sporting News Rookie of the Year,[59] and won the Laureus Newcomer of the Year award.[60]

Yao (fourth from left) standing with the Sophomores team during the 2004 Rookie Challenge game.

Before the start of Yao's sophomore season, Rockets' head coach Rudy Tomjanovich resigned because of health issues,[61] and long-time New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy was brought in. After Van Gundy began focusing the offense on Yao,[62] Yao averaged career highs in points and rebounds for the season, and had a career-high 41 points and 7 assists in a triple-overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks in February 2004.[63] He was also voted to be the starting center for the Western Conference in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game for the second straight year.[64] Yao finished the season averaging 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds a game.[56] The Rockets made the playoffs for the first time in Yao's career, claiming the seventh seed in the Western Conference. In the first round, however, the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Houston in five games.[65] Yao averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in his first playoff series.[56]

In the summer of 2004, the Rockets acquired Tracy McGrady from the Orlando Magic in a seven-player trade that also sent Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley to Orlando.[66] Although Yao said that Francis and Mobley had "helped [him] in every way [his] first two seasons", he added, "I'm excited about playing with Tracy McGrady. He can do some amazing things."[67] After the trade, it was predicted that the Rockets would be title contenders.[66][68] Both McGrady and Yao were voted to start in the 2005 NBA All-Star Game, and Yao broke the record previously held by Michael Jordan for most All-Star votes, with 2,558,278 total votes.[69] The Rockets won 51 games and finished fifth in the West, and made the playoffs for the second consecutive year, where they faced the Dallas Mavericks.[70] The Rockets won the first two games in Dallas, and Yao made 13 of 14 shots in the second game, the best shooting performance in the playoffs in Rockets history.[71] However, the Rockets lost four of their last five games and lost Game 7 by 40 points, the largest Game 7 deficit in NBA history.[72] Yao's final averages for the series were 21.4 points on 65% shooting and 7.7 rebounds.[56]

Career highs and injury-plagued seasons (2005–2011)

[edit]
In his fifth season, Yao averaged a career-high 25 points per game.

After missing only two games out of 246 in his first three years of NBA play,[14] Yao was rewarded with a five-year, $75 million extension during the 2005 offseason.[73] However, he endured an extended period on the inactive list in his fourth season after developing osteomyelitis in the big toe on his left foot, and surgery was performed on the toe on December 18, 2005.[74] Despite missing 21 games while recovering,[14] Yao again had the most fan votes to start the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.[75]

In 25 games after the All-Star break, Yao averaged 25.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.7% from the field and 87.8% at the free-throw line.[76] His final averages in 57 games were 22.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.[56] It was the first time that he ended the season with a so-called "20/10" average. However, Tracy McGrady played only 47 games in the season, missing time because of back spasms.[77] Yao and McGrady played only 31 games together,[78] and the Rockets did not make the playoffs, winning only 34 games.[79] With only four games left in the season, Yao suffered another injury in a game against the Utah Jazz on April 10, 2006, which left him with a broken bone in his left foot. The injury required six months of rest.[80]

Early into his fifth season, Yao was injured again, this time breaking his right knee on December 23, 2006, while attempting to block a shot.[81] Up to that point he had been averaging 26.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, and had been mentioned as an MVP candidate.[82][83] Yao was unable to play in what would have been his fifth All-Star game;[84] he was medically cleared to play on March 4, 2007, after missing 32 games.[85]

Despite Yao's absence, the Rockets made the playoffs with the home court advantage against the Utah Jazz in the first round.[86] The Rockets won the first two games, but then lost four of five games[87] and were eliminated in Game 7 at home; Yao scored 29 points—15 in the fourth quarter.[88] Although he averaged 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for the series, Yao said afterwards "I didn't do my job".[89] At the end of the season, Yao was selected to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time in his career, after being selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice.[90]

On May 18, 2007, only weeks after the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs, Jeff Van Gundy was dismissed as head coach.[91] Three days later, the Rockets signed former Sacramento Kings coach Rick Adelman,[92] who was thought to focus more on offense than the defensive-minded Van Gundy.[93][94]

Yao advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the only time in his career in 2009.
Yao playing against Gilbert Arenas

On November 9, 2007, Yao played against fellow Chinese NBA and Milwaukee Bucks player Yi Jianlian for the first time. The game, which the Rockets won 104–88, was broadcast on 19 networks in China, and was watched by over 200 million people in China alone, making it one of the most-watched NBA games in history.[95] In the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, Yao was once again voted to start at center for the Western Conference.[96] Before the All-Star weekend, the Rockets had won eight straight games, and after the break, they took their win streak to 12 games. On February 26, 2008, however, it was reported that Yao would miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. He missed the 2008 NBA playoffs, but he did not miss the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, China in August.[97] After Yao's injury, the Rockets stretched their winning streak to 22 games, at the time the second-longest such streak in NBA history.[98] Yao underwent a successful operation on March 3, which placed screws in his foot to strengthen the bone, and recovery time was estimated at four months.[99] Yao's final averages in 55 games were 22.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks a game.[56]

The next season, Yao played 77 games, his first full season since the 2004–05 season, and averaged 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds, while shooting 54.8% from the field, and a career-high 86.6% from the free throw line.[56] Despite McGrady suffering a season-ending injury in February,[100] the Rockets finished with 53 wins and the fifth seed in the Western Conference.[101] Facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, Yao finished with 24 points on 9-of-9 shooting in the first game, and the Rockets won 108–81, in Portland.[102] The Rockets won all their games in Houston,[103] and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and the first time in Yao's career.[104]

The Rockets faced the Lakers in the second round, and Yao scored 28 points, with 8 points in the final four minutes, to lead the Rockets to a 100–92 win in Los Angeles.[105] However, the Rockets lost their next two games,[106][107] and Yao was diagnosed with a sprained ankle after Game 3.[108] A follow-up test revealed a hairline fracture in his left foot, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs.[109] In reaction, Yao said the injury, which did not require surgery, was "better than last year".[110] However, follow-up analysis indicated that the injury could be career threatening.[111] The Yao-less Rockets went on to win Game 4 against the Lakers to even the series 2–2.[112] The Rockets eventually lost the series in seven games.

In July 2009, Yao discussed the injury with his doctors, and the Rockets applied for a disabled player exception, an exception to the NBA salary cap which grants the injured player's team money to sign a free agent.[113] The Rockets were granted the exception, and used approximately $5.7 million on free agent Trevor Ariza. After weeks of consulting, it was decided that Yao would undergo surgery in order to repair the broken bone in his left foot.[114] He did not play the entire 2009–10 season.[115]

For the 2010–11 season, the Rockets said they would limit Yao to 24 minutes a game, with no plan to play him on back-to-back nights. Their goal was to keep Yao healthy in the long term.[115] On December 16, 2010, it was announced that Yao had developed a stress fracture in his left ankle, related to an older injury, and would miss the rest of the season.[116] In January 2011, he was voted as the Western Conference starting center for the 2011 All-Star Game for the eighth time in nine seasons. Injured All-Stars are usually required to attend the All-Star functions and to be introduced at the game, but Yao was not in Los Angeles because of his rehabilitation schedule after his surgery.[117] Yao's contract with the Rockets expired at the end of the season, and he became a free agent.[118]

Retirement

[edit]

On July 20, 2011, Yao announced his retirement from basketball in a press conference in Shanghai.[119][120] He cited injuries to his foot and ankle, including the third fracture to his left foot sustained near the end of 2010.[121] His retirement sparked over 1.2 million comments on the Chinese social-networking site Sina Weibo.[122] Reacting to Yao's retirement, NBA commissioner David Stern said Yao was a "bridge between Chinese and American fans" and that he had "a wonderful mixture of talent, dedication, humanitarian aspirations and a sense of humor."[121] Shaquille O'Neal said Yao "was very agile. He could play inside, he could play outside, and if he didn't have those injuries he could've been up there in the top five centers to ever play the game."[123]

Yao was nominated by a member of the Chinese media for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor to the game. He would have been eligible for induction as early as 2012, but Yao felt it was too soon and requested that the Hall of Fame delay consideration of the nomination. The Hall granted Yao's request, and said it was Yao's decision when the process would be restarted.[124]

On September 9, 2016, Yao was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with 4-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson.[125] Continuing with the honors, on February 3, 2017, Yao's Number 11 jersey was retired by the Houston Rockets.[126]

National team career

[edit]
Yao was the leading scorer of the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

2000 and 2004 Olympics

[edit]

Yao first played for China in the 2000 Summer Olympics, and he was dubbed, together with 7 ft (2.1 m) teammates Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer, "the Walking Great Wall".[127] During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony, which he said was a "long dream come true".[128] He then vowed to abstain from shaving his beard for half a year unless the Chinese national team made it into the quarter-finals of the 2004 Olympics.[129] After Yao scored 39 points in a win against New Zealand, China lost 58–83, 57–82, and 52–89 against Spain, Argentina and Italy respectively. In the final group game, however, a 67–66 win over the reigning 2002 FIBA World Champions Serbia and Montenegro moved them into the quarterfinals. Yao scored 27 points and had 13 rebounds, and he hit two free throws with 28 seconds left that proved to be the winning margin.[130] He averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field.[131]

Asian Cup

[edit]

Yao led the Chinese national team to three consecutive FIBA Asia Cup gold medals, winning the 2001 FIBA Asian Championship, the 2003 FIBA Asian Championship, and the 2005 FIBA Asian Championship. He was also named the MVP of all three tournaments.

2006 World Championship

[edit]

Yao's injury at the end of the 2005–06 NBA season required a full six months of rest, threatening his participation in the 2006 FIBA World Championship.[132] However, he recovered before the start of the tournament, and in the last game of the preliminary round, he had 36 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Slovenia to lead China into the Round of 16.[133] In the first knockout round, however, China was defeated by eventual finalist Greece.[133] Yao's final averages were 25.3 points, the most in the tournament, and 9.0 rebounds a game, which was fourth overall.[134]

2008 Olympics

[edit]
Yao against LeBron James at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

After having surgery to repair his fractured foot, Yao stated if he could not play in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, "It would be the biggest loss in my career to right now."[135] He returned to play with the Chinese national team on July 17, 2008.[136] On August 6, Yao carried the Olympic flame into Tiananmen Square, as part of the Olympic torch relay.[137] He also carried the Chinese flag and led his country's delegation during the opening ceremony.[138] Yao scored the first basket of the game, a three-pointer, in China's opening 2008 Olympics Basketball Tournament game against the eventual gold medal-winning United States.[139]

"I was just really happy to make that shot", Yao said after the Americans' 101–70 victory. "It was the first score in our Olympic campaign here at home and I'll always remember it. It represents that we can keep our heads up in the face of really tough odds."[139]

Following an overtime defeat to Spain,[140] Yao scored 30 points in a win over Angola,[141] and 25 points in a three-point win against Germany,[142] which clinched China's place in the quarterfinals. However, China lost to Lithuania in the quarterfinals by 26 points,[143] eliminating them from the tournament. Yao's 19 points a game were the second-highest in the Olympics,[144] and his averages of 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game were third overall.[145][146]

Chinese Basketball Association

[edit]

Yao served as chair of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2017 until his resignation in 2024 due to personal issues.[147]

Career statistics

[edit]
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

CBA statistics

[edit]
Year Team GP RPG APG FG% FT% PPG
1997–98 Shanghai 21 8.3 1.3 .615 .485 10.0
1998–99 Shanghai 12 12.9 1.7 .585 .699 20.9
1999–00 Shanghai 33 14.5 1.7 .585 .683 21.2
2000–01 Shanghai 22 19.4 2.2 .679 .799 27.1
2001–02 Shanghai 24 19.0 1.9 .721 .759 32.4
Career 122 15.4 1.8 .651 .723 23.4

NBA statistics

[edit]

Regular season

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2002–03 Houston 82 72 29.0 .498 .500 .811 8.2 1.7 .4 1.8 13.5
2003–04 Houston 82 82 32.8 .522 .000 .809 9.0 1.5 .3 1.9 17.5
2004–05 Houston 80 80 30.6 .552 .000 .783 8.4 .8 .4 2.0 18.3
2005–06 Houston 57 57 34.2 .519 .000 .853 10.2 1.5 .5 1.6 22.3
2006–07 Houston 48 48 33.8 .516 .000 .862 9.4 2.0 .4 2.0 25.0
2007–08 Houston 55 55 37.2 .507 .000 .850 10.8 2.3 .5 2.0 22.0
2008–09 Houston 77 77 33.6 .548 1.000 .866 9.9 1.8 .4 1.9 19.7
2010–11 Houston 5 5 18.2 .486 .000 .938 5.4 .8 .0 1.6 10.2
Career 486 476 32.5 .524 .200 .833 9.2 1.6 .4 1.9 19.0
All-Star 6 6 17.0 .500 .000 .667 4.0 1.3 .2 .3 7.0

Playoffs

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004 Houston 5 5 37.0 .456 .000 .765 7.4 1.8 .4 1.4 15.0
2005 Houston 7 7 31.4 .655 .000 .727 7.7 .7 .3 2.7 21.4
2007 Houston 7 7 37.1 .440 .000 .880 10.3 .9 .1 .7 25.1
2009 Houston 9 9 35.9 .545 .000 .902 10.9 1.0 .4 1.2 17.1
Career 28 28 35.3 .519 .000 .833 9.3 1.0 .3 1.5 19.8

Awards and achievements

[edit]
  • Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Class of 2016
  • FIBA Hall of Fame: Class of 2023
  • 8× NBA All-Star: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
  • 5× All-NBA Team:
  • Second Team: 2007, 2009
  • Third Team: 2004, 2006, 2008

Personal life

[edit]

After Yao announced that he would enter the 2002 NBA draft, he told one American journalist that he had been studying English for two years, and that he liked the movie Star Wars but disliked hip hop. He was sometimes accompanied during interviews in Shanghai by one of his parents, whose basketball careers were derailed by the 1966–76 Cultural Revolution, and who came to his Shanghai Sharks games on bicycles.[149]

Yao answers questions from reporters, October 2006

Yao met Chinese female basketball player Ye Li when he was 17 years old. Ye was not fond of Yao at first, but finally accepted him after he gave her the team pins he had collected during the 2000 Summer Olympics.[150] She is the only woman he has ever dated.[151] Their relationship became public when they appeared together during the 2004 Olympics closing ceremony.[150] On August 6, 2007, Yao and Ye married in a ceremony attended by close friends and family and closed to the media.[152] On May 21, 2010, the couple's daughter Yao Qinlei (Chinese: 姚沁蕾; her English name is Amy) was born in Houston, Texas.[120][153][154]

In 2004, Yao co-wrote an autobiography with ESPN sportswriter Ric Bucher, entitled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds.[155] In the same year, he was also the subject of a documentary film, The Year of the Yao, which focuses on his NBA rookie year.[156] The film is narrated by his friend and interpreter, Colin Pine.[157] In 2005, former Newsweek writer Brook Larmer published a book entitled Operation Yao Ming, in which he said that Yao's parents were convinced to marry each other so that they would produce a dominant athlete, and that during Yao's childhood, he was given special treatment to help him become a great basketball player.[16] In a 2015 AMA post on Reddit, Yao stated that this was not true and that he started playing basketball for fun at age 9.[158] In 2009, Yao provided the voice for a character of a Chinese animated film, The Magic Aster, released on June 19.[159]

Yao enrolled at the Antai College of Economics & Management of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2011.[160] He took a tailored degree program with mostly one-on-one lectures to avoid being a distraction on campus.[161] Yao completed his studies in July 2018, graduating with a degree in economics after 7 years of study.[162][163][164][165]

In 2016, Yao opened a winery called Yao Family Wines in Napa Valley, California, which serves Cabernet Sauvignon blends and "the kind of rich-but-balanced luxury reds he'd come to enjoy in Houston steakhouses."[166] American wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. of The Wine Advocate gave Yao's wine a ranking of 96 points and wrote: "I am aware of all the arguments that major celebrities lending their names to wines is generally a formula for mediocrity, but... the two Cabernets are actually brilliant, and the reserve bottling ranks alongside just about anything made in Napa."[166]

Other activities

[edit]

Commercial engagements

[edit]
Yao (left) with United States Secretary of State John Kerry at the U.S.–China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in 2014

Yao is one of China's most recognizable athletes, along with Liu Xiang.[167] As of 2009, he had led Forbes' Chinese celebrities list in income and popularity for six straight years, earning US$51 million (CN¥357 million) in 2008.[168] A major part of his income comes from his sponsorship deals,[169] as he is under contract with several major companies to endorse their products. He was signed by Nike until the end of his rookie season. When Nike decided not to renew his contract, he signed with Reebok.[170] He also had a deal with Pepsi, and he successfully sued Coca-Cola in 2003 when they used his image on their bottles while promoting the national team.[171] He eventually signed with Coca-Cola for the 2008 Olympics.[169] His other deals include partnerships with Visa,[172] Apple,[173] Garmin,[174] and McDonald's.[175]

On July 16, 2009, Yao bought his former club team, the Shanghai Sharks, which were on the verge of not being able to play the next season of the Chinese Basketball Association because of financial troubles.[176]

Philanthropy

[edit]

Yao has also participated in many charity events during his career, including the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program.[177] In the NBA's offseason in 2003, Yao hosted a telethon, which raised US$300,000 to help stop the spread of SARS.[178] In September 2007, he held an auction that raised US$965,000 (CN¥6.75 million),[179] and competed in a charity basketball match to raise money for underprivileged children in China. He was joined by fellow NBA stars Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony, and Baron Davis, and Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan.[180] After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Yao donated $2 million to relief work and created the Yao Ming Foundation to help rebuild schools destroyed in the earthquake.[181][182]

Conservation work

[edit]
Yao in Beijing in 2016

Yao partnered with WildAid to appear in commercials and documentaries to educate citizens on the harmful effects of shark fin soup on shark species. From 2011 to 2018, consumption of shark fin soup dropped by 70% in China.[183] In August 2012, Yao started filming a documentary about the northern white rhinoceros.[184] He is also an ambassador for elephant conservation.[185] In 2014, he was also part of the documentary The End of the Wild about elephant conservation. Yao has filmed a number of public service announcements for elephant and rhino conservation for the "Say No" campaign with partners African Wildlife Foundation and WildAid.[186]

Politics

[edit]

On March 3, 2013, Yao attended the First Session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as one of its 2,200 members.[187] He was a member of the CPPCC from 2013 to 2018. While he is involved in Chinese politics, he is not a member of the Chinese Communist Party, although he has been awarded the Proletarian Award by the party for his spreading of literacy and socialist ideologies.[188]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Yao Ming

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Yao Ming (born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player who rose to international prominence as a center for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 meters) tall, Yao was selected by the Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft after dominating professionally with the Shanghai Sharks in China's domestic league. Over nine NBA seasons, interrupted by injuries, Yao averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, earning selection to eight All-Star games and five All-NBA teams. His skilled post play, shooting range, and blocking ability made him one of the league's premier big men, though chronic foot issues forced his retirement in 2011. Yao's success helped globalize the NBA in China, where his games drew massive viewership and inspired a surge in basketball participation. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, Yao transitioned to administration, serving as president of the from 2017 to 2023 to reform governance and development amid challenges like and talent stagnation. He has also advocated for , leveraging his influence to combat and protect endangered species.

Early Life

Family Background and State Selection

Yao Ming was born on September 12, 1980, in , , as the only child of Yao Zhiyuan and Fang Fengdi, both professional players in the state-run sports system. His father, Yao Zhiyuan, measured 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall and played for a Shanghai team, while his mother, Fang Fengdi, stood at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and competed at the national level, making them among the tallest athletes in the country at the time. The pairing of Yao's parents was orchestrated by sports authorities under policies originating in the era, which incentivized marriages between tall athletes to genetically engineer taller offspring for in and enhance China's international standing. This approach reflected a state-driven eugenics-like strategy in sports, prioritizing as a heritable trait for dominance in a field where physical stature confers causal advantages in reach, rebounding, and shot-blocking, rather than relying solely on population variance. Such selections were part of broader communist government efforts since the to cultivate elite performers through targeted breeding incentives, including exemptions or pressures within the nascent framework implemented in 1979, which limited families but allowed optimization for national priorities like athletic exports. From infancy, Yao exhibited prodigious growth, reaching exceptional heights that confirmed the success of this genetic selection, culminating in his adult stature of 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) by his mid-teens under rigorous state monitoring. This outcome underscored the causal role of parental —polygenic inheritance of factors—augmented by early nutritional and developmental oversight, distinguishing Yao from typical variance in a where average male hovered around 5 feet 7 inches during that era. The program's empirical focus on measurable traits like over skill training initially positioned Yao as a state asset for potential global competition, though its ethical implications, including coerced pairings, have been debated in retrospective analyses of China's sports apparatus.

Youth Training and Early Achievements

Yao Ming began formal training at age nine upon enrolling in a junior in Shanghai's Xuhui District, marking the start of state-orchestrated development in a system prioritizing early identification and conditioning of elite prospects. The program's emphasized repetitive drills on core —footwork, positioning, and form—over raw power or vertical leap, fostering technical proficiency that enabled rapid skill acquisition despite his growing stature. This methodical focus, rooted in China's centralized sports apparatus, built a foundation resilient to the physical demands of professional play but carried risks of burnout from premature specialization, as evidenced by high attrition rates in similar state youth pipelines where volume often outpaced holistic conditioning. By age 13, Yao had joined the ' junior team after tryouts, committing to a grueling schedule of nearly ten hours of daily practice divided into four sessions, which honed his coordination and game IQ amid peers. Such regimens underscored the state's empirical bet on volume-driven mastery, yielding measurable gains in rebounding and blocking efficiency early on, though they deferred explosive feats like dunking in favor of controlled execution to align with team-oriented . After four years, this preparation propelled him to the senior roster in 1997 at age 17, where initial averages of 10 points and 8 rebounds per game demonstrated the efficacy of youth fundamentals in bridging to without immediate overreliance on alone. The transition highlighted causal advantages of sustained technical drilling under institutional oversight, contrasting decentralized paths elsewhere that might dilute early rigor through varied pursuits.

Professional Club Career

Shanghai Sharks Tenure (1997–2002)

Yao Ming joined the senior team of the , a club owned by the municipal sports authority, in 1997 after rising through China's state-managed youth basketball system. At age 17, he debuted in the 1997–98 (CBA) season, contributing modestly as a amid a league dominated by military-affiliated teams like the . His early performances highlighted physical advantages in a domestic circuit with limited international talent and shorter schedules, averaging around 10 points and 8 rebounds per game while adapting to professional demands. By his third season, Yao had emerged as the Sharks' cornerstone, leveraging his 7-foot-6 frame to control the in a league where centers faced minimal height competition beyond select imports and locals. In the 2000–01 campaign, he earned both regular-season and end-of-season MVP honors, leading the CBA in key categories and propelling to the finals, though they fell short against Bayi. His dominance underscored the CBA's structure, which prioritized state-selected athletes and featured fewer than 12 teams, fostering inflated individual stats against weaker opposition compared to global standards. The 2001–02 season marked Yao's pinnacle in China, as he guided the to their inaugural CBA championship on April 19, 2002, defeating the perennial powerhouse in the finals after three prior series losses to them. Averaging high double-doubles in points and rebounds, Yao's interior scoring and shot-blocking overwhelmed defenses, securing the title in a best-of-five series that ended Shanghai's long drought against Bayi's military-backed roster. This victory, the ' first in league history, demonstrated Yao's ability to elevate a mid-tier franchise within 's centralized system, though critics noted the CBA's isolation limited true competitive benchmarking. As Yao's NBA aspirations grew, tensions arose over his release from the state-controlled , who had blocked prior draft entries citing national interests and compensation demands. Negotiations intensified in spring 2002, with Yao's agent proposing terms to reimburse the club for development costs, amid pressure from CBA officials wary of talent exodus. An was reached by June 2002, allowing his while highlighting conflicts between individual mobility and state ownership of teams like . This resolution enabled Yao's departure after five seasons, during which he transformed the from finalists to champions but exposed the league's retention challenges.

Houston Rockets Era (2002–2011)

Yao Ming was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, marking the first time a player from outside North America or Europe was chosen at that position. Transitioning from China's state-managed basketball system, characterized by regimented training and limited professional competition, to the NBA's high-stakes, market-driven environment presented significant adaptation hurdles. These included overcoming language barriers, acclimating to the league's quicker tempo and greater athletic demands compared to international play, and managing lifestyle shifts such as altered diets, frequent transcontinental travel, and isolation from familiar support networks. During his tenure with the Rockets from 2002 to 2011, Yao formed key on-court partnerships, first with guard , which propelled the team to the in his rookie season of 2002–03, and later with following a 2004 trade that swapped Francis and others for the All-Star scorer. This duo anchored a Rockets squad that qualified for the postseason in seven consecutive years from 2003 to 2009, though they advanced past the first round only once, in 2009 against the Lakers before Yao's injury. Yao's scoring efficiency stood out, with career averages of 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on 52.4% field goal shooting across 486 regular-season appearances, reflecting his post dominance and mid-range accuracy honed despite the physical toll of his 7-foot-6 frame. Yao's durability, however, was compromised by recurrent foot and ankle injuries that caused him to miss over 250 games, with medical analyses attributing much of the vulnerability to accumulated stress from intensive in China's youth and professional systems, where extended seasons without adequate recovery periods preceded NBA rigors. These issues limited his peak availability, underscoring how prior systemic training practices in a less recovery-focused environment causally contributed to his shortened NBA prime, even as his on-court impact elevated the Rockets' competitiveness.

Initial Adaptation and Rising Star (2002–2005)

Yao Ming debuted in the NBA during the 2002–03 season with the Houston Rockets, averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game across 82 appearances, demonstrating resilience against initial skepticism regarding the viability of Chinese players following Wang Zhizhi's limited success. Critics, including Charles Barkley who wagered Yao would fail to score 19 points in his first game against the Lakers, questioned his physical toughness and adaptability to the league's intensity, yet he earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors. In the playoffs, the seventh-seeded Rockets faced the Lakers and were eliminated in five games, with Yao contributing amid matchups against Shaquille O'Neal. In his 2003–04 campaign, Yao elevated his production to 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in another 82 contests, showcasing improved footwork and post efficiency that countered doubts about his 7-foot-6 frame's agility. The Rockets again reached the as the seventh seed, losing 4–1 to the Lakers, where Yao averaged 15.0 points per game. His free-throw accuracy, reaching 81.1% that season, highlighted refined shooting mechanics atypical for centers of his stature, aiding in debunking stereotypes of inherent fragility as he maintained full-season durability. The 2004–05 season marked further ascent, with Yao averaging 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 80 games, earning his third selection and underscoring successful adaptation through consistent scoring inside against elite defenses. This period established Yao as a rising force, leveraging precise footwork and a soft shooting touch—evident in career free-throw rates above 80% in early years—to overcome height-related viability concerns and validate his transition from Chinese leagues to NBA contention.

Peak Performance Amid Injuries (2005–2011)

During the 2005–2006 NBA season, Yao Ming played 80 games for the Houston Rockets, averaging 22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, earning All-NBA Second Team honors. In the following 2006–2007 season, despite appearing in only 48 regular-season games, he achieved a career-high 25.0 points per game alongside 9.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, securing All-NBA First Team selection. These performances highlighted his peak scoring efficiency and defensive presence as a 7-foot-6 center, with his field goal percentage exceeding 50% in both seasons. In the 2007 playoffs, the Rockets faced the in the first round, where Yao averaged 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds across five games before the series loss in five contests. His output underscored a prime capability for dominant interior play, though team success was limited by matchup dynamics and supporting cast limitations. Yao's tenure was increasingly marred by lower extremity injuries, beginning with a 2005–2006 left big requiring surgery, which caused him to miss 21 games. A left foot sidelined him for the final 26 regular-season games and all in 2007–2008. The most severe occurred in May 2009 during the Western Conference Semifinals against the , when a hairline in his left foot was diagnosed, initially projected for 8–12 weeks recovery without surgery; however, poor healing necessitated further intervention, leading to his absence for the entire 2009–2010 season. These foot and ankle issues, including subsequent and in 2010, resulted in over 250 missed regular-season games across his career, predominantly in the latter years. Recovery timelines often extended beyond initial estimates due to incomplete healing, as evidenced by scans showing persistent fractures. By the 2010–2011 season, Yao appeared in only five games, averaging 10.2 points before a left ankle —linked to prior foot trauma—ended his participation, with mobility visibly compromised post-surgery. This decline manifested in reduced and , attributable to chronic lower leg stress accumulation. Observers and medical reports connected these patterns to Yao's pre-NBA career in China's CBA, where year-round play with the and national team offered minimal offseasons, fostering cumulative overuse without sufficient recovery periods—a factor in early stress reactions for tall athletes under such regimens. Data from his 55 games in 2007–2008 and 77 in 2008–2009 showed sustained scoring but increasing absences, signaling unsustainable physical toll from prolonged high-volume training and competition starting in youth.

Retirement from Competition (2011)

Yao Ming officially announced his retirement from professional on July 20, 2011, following multiple failed attempts to recover from recurring foot and ankle injuries that had sidelined him for significant portions of recent seasons. The decision came after he played only five games in the before suffering a left , which required surgery in January 2011, and subsequent evaluations by foot specialists confirmed chronic stress fractures in his left foot—his third such injury—and irreversible damage preventing a safe return to competition. These issues, including prior bouts of and breaks dating back to 2005, had already caused him to miss 250 regular-season games over his prior six seasons, rendering further play medically unfeasible despite rehabilitation efforts. The retirement concluded Yao's nine-season NBA tenure with the , during which he appeared in just 486 regular-season games, highlighting the abbreviated nature of his due to susceptibility rather than performance decline. Economically, the move involved negotiating an exit from his remaining contract obligations, allowing the Rockets to allocate resources accordingly while Yao forwent potential earnings tied to his player option and insurance-covered salary components. This pragmatic resolution underscored the causal primacy of health constraints over emotional or sentimental continuations, as Yao himself noted the impossibility of returning without risking permanent impairment. Post-retirement, Yao's eligibility for basketball's highest honors accelerated, culminating in his enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2016, recognizing his impact despite the injury-truncated career. The induction, occurring five years after his exit, affirmed his foundational contributions to the sport's global reach, even as empirical data on illustrated the brevity imposed by physiological limits.

International Career

Olympic Participation (2000–2008)

Yao Ming debuted for China's men's team at the in , where the squad finished 10th overall after advancing from preliminary rounds but falling in classification games. At age 19, Yao contributed offensively and defensively in six games, averaging 26.7 minutes, 10.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and notable shot-blocking presence despite youth and foul trouble in matchups against stronger opponents like the . In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried China's flag at the , honoring his status as the nation's premier athlete. The team secured an 8th-place finish, reaching the quarterfinals before a loss to , with Yao anchoring the frontcourt and leading scoring efforts at 20.7 across seven contests, alongside 10.6 rebounds and efficient at 55.9% from the field. His performance highlighted individual prowess amid team limitations in perimeter defense and turnover management during defeats to medal contenders. Hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympics amplified expectations for , with Yao again serving as flag bearer alongside a young earthquake survivor symbolizing national resilience. The home team placed 8th, exiting in the quarterfinals with a narrow 91-88 defeat to after Yao's 27-point outing; earlier, they notched a group-stage win over led by Yao's scoring. Over six games, Yao averaged 19.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 51.5% shooting, though recurring injuries and collective defensive shortcomings—evident in allowing high outputs from foes like the —curtailed medal hopes despite fervent domestic support.

FIBA World Championships and Asian Games

Yao Ming competed for in the in , averaging 25.3 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game over six contests, topping the tournament in scoring efficiency with a 63.9% on 8.8 makes from 13.8 attempts. 's campaign ended in the quarterfinals following defeats to (78-75) and (78-81), underscoring limitations in team depth against elite international opposition despite Yao's output. In FIBA Asia Cup tournaments, Yao exhibited marked dominance, guiding China to gold medals in 2001, 2003, and 2005 while securing MVP recognition each year through superior scoring and rebounding. For instance, in the 2003 edition, he tallied 30 points in the final against Qatar, converting 12 of 16 two-point attempts. His averages frequently surpassed 22 points per game across these events, reflecting an empirical advantage in physicality and skill over regional rivals, though critics noted such figures benefited from comparatively lower defensive intensity than encountered in global or NBA play. Asian Games performances further highlighted Yao's regional hegemony, with capturing golds in editions where his contributions as a scoring focal point overwhelmed Asian competition, often yielding 30-plus point outings in key matches. This contrast with World Championship results illustrates how Yao's individual prowess translated more reliably against less robust defenses, enabling padded efficiency metrics absent the athletic rigor of top-tier international fields.

Contributions to Chinese Team Outcomes

Yao Ming assumed the role of for the Chinese men's national team in the mid-2000s, including during the 2008 Beijing Olympics where his leadership was confirmed despite injury concerns. His presence elevated the team's international standing, enabling consistent top-8 finishes in Olympic competitions—8th place in 2004 after advancing from group play and 8th in 2008 with a 2-4 record as hosts—compared to prior eras without comparable interior dominance. However, these rankings masked underlying deficiencies, as suffered decisive losses to NBA-caliber opponents, such as 58–83 to and 57–82 to in 2004, highlighting insufficient perimeter defense, athleticism, and depth beyond Yao's scoring prowess (e.g., 25.3 and 9 rebounds in the ). Despite Yao's individual impact—leading upsets like a 78–77 victory over in 2006 via teammate heroics but ultimately finishing 9th–12th overall—China secured no medals in World Championships during his tenure, underscoring persistent systemic gaps in talent development and coaching that his singular height and skill could not fully compensate for. He contributed to youth cultivation, publicly endorsing prospects like as early as 2004 and stating Yi could surpass him, which aided in grooming a secondary star who debuted internationally alongside Yao. Yet, this mentorship did little to forge a cohesive unit capable of global contention, as losses exposed reliance on Yao amid broader failures in player selection and genetic/athletic pipelines engineered to replicate his physique. Post-retirement analysis reveals Yao's era may have obscured deeper structural flaws, with China's performance plummeting to 29th place at the 2023 —its worst-ever finish—and early exits as 2019 hosts, reflecting unaddressed issues in coaching efficacy, political interference in talent pipelines, and failure to produce scalable athletic depth beyond state-orchestrated breeding programs that yielded Yao but few successors. This decline questions whether Yao's outsized contributions propped up rankings without resolving causal roots like inadequate scouting and training rigor, as evidenced by the team's inability to sustain even Asian dominance long-term without him.

Career Statistics and Accolades

Domestic and NBA Regular Season Data

Yao Ming's five seasons in the (CBA) with the from 1997 to 2002 showcased his dominance as a phenom who matured into the league's top scorer and rebounder. Career averages included 21.3 on 70.7% shooting, reflecting his reliance on post scoring and dunks against inferior competition. In his breakout 2001–02 season, he posted 38.9 points, 20.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game en route to the Sharks' first CBA title. In the NBA with the from 2002 to 2011, Yao appeared in 486 regular-season games, accumulating 9,247 points (19.0 per game), 4,494 rebounds (9.2 per game), and 865 assists (1.8 per game), with 920 blocks (1.9 per game). His stood at 52.6% career, bolstered by 83.3% free-throw accuracy despite volume attempts averaging 8.0 per game. Advanced metrics highlight efficiency: a (PER) of 22.9 and win shares per 48 minutes (WS/48) of .200, indicating strong per-minute contributions relative to contemporaries like (career PER 27.0, WS/48 .230), adjusted for Yao's lower durability and minutes (32.0 per game vs. O'Neal's 36.0).
SeasonGPMPGPPGRPGAPGFG%PERWS/48
2002–038229.013.88.21.7.49618.5.146
2003–047432.417.59.02.3.49720.6.164
2004–058032.918.38.41.6.51821.4.175
2005–065733.722.310.22.5.50923.5.189
2006–074833.825.09.42.0.53326.5.227
2007–085534.119.69.02.3.50622.0.170
2008–097733.519.69.62.0.54423.0.200
2009–105130.217.19.31.6.53521.0.164
2010–115726.517.17.71.2.53519.5.150
Career48632.019.09.21.8.52622.9.200
These figures exclude playoff games and reflect regular-season play only, with peak efficiency in 2006–07 (PER 26.5, highest among centers that year).

Playoff Records

Yao Ming participated in five NBA playoff series with the between 2004 and 2009, appearing in 28 games total due to recurring foot injuries that limited his postseason availability. His career playoff averages were 19.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 assists per game, with a of 53.1% and percentage of 83.2%. These figures reflect solid interior production but were constrained by the Rockets' frequent first-round matchups against elite Western Conference opponents and Yao's injury history, which caused him to miss the 2003, 2006, 2008, and 2010 entirely. The Rockets advanced past the first round only once, defeating the 4–2 in 2009, where Yao averaged 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds across six games before a foot injury sidelined him after three games in the Western Conference Semifinals against the , where he posted 19.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Earlier series included high-scoring outputs, such as 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds against the in 2007, but ended in first-round defeats. Four of the five series were first-round eliminations, underscoring the impact of fatigue and physical toll on Yao's endurance in extended playoff runs.
SeasonRoundOpponentResultGames PlayedPPGRPGAPGFG%
2003–04FirstL 1–4515.07.41.844.8%
2004–05FirstL 3–4721.47.70.766.1%
2006–07FirstL 3–4725.110.30.944.9%
2008–09FirstW 4–2615.810.70.850.0%
2008–09SemifinalsL 1–4 (Yao in 3)319.711.31.372.7%

Awards, Honors, and Milestones

Yao Ming earned eight NBA selections from 2003 to 2009 and in 2011, participating in seven of those games before injuries curtailed his availability. He received five All-NBA honors: Second Team in 2007 and 2009, and Third Team in 2004, 2006, and 2008. Yao was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team following the 2002–03 season. In domestic Chinese basketball, Yao was named Chinese Basketball Association MVP in 2002 and Finals MVP that same year while leading the Shanghai Sharks to the championship. Internationally, he won MVP honors at the FIBA Asia Championship three times (2001, 2003, 2005), guiding China to gold medals each time. Yao's career milestones include being selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the on June 26, the first Chinese player and first international player without U.S. college experience to achieve that distinction. He led the CBA in blocks three times prior to entering the NBA. Post-retirement, Yao was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2023. These recognitions, accumulated over nine NBA seasons in which Yao played just 486 regular-season games due to recurrent foot injuries, underscore his per-game impact as a 7-foot-6 center averaging 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds.

Post-Retirement Pursuits

Business Ventures and Endorsements

Yao Ming transitioned from state-controlled athletics to private enterprise after his 2011 retirement, leveraging his global fame for endorsement deals and investments that underscored his commercial independence. He maintained partnerships with major brands, including , Visa, Apple, and , which had been secured during his NBA tenure but extended into post-retirement marketing efforts. These agreements capitalized on his appeal in and internationally, generating substantial off-court income beyond his $93 million in NBA salary earnings. In 2011, Yao founded Yao Family Wines, a Napa Valley winery producing and , with the goal of exporting premium vintages to amid rising demand for imported wines. The venture included innovative promotions, such as pairing a 2018 with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in 2021 to attract tech-savvy collectors. By 2015, the winery pursued to expand facilities and visitor centers, reflecting Yao's strategy to build a family legacy in the competitive U.S. wine market. Yao acquired majority ownership of the CBA team in July 2009 for an undisclosed sum, retaining a post-retirement before selling 40% of his shares to investors including CMC Holdings and Everbright Capital in 2017. This stake provided ongoing revenue from team operations and player development, though he divested further amid his administrative roles. His overall , derived from endorsements, earnings, and ventures like the , stands at approximately $160 million as of recent estimates. Yao's stardom empirically expanded the NBA's operations, evolving from limited broadcasts pre-2002 to a multi-billion-dollar enterprise by the late through increased viewership, merchandising, and events tied to his games. This growth persisted post-retirement, with NBA generating billions in annual revenue from partnerships and media rights that Yao's helped establish.

Philanthropy and Environmental Advocacy

Yao Ming founded the Yao Foundation in 2008 in response to the Sichuan earthquake, initially focusing on reconstruction efforts including the construction of Hope Schools in rural areas. The organization emphasizes sports and education programs for underprivileged youth, raising funds through events like charity basketball games to support physical education initiatives. By 2012, it had facilitated the establishment of 14 Hope Primary Schools, benefiting over 9,000 rural children with access to education and sports facilities. Subsequent expansions reached programs in nearly 380 schools, engaging thousands more students through partnerships, though total funding specifics remain tied to annual charity drives rather than fixed endowments exceeding $10 million. In environmental advocacy, Yao partnered with WildAid starting in the early to campaign against shark fin consumption, leveraging his celebrity status in public service announcements that highlighted the ecological toll of finning. These efforts contributed to reported declines in shark fin demand in , with surveys indicating reductions of 50-80% in consumption rates by the mid-, alongside broader anti-wildlife initiatives targeting and rhino horn. While WWF has noted Hong Kong's role as a hub, Yao's campaigns focused on mainland awareness, achieving behavioral shifts among urban consumers but facing persistent challenges from entrenched cultural practices and regulatory enforcement gaps in 's centralized system. Overall, Yao's has directly ed over 100,000 through and , yet systemic impacts remain constrained by China's nonprofit oversight, where approvals limit independent scaling and transparency issues, as seen in broader charity scandals, hinder transformative policy changes. Efforts prioritize measurable local outcomes like participant numbers over nationwide reforms, reflecting the practical bounds of celebrity-driven in an authoritarian framework.

Basketball Governance and Reforms

Yao Ming was unanimously elected president of the (CBA) on February 23, 2017, with a mandate to overhaul the league's structure, including development programs and national team selection processes. His initiatives emphasized integrating sports with , establishing clearer talent pipelines from schools to clubs, and imposing limits on player participation to prioritize long-term development over short-term gains. He also restructured national team operations, granting greater autonomy to focus on rebuilding amid China's state-dominated sports system. These efforts aimed to professionalize the CBA by reducing administrative bottlenecks and fostering market-driven incentives, such as revised rules for player contracts and league ownership stakes among clubs. Under Yao's seven-year tenure, the CBA achieved commercial progress, with increased sponsorships, digital broadcasting, and merchandise sales contributing to overall league revenue growth and positioning it as a more viable domestic product. However, these gains contrasted sharply with stagnation in international competitiveness; the Chinese men's national failed to qualify for the Olympics after , finishing without advancement in subsequent World Cups and Asian qualifiers, including a dismal showing at the 2023 World Cup that underscored persistent skill gaps against global peers. scandals further undermined reforms, notably the 2023 match-fixing probe that led to the disqualification of the and from playoffs, prompting Yao to publicly lament the damage to the league's integrity. Yao resigned on October 30, 2024, citing personal reasons but amid mounting pressure from the national team's failures and unresolved governance issues, with his successor Guo Zhenming assuming the role. Empirical outcomes reveal that while domestic advanced, deeper structural reforms faltered due to entrenched state interference, which prioritized bureaucratic control over merit-based talent systems and market autonomy—evident in officials' rejection of proposals deemed incompatible with "national circumstances" and resistance to dismantling networks. This causal dynamic perpetuated inefficiencies, as partial liberalization could not overcome systemic opacity, resulting in sustained underperformance in competitions despite Yao's targeted interventions. Such patterns align with broader critiques of state oversight stifling evolution in , where administrative vetoes blocked full implementation of draft systems and youth quotas needed for competitive depth.

Public and Political Engagements

Yao Ming serves as a deputy to the , China's highest legislative body, and has attended its annual sessions, including those in 2024 and 2025. He has also held advisory positions in political bodies, such as membership in the standing committee of Shanghai's political advisory committee since January 2012 and the 12th National Committee of the . These roles involve providing input on policy matters, including sports development, though Yao's public contributions have emphasized grassroots physical education without challenging state directives. In symbolic alignment with national events, Yao participated as a torchbearer for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, carrying the flame into on August 6, 2008, while bearing the Chinese flag as team captain. He repeated this role in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics torch relay, which was abbreviated due to restrictions, joining 135 bearers including figures like actor . Amid the 2019 NBA-China dispute sparked by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's tweet supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, Yao, then president of the Chinese Basketball Association, voiced disagreement with the NBA's defense of Morey, echoing Chinese state media's condemnation of the league for insufficiently distancing itself from the statement. Under his leadership, the CBA suspended all cooperation with the Rockets, including merchandising and training ties, contributing to the league's temporary exclusion from Chinese broadcasting and events. Yao has maintained that sports cannot entirely evade politics, as stated in a November 2024 interview, but has refrained from critiquing Chinese government policies on issues like Hong Kong or human rights, unlike certain Western athletes who have done so publicly.

Legacy and Assessment

Global and Economic Impact on Basketball

Yao Ming's selection as the first overall pick in the by the marked a pivotal moment in the league's efforts, particularly in , where his presence catalyzed unprecedented interest and investment. His matchup against in a 2003 drew an estimated 200 million viewers in alone, surpassing audiences for domestic programming and exceeding viewership figures. This visibility surge transformed the NBA from a niche import—previously attracting only about 5% of Chinese sports viewership—into a dominant force, prompting the league to accelerate infrastructure like training academies and broadcast partnerships. Economically, Yao's stardom underpinned the NBA's revenue expansion in , where operations grew to represent roughly half of the league's international sales. By 2011, NBA China generated an estimated $150–170 million annually from , merchandise, and events, a figure that escalated to around $500 million per year by the late through sustained . His appeal drove merchandise exports, including jerseys and apparel, fueling partnerships with Chinese brands like Peak and Anta that signed NBA players and elevated local production for global distribution. Despite occasionally outselling Yao in jersey rankings, the overall boost in NBA-licensed goods sales reflected Yao's role in validating the market's scale. Yao's success empirically demonstrated the viability of elite Asian players, countering pre-2002 draft skepticism about their physical competitiveness against Western athletes, and facilitated pathways for successors like , drafted 43rd overall by the Rockets in 2016. While no player has matched Yao's caliber or —highlighting structural challenges in Chinese talent development, such as training emphasis on height over versatility—his tenure proved that top Asian prospects could thrive, influencing scouting and bilateral player exchanges. This causal foundation persists, with NBA academies in now training over 300 million participants.

Cultural Influence and Representation

Yao Ming's image permeated , most enduringly through an originating from his bemused facial expression during a 2009 press conference following the ' loss to the , which became a staple symbolizing irony or resignation. This meme, alongside appearances in media and endorsements, solidified his status as a global icon, enhancing Asian representation in Western sports narratives where non-Western athletes had previously been marginal. His success challenged stereotypes of Asian physicality in basketball, fostering broader visibility for East Asian players and fans, though subsequent Asian NBA entrants like Japan's have not matched his cultural footprint. In , Yao's NBA debut in catalyzed a surge in youth engagement, with NBA China partnerships by explicitly targeting expanded participation through clinics and programs that drew millions of young participants amid heightened . State-backed initiatives, inspired by Yao's 7-foot-6 stature, emphasized scouting and training tall children—often through selective breeding-like programs rooted in his parents' athletic lineage—to replicate his dominance, leading to increased enrollment in height-focused academies. However, this approach prioritized raw physical attributes over skill development, yielding a proliferation of oversized but underdeveloped players, as 's national team stagnated internationally. The promise of a "next Yao" remained unfulfilled due to systemic barriers, including politicized sports governance and a development pipeline bottlenecked by emphasis on height scouting at the expense of versatile, smaller guards who dominate modern play. FIBA rankings reflect this shortfall: China's men's team, once a continental power, plummeted to 29th place at the 2019 World Cup—its worst finish—and has produced no NBA-caliber talent comparable to Yao since his 2002 draft, with only sporadic lower-tier exports like Yi Jianlian. Yao himself assumed responsibility for these outcomes as CBA chairman in 2019, acknowledging failures in talent cultivation amid state control that stifled innovation and international competitiveness. Despite the initial pride and participation boom, causal factors like rigid hierarchies and preference for team-sport alternatives underscore why quantity in youth programs did not translate to quality on global stages.

Achievements Versus Criticisms

Yao Ming's conception was facilitated by the Chinese government's sports apparatus, which paired his parents—both elite players standing 6 feet 8 inches and 6 feet 3 inches tall, respectively—in a deliberate effort to engineer a taller amid post-Mao -inspired policies favoring for national athletic superiority. While this state intervention drew parallels to experiments, Yao's extraordinary physical attributes and NBA achievements—averaging 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds over nine seasons—arguably validated the approach's efficacy in producing a generational talent, though it raised ethical questions about individual autonomy in a collectivist system. Early in his career, Yao faced teammate rebukes for perceived , particularly after the 2004 Athens Olympics where his frustration with underperforming Chinese national team colleagues led to public comments interpreted as dismissive, prompting apologies and highlighting tensions between his disciplined professionalism and team dynamics under pressure. Such incidents fueled criticisms that his reserved demeanor, shaped by cultural and systemic expectations of deference, occasionally hindered assertive leadership, though peers later praised his humility as a counter to NBA . Yao's NBA tenure ended prematurely in 2011 due to recurrent foot and ankle injuries, including multiple fractures and surgeries that limited him to 486 games, sparking debate over his 2016 Hall of Fame induction despite lacking the longevity of peers like . Proponents emphasized his peak dominance—All-NBA First Team selections in 2006-09 and averages exceeding 25 points in healthy seasons—outweighing injury-shortened play, while detractors argued it prioritized international impact over sustained elite production, underscoring the physical toll of his 7-foot-6 frame. As (CBA) president from 2017 to 2024, Yao pursued reforms to professionalize the league, including foreign player limits and anti-corruption measures, yet resigned on October 31, 2024, amid national team failures such as missing the 2024 Olympics and poor showings, which he attributed to unmet expectations despite investments. This outcome questioned the efficacy of his top-down interventions in a bureaucracy resistant to change, where entrenched interests stifled grassroots development and , perpetuating reliance on singular stars like Yao rather than systemic innovation. Initial Western skepticism toward Yao's 2002 NBA entry—fueled by doubts about his durability, skill against physical defenders, and cultural fit—proved unfounded as he earned Rookie of the Year honors and nods, dismantling of Asian athleticism. However, China's opaque sports , marked by state control and historical doping scandals in other disciplines, raised unproven concerns about fairness, though no evidence implicated Yao personally and his clean record aligned with rigorous NBA testing. This tension reflects broader critiques that the system's collectivism curbed Yao's potential for unbridled creativity, prioritizing national glory over personal agency.

References

  1. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mingya01.html
  2. https://www.nba.com/player/2397/yao-ming
  3. https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/yao-ming/
  4. https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/yao-ming-elected-naismith-memorial-basketball-hall-fame
  5. https://www.nba.com/news/yao-ming-steps-down-as-head-of-chinese-national-league
  6. https://www.nba.com/news/yao-ming-named-president-chinese-basketball-association
  7. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/bio/_/id/1722/yao-ming
  8. https://www.heightcomparison.com/article/yao-ming
  9. https://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Sh-Z/Yao-Ming.html
  10. https://time.com/archive/6675385/the-creation-of-yao-ming/
  11. https://www.unz.com/isteve/yao-ming-successful-eugenics-experiment/
  12. https://www.discovermagazine.com/was-yao-ming-bred-199
  13. https://funfactz.com/sports-facts/yao-mings-parents/
  14. https://www.fandango.com/people/ming-yao-737925/biography
  15. https://mainstand.co.th/en/features/5/article/3252
  16. http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=books/yao/excerpt
  17. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27596275/nba-china-favorite-sport-the-next-yao-ming-arrive-nba
  18. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/774631-giant-footprints-a-yao-mings-story
  19. http://www.esquire.com/sports/interviews/a6782/yao-ming-0110/
  20. https://archive.nytimes.com/sinosphere.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/yao-ming-on-third-year-as-a-college-student/
  21. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/china-yao-ming
  22. https://www.asia-basket.com/China/Chinese-Basketball-Association_2000-2001.aspx
  23. https://en.people.cn/200204/20/eng20020420_94419.shtml
  24. https://www.proballers.com/basketball/team/302/shanghai-sharks/2001
  25. https://www.espn.com/nbadraft/story/_/id/1396781
  26. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/23/sports/plus-pro-basketball-yao-reaches-an-agreement.html
  27. https://www.deseret.com/2002/4/25/19651334/nba-star-china-says-ok-but/
  28. https://www.nba.com/news/legendary-moments-history-houston-rockets-draft-yao-ming-2002
  29. http://www.china.org.cn/english/NM-e/35721.htm
  30. https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3138863/day-yao-ming-goes-first-nba-draft-disaster-waiting-happen-all-star
  31. https://ballislife.com/mcgrady-francis-trade/
  32. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsEXo10TZTM
  33. https://theweek.com/articles/483067/yao-mings-retirement-why-hasnt-china-produced-new-nba-star
  34. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3736868/2022/10/28/yao-ming-nba-rockets/
  35. https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/yao-ming-rookie-year-stats
  36. https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players/yao_ming.htm
  37. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mingya01/gamelog-playoffs/
  38. https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/yao-ming-best-season-stats
  39. https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players_game_logs/2004/yao_ming_full.htm
  40. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/1722/yao-ming
  41. https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=yao%2Bming%2B04-05%2Bstats
  42. https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/cqhn7f/yao_ming_shot_83_from_the_ft_line_for_his_career/
  43. https://vault.si.com/vault/2007/04/16/the-evolution-of-yao
  44. https://www.landofbasketball.com/nba_players_game_logs/2007/yao_ming_full.htm
  45. https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2007-nba-western-conference-first-round-jazz-vs-rockets.html
  46. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHhHXRAXTfU
  47. https://www.si.com/nba/2009/06/29/yao
  48. https://sportsforecaster.com/nba/p/60642/Yao_Ming/transactions
  49. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/sports/basketball/10yao.html
  50. https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/news/story?id=4295729
  51. https://memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/yao-ming-medical-update
  52. https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8239284/
  53. https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/yao-ming-said-he-struggled-with-thoughts-of-retirement-at-just-30
  54. https://www.drbobchen.com/2014/tips2_0619/827.html
  55. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14214177
  56. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/natl-injuries-force-china-basketball-legend-yao-ming-to-retire/2095543/
  57. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/chn-yao-confirms-retirement
  58. https://globalnews.ca/news/137787/yao-ming-retires-ending-basketball-career-cut-short-by-foot-and-leg-injuries/
  59. https://www.ibtimes.com/yao-ming-retire-did-injuries-overcome-gentle-giant-photo-297051
  60. https://www.heraldandnews.com/sports/yao-ming-to-retire/article_af5dafc2-a9bd-11e0-8716-001cc4c002e0.html
  61. https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/yao-ming-career-stats-totals
  62. https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/2402/yao-ming
  63. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/15098603/yao-ming-inducted-naismith-memorial-basketball-hall-fame
  64. https://basketball.realgm.com/national/tournament/1/Olympic-Games/5/stats
  65. https://www.olympics.com/en/athletes/ming-yao
  66. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/history/320-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament/2714/players/127846-ming-yao
  67. https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/china/2004.html
  68. https://www.olympics.com/en/news/legacy-olympic-torchbearer-nba-hero-yao-ming
  69. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/history/320-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament/3330/stats
  70. https://www.olympics.com/en/video/yao-ming-leads-china-to-1st-win-in-group-b/
  71. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/history/201-fiba-basketball-world-cup/2941/players/127846-ming-yao
  72. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/history/201-fiba-basketball-world-cup/2941/stats
  73. https://www.asia-basket.com/FIBA-Asia-Cup/basketball_2003.aspx
  74. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-asiacup-2025/news/asia-cup-legends-yao-ming
  75. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/players/127846-ming-yao
  76. https://www.mlive.com/olympics/2008/07/yao_ming_returns_to_action_for.html
  77. https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/china/2008.html
  78. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsnfZVxMpH4
  79. https://basketball.realgm.com/national/boxscore/2006-08-24/China-at-Slovenia/58800
  80. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-07/14/content_348210.htm
  81. https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/384036
  82. https://www.nba.com/news/chinas-lack-nba-talent-remains-mystery
  83. https://radii.co/article/chinese-mens-basketball-asia-cup-silver
  84. https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/ws_per_48_career.html
  85. https://about.fiba.basketball/en/fiba-hall-of-fame/hall-of-famers/yao-ming
  86. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/2023-hall-of-fame-class-yao-ming
  87. https://www.china-briefing.com/news/yao-ming-to-retire-today/
  88. https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0%2C28804%2C1970858_1970910_1972002%2C00.html
  89. https://www.cnbc.com/2011/12/01/yao-ming-from-playmaker-to-winemaker.html
  90. https://www.winebusiness.com/news/newreleases/article/244031
  91. https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-CJB-26094?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdN1tY7Mkj_DmJRY2UFjfjD8lhYqs0zio6uY5W4YjeM_-rij4c8EqSI&gaa_ts=68fcea66&gaa_sig=2PNbXwN32Uq7lHrg2ePMIgz-4a3UsmlhA0JPpzoEJwi-FLb42Bz9VeBOLnlOr1oFdLN1phh6AMiqXAlg3AjiPA%253D%253D
  92. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/yao-ming-buys-cash-strapped-shanghai-team-idUSTRE56F11G/
  93. https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/china-basketball-circles-eye-sale-of-cba-president-yao-ming-stake-in-shanghai-sharks
  94. https://www.celebritynetworth.com/list/top-50-nba/
  95. https://www.totalprosports.com/nba/how-yao-ming-revolutionized-nba-popularity-in-china/
  96. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/bet/1881412/the-seven-foot-bridge-how-yao-ming-revolutionized-the-nbas-relationship-with-china/
  97. https://icapcharityday.com/our-impact/2013-yao-foundation
  98. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/04/c_138283111.htm
  99. https://pr.nba.com/yao-ming-nba-china-partnership/
  100. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesasia/2017/06/28/back-in-china-basketball-legend-yao-ming-pursues-philanthropy/
  101. https://howtoconserve.org/2015/09/11/yao-ming-saving-sharks/
  102. https://focusingonwildlife.com/news/from-the-court-to-the-planet-how-yao-mings-foundation-wildaid-and-the-nba-are-teaming-up-to-protect-wildlife/
  103. https://www.cnn.com/us/how-to-help-sharks-shark-week-iyw
  104. https://missionblue.org/2013/01/hong-kong-shark-fin-traders-take-to-the-rooftops/
  105. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201307/01/WS5a2f8218a3108bc8c6725062.html
  106. https://hkjc-iop.useast01.umbraco.io/media/iw2g5mo5/examining-trust-and-impact-measurement-in-asian-philanthropy.pdf
  107. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18745594/yao-ming-unanimously-voted-president-chinese-basketball-association
  108. https://asiatimes.com/2020/05/yao-urges-changes-in-athletic-talent-system/
  109. https://proskillsbasketball.com/china-basketball-reforms-assessment/
  110. https://www.sportbusiness.com/2018/04/tell-me-ma-yao-mings-sidekick-on-reforms-at-the-cba/
  111. https://www.ewadirect.com/proceedings/aemps/article/view/23783
  112. https://www.fiba.basketball/en/history/320-mens-olympic-basketball-tournament/5080/teams/peoples-republic-of-china
  113. https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/36223395/china-basketball-association-disqualifies-teams-match-fixing
  114. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202410/1322202.shtml
  115. https://lastwordonsports.com/basketball/2024/10/30/rockets-legend-yao-ming-steps-down-cba-president/
  116. http://hongkongfp.com/2017/03/19/yao-ming-versus-officials-effort-reform-chinas-basketball-scene/
  117. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-06-05/with-yao-ming-s-ouster-chinese-basketball-has-lost-its-reform-champion
  118. https://chinasportsinsider.com/2017/04/24/yao-mings-battle-to-reform-the-cba/
  119. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14476517/basketball-NBA-Ex-hoops-star-Yao-Ming-towers-National-Peoples-Congress-Beijing.html
  120. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/03/05/yao-ming-basketball-nba-chinese-congress/
  121. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-01/16/content_14449656.htm
  122. https://en.people.cn/n3/2019/0314/c90000-9556018.html
  123. https://olympics.com/en/athletes/ming-yao
  124. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/02/olympic-torch-begins-covid-shortened-trek-past-beijing-landmarks.html
  125. https://people.com/sports/beijing-olympics-flame-lights-snowflake-cauldron/
  126. https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/adam-silver-said-yao-ming-disagreed-with-the-nbas-response-to-daryl-moreys-hong-kong-tweet
  127. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/sports/basketball/nba-china-hong-kong.html
  128. https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3287704/china-nba-legend-yao-ming-says-sports-cant-hide-politics-after-2019-controversy
  129. https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/15131532/nba-yao-ming-impact-asian-american-basketball-fans-was-long-reach
  130. https://www.streetopia.me/m/news/5f5e62c6b616f050536b2b53/are-you-familiar-with-the-yao-ming-effect
  131. https://davidsonhang.com/2020/04/08/yao-ming-the-inspiring-story-of-one-of-basketballs-most-dominant-centers/
  132. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/beyond-yao-the-future-of-chinese-basketball/
  133. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2019/10/09/nba-china-hong-kong-whats-at-stake/3912447002/
  134. https://sports.yahoo.com/why-yao-mings-global-marketing-impact-is-still-felt-today-151512061.html
  135. https://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/3234/why-don-t-more-chinese-people-wear-yao-ming-s-jersey
  136. https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/1980640/new-yao-ming-chinese-ace-zhou-qi-follows-legends-giant-footsteps-he
  137. https://thescore.com/nba/news/1362618
  138. https://www.si.com/nba/video/2014/11/12/yao-ming-talks-meme
  139. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/15131532/nba-yao-ming-impact-asian-american-basketball-fans-was-long-reach
  140. https://proconnectbasketball.com/blogs/news/the-importance-yao-ming-has-played-in-international-basketball
  141. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/yao-ming-the-basketball-giant-made-in-china-by-order-of-the-state-20060119-gdmsz0.html
  142. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/sports/basketball/yaos-retirement-forces-china-to-rethink-basketball-system.html
  143. https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3026551/fiba-basketball-world-cup-yao-ming-takes-responsibility-fors-china
  144. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-09/09/c_138375984.htm
  145. https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/7654-yao-mings-attitude-under-fire/
  146. https://sports.yahoo.com/yao-ming-is-a-hall-of-famer-221211283.html
  147. https://www.espn.com/blog/houston-rockets/post/_/id/2881/years-later-former-rockets-star-yao-ming-continues-to-have-foot-issues
  148. https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202411/01/WS6723552da310f1265a1cab95.html
  149. https://spacecityscoop.com/2020/05/21/rockets-news-tracy-mcgrady-puts-respect-yao-mings-name/
  150. https://chinasportsinsider.com/2016/08/30/chinas-doping-problem-and-why-it-matters/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.