"The NBA is a big family, and I think of all these rookies as my brothers. I still believe I am blue collar among the All-Stars."
-- Yao Ming
Date of Birth: Sept. 12, 1980
Place of Birth: Shanghai, China
Height: 2.29 m
Yao Ming, a native Shanghainese, is a professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the tallest player in the NBA at 2.29 m.
Born on Sept. 12, 1980, Yao is the only child to mother Fang Feng Di, and father Yao Zhi Yuan, both of whom were successful basketball stars in their own right.
Yao started playing for the Shanghai Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), winning a championship in his final year.
While growing up as an abnormally tall child, Yao was introduced to the sport of basketball at an early age. But before the age of 10, he displayed very little interest in the game of basketball.
Under the coaching and guidance of his parents, Yao attended Shanghai's provincial sports academy at the age of 12 and played center for the local Shanghai Youth Team at 14.
He joined the Shanghai Sharks during the 1997-'98 season and the 17-year-old shone as the team's man in the middle.
In 1999, Yao was added to the Chinese men's national team and the following year, he competed alongside the rest of China's elite players during the 2000 Olympic Summer Games in Australia.
Yao entered the 2002 NBA Draft, and after negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick of the draft.
He has since been selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game in all seven of his seasons, and has been named to the All-NBA Team five times.
However, the Rockets have advanced past the first round of the playoffs only once since he joined the team, and he has missed significant time due to injury in each of the past four seasons.
Yao is married to Ye Li, a former player for the China women's national basketball team. He is one of China's best-known athletes, with sponsorships with several major companies, and he has been the richest celebrity in China for six straight years.
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."
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| Yao Ming of China reacts during Men's Preliminary Round Group B game 12 between USA and China of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games basketball event at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008. (Xinhua/Li Jundong) |
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| Yao Ming of China smiles during Men's Preliminary Round Group B-Game 33 between China and Angola of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games basketball event at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 14, 2008. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin) |
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| Yao Ming of China shoots free throws during Men's Preliminary Round Group B game 12 between USA and China of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games basketball event at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin) |
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| Houston Rockets' Yao Ming passes the ball over Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo during the first quarter of their NBA game in Boston on Wednesday. (Photo: Chin Daily) |
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| Yao Ming (C) of China shoots during Men's Preliminary Round Group B-Game 33 between China and Angola of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games basketball event at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 14, 2008. (Xinhua/Yang Lei) |
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| Injured player Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets sits on the bench in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semi-final basketball playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, May 12, 2009. (Xinhua/Qi Heng) |
