Yao Ming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yao Ming
Yao in 2014
6th President of the Chinese Basketball Association
In office February 23, 2017 – October 31, 2024
Preceded by	Yu Zaiqing
Succeeded by	Guo Zhenming
Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (12th)
In office March 2013 – March 2018
Chairman	Yu Zhengsheng
Personal details
Born	(1980-09-12) September 12, 1980 (age 44) Shanghai, China
Spouse	Ye Li ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	1
Occupation	Basketball player / administrator
Yao Ming Personal information Listed height 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) Listed weight 310 lb (141 kg) Career information NBA Draft 2002 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall Selected by the Houston Rockets Pro career 1997–2011 Career history 1997–2002 Shanghai Sharks 2002–2011 Houston Rockets Career highlights and awards 8× NBA All-Star (2003–2009, 2011) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2007, 2009) 3× All-NBA Third Team (2004, 2006, 2007) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2003) No. 11 retired by Houston Rockets CBA MVP (2001) CBA champion (2002) CBA Finals MVP (2001) 3× CBA rebounding leader (2000–2002) 3× CBA blocks leader (2000–2002) 3× FIBA Asia Cup MVP (2001, 2003, 2005) Career NBA statistics Points 9,247 (19.0 ppg) Rebounds 4,494 (9.2 rpg) Blocks 920 (1.9 bpg) Medals Men's basketball Representing  China FIBA Asia Cup Gold 1999 Fukuoka Gold 2001 Shanghai Gold 2003 Harbin Gold 2005 Doha Asian Games Silver 2002 Busan Universiade Games Silver 2001 Beijing East Asian Games Gold 2001 Osaka

Yao Ming
Yao's name in Chinese characters
Chinese	姚明
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yáo Míng Bopomofo ㄧㄠˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Yau Ming Wade–Giles Yao2 Ming2 IPA [i̯ǎu̯ mǐŋ] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Yìuh Mìhng IPA [jȉːu mȅŋ] Jyutping jiu4 ming4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Iâu Bêng

Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a famous Chinese basketball player and executive. He played for the Shanghai Sharks in China and the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Yao was chosen to start in the NBA All-Star Game eight times. He was also named to the All-NBA Team five times. In his last season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA at 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m).

Yao was born in Shanghai, China. He started playing for the Sharks as a teenager. He played five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and won a championship in his final year. In 2002, the Rockets picked him first in the 2002 NBA draft. He played in the NBA playoffs four times. The Rockets won their first playoff series since 1997 in 2009. In July 2011, Yao retired from basketball. This was due to many foot and ankle injuries.

Yao is one of China's most well-known athletes around the world. He has many sponsorship deals. A movie called The Year of the Yao was made about his first year in the NBA. He also wrote a book called Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. His success in the NBA made him a symbol of a new, modern China. Yao also owns a winery called Yao Family Wines.

In April 2016, Yao was chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was the first Chinese person to get this honor. In February 2017, he became the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association. Yao also had a great career with the Chinese national team. He won the FIBA Asia Cup in 2001, 2003, and 2005. He was named MVP in all three tournaments. He retired from the national team after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Growing Up

Yao is the only child of Yao Zhiyuan and Fang Fengdi. Both of his parents were professional basketball players. His father was 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall, and his mother was 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall. Yao weighed 11 pounds (5 kg) when he was born. This was more than twice the average weight for a Chinese newborn.

Yao started playing basketball when he was nine years old. He went to a junior sports school. The next year, he was 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall. Doctors thought he would grow to be 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) tall.

Basketball Career

Playing for Shanghai Sharks (1997–2002)

Yao first tried out for the Shanghai Sharks junior team when he was 13. He practiced ten hours a day to get accepted. After four years with the junior team, Yao joined the Sharks' main team. In his first season, he scored 10 points and got 8 rebounds per game.

His second season was cut short because he broke his foot. This was the second time he broke his foot. Yao said this injury made him jump less high. The Sharks reached the CBA finals in Yao's third season and again the next year. But they lost both times to the Bayi Rockets.

In the next year, the Sharks finally won their first CBA championship. This happened after Wang Zhizhi left the Bayi Rockets to play in the NBA. In his last year with Shanghai, Yao was amazing. He averaged 38.9 points and 20.2 rebounds per game. He also made 76.6% of his shots. In one finals game, he made all 21 of his shots.

Joining the Houston Rockets (2002–2011)

Yao was encouraged to join the NBA draft in 1999. He signed a contract with Evergreen Sports Inc. to be his agent. This contract said Evergreen would get 33% of his earnings. But the contract was later found to be invalid.

As more Americans noticed Yao, Chinese officials also became interested. In 2002, China made new rules. These rules said Yao and other Chinese players had to give half of their NBA earnings to the government. This included money from endorsements and salaries.

When Yao decided to enter the 2002 NBA draft, a group called "Team Yao" was formed. This team helped him with his move to the NBA. Many people thought Yao would be the first player picked. But some teams worried if China would let him play in the U.S.

The CBA said Yao had to play for the Chinese national team. They also said he could only go to the U.S. if the Houston Rockets picked him first. After Team Yao promised the Rockets would pick him, China gave permission. When the Rockets picked Yao first, he became the first international player ever picked first without playing U.S. college basketball.

Early Years (2002–2005)

Yao did not join the Rockets' training camp. Instead, he played for China in the 2002 FIBA World Championships. Yao played his first NBA game against the Indiana Pacers. He scored no points but got two rebounds. He scored his first NBA basket against the Denver Nuggets. In his first seven games, he played only 14 minutes and scored 4 points on average. But on November 17, he scored 20 points against the Lakers. He made all 9 of his shots.

In Yao's first game in Miami in December 2002, the Heat gave out 8,000 fortune cookies. This was a stereotype about East Asian culture. Yao was not upset because he didn't know about American stereotypes. He had said before that he had never seen a fortune cookie in China.

Before Yao first played against Shaquille O'Neal in January 2003, O'Neal made a joke that some found racist. O'Neal said he was just joking. Yao also thought O'Neal was joking, but he said many Asians would not find it funny. In the game, Yao scored the Rockets' first six points. He also blocked O'Neal twice. Yao finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. O'Neal later said he regretted how he treated Yao.

The NBA started offering All-Star ballots in three languages. These were English, Spanish, and Chinese. Fans could vote for the starters. Yao was voted to start for the West over O'Neal. Yao got almost a quarter million more votes than O'Neal. He was the first rookie to start in the All-Star Game since 1995.

Yao gets ready to shoot a free throw.

Yao finished his first season averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting. He was also chosen for the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He won the Sporting News Rookie of the Year award. He also won the Laureus Newcomer of the Year award.

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

Before Yao's second season, the Rockets got a new coach, Jeff Van Gundy. Van Gundy focused the team's offense on Yao. Yao then averaged his highest points and rebounds for a season. He scored a career-high 41 points in a game in February 2004. He was also voted to start in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game for the second year. Yao finished the season with 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. The Rockets made the playoffs, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

In 2004, the Rockets got Tracy McGrady. Many thought the Rockets would now be top contenders. Both McGrady and Yao were voted to start in the 2005 NBA All-Star Game. Yao got the most All-Star votes ever, breaking Michael Jordan's record. The Rockets won 51 games and made the playoffs again. They faced the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets won the first two games. Yao made 13 of 14 shots in the second game, a team record. But the Rockets lost the series in seven games.

Injury Challenges (2005–2011)

In his fifth season, Yao scored a career-high 25 points per game.

Yao played almost every game in his first three years. But in his fourth season, he got a foot infection. He had surgery in December 2005 and missed 21 games. Even with this, Yao still got the most fan votes for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.

After the All-Star break, Yao played very well. He averaged 25.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. His final averages for the season were 22.3 points and 10.2 rebounds. This was his first time averaging "20/10" (20 points and 10 rebounds). But Tracy McGrady missed many games due to back problems. The Rockets missed the playoffs. With only four games left, Yao broke a bone in his left foot. This injury needed six months of rest.

Early in his fifth season, Yao was hurt again. He broke his right knee in December 2006 while trying to block a shot. He was averaging 26.8 points and was considered for MVP. Yao missed 32 games and could not play in his fifth All-Star game. He was cleared to play again in March 2007.

Even without Yao, the Rockets made the playoffs. They played the Utah Jazz. The Rockets won the first two games but then lost four of five. They were eliminated in Game 7. Yao scored 29 points in that game. He averaged 25.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for the series. Yao said, "I didn't do my job." At the end of the season, Yao was chosen for the All-NBA Second Team.

In May 2007, Jeff Van Gundy was no longer the Rockets' coach. Three days later, Rick Adelman became the new coach. He was known for focusing more on offense.

Yao reached the second round of the playoffs only once in his career, in 2009.

Yao playing against Gilbert Arenas

On November 9, 2007, Yao played against another Chinese NBA player, Yi Jianlian. The game was watched by over 200 million people in China. It was one of the most-watched NBA games ever. In the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, Yao was again voted to start. In February 2008, it was announced that Yao would miss the rest of the season. He had a stress fracture in his left foot. He missed the 2008 NBA playoffs. But he was able to play in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. After Yao's injury, the Rockets won 22 games in a row. This was the second-longest streak in NBA history at the time.

In the next season, Yao played 77 games. This was his first full season since 2004–05. He averaged 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds. He also shot 86.6% from the free throw line, a career high. Even though McGrady was injured, the Rockets won 53 games. They faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. Yao scored 24 points in the first game. The Rockets won and moved to the second round of the playoffs. This was the first time in Yao's career.

The Rockets then played the Lakers. Yao scored 28 points to help the Rockets win Game 1. But the Rockets lost the next two games. Yao was then found to have a hairline fracture in his left foot. He was out for the rest of the playoffs. Yao said the injury was "better than last year." But later, doctors said the injury could end his career. The Rockets lost the series in seven games.

In July 2009, Yao had surgery to fix his broken left foot. He did not play the entire 2009–10 season.

For the 2010–11 season, the Rockets limited Yao's playing time. They wanted to keep him healthy. But on December 16, 2010, Yao got another stress fracture in his left ankle. He missed the rest of the season. In January 2011, he was voted an All-Star for the eighth time. Yao's contract with the Rockets ended that season.

Retirement

On July 20, 2011, Yao announced he was retiring from basketball. He said his foot and ankle injuries were the reason. His retirement caused over 1.2 million comments on a Chinese social media site. NBA commissioner David Stern said Yao was a "bridge between Chinese and American fans." Shaquille O'Neal said Yao "could've been up there in the top five centers to ever play the game" if not for injuries.

Yao was nominated for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He could have been inducted in 2012. But Yao felt it was too soon and asked them to wait. The Hall of Fame agreed.

On September 9, 2016, Yao was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He joined Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. On February 3, 2017, the Houston Rockets retired Yao's Number 11 jersey. This means no other Rockets player will wear that number.

National Team Career

Olympic Games (2000 and 2004)

Yao first played for China in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He and two other tall teammates were called "the Walking Great Wall." During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao carried the Chinese flag at the opening ceremony. He said this was a "long dream come true."

He promised not to shave his beard for half a year if the Chinese team made it to the quarterfinals. China won a key game against Serbia and Montenegro. This moved them into the quarterfinals. Yao scored 27 points and had 13 rebounds in that game. He averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Olympics.

Asian Cup Success

Yao led the Chinese national team to win three FIBA Asia Cup gold medals in a row. They won in 2001, 2003, and 2005. He was also named the MVP of all three tournaments.

2006 World Championship

Yao's foot injury in 2006 put his participation in the 2006 FIBA World Championship at risk. But he recovered in time. In the last game of the first round, he scored 36 points and got 10 rebounds. This helped China reach the Round of 16. However, China lost to Greece in the next round. Yao averaged 25.3 points, the most in the tournament. He also averaged 9.0 rebounds per game.

2008 Olympics

Yao playing against LeBron James at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

After his foot surgery, Yao said missing the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing would be "the biggest loss in my career." He returned to play for China on July 17, 2008. On August 6, Yao carried the Olympic flame into Tiananmen Square. He also carried the Chinese flag at the opening ceremony.

Yao scored the first basket in China's opening game against the United States. "I was just really happy to make that shot," Yao said. "It was the first score in our Olympic campaign here at home and I'll always remember it." China lost to the U.S. but won against Angola and Germany. This secured their spot in the quarterfinals. However, China lost to Lithuania in the quarterfinals. Yao's 19 points per game were the second-highest in the Olympics.

Chinese Basketball Association

Yao was the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association from 2017 until 2024. He resigned due to personal reasons.

Career Statistics

CBA statistics

NBA statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Awards and Achievements

• 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

• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2003
• NBA Rookie All-Star Game: 2004
• Gold medal winner with Team China at the 2001, 2003, and 2005 FIBA Asia Cups
• MVP of the 2001, 2003, 2005 FIBA Asia Cups
• FIBA Diamond Ball Top Scorer: 2004
• All-Tournament Team, FIBA World Cup: 2002
• Chinese Basketball Association Champion: 2001–02
• Rebounding leader in CBA in 2001–02
• 2003 Sporting News Rookie of the Year
• 2003 Laureus Newcomer of the Year
• 2005 Proletarian Award, issued by the Chinese Communist Party

Personal Life

After Yao said he would join the 2002 NBA draft, he told a journalist he had studied English for two years. He liked the movie Star Wars.

Yao answers questions from reporters, October 2006.

Yao met Chinese basketball player Ye Li when he was 17. Ye didn't like Yao at first. But she accepted him after he gave her team pins from the 2000 Summer Olympics. She is the only woman he has ever dated. Their relationship became public at the 2004 Olympics closing ceremony. On August 6, 2007, Yao and Ye got married. On May 21, 2010, their daughter Yao Qinlei (Amy) was born in Houston, Texas.

In 2004, Yao wrote a book with ESPN writer Ric Bucher. It was called Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. That same year, a movie called The Year of the Yao was made about his first NBA year. His friend and interpreter, Colin Pine, narrated the film. In 2005, a book called Operation Yao Ming was published. It claimed Yao's parents were encouraged to marry to produce a great athlete. It also said Yao got special treatment as a child. But Yao said in 2015 that this was not true. He said he started playing basketball for fun at age 9. In 2009, Yao voiced a character in a Chinese animated film, The Magic Aster.

Yao went to Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2011. He studied economics. He had special one-on-one classes so he wouldn't distract other students. Yao finished his degree in July 2018 after 7 years of study.

In 2016, Yao opened a winery called Yao Family Wines in Napa Valley, California. It sells Cabernet Sauvignon wines. A wine critic gave Yao's wine a high rating. He said the wines were "brilliant."

Other Activities

Business Deals

Yao (left) with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014.

Yao is one of China's most famous athletes. As of 2009, he was at the top of Forbes' Chinese celebrities list for six years. He earned a lot of money from sponsorship deals. He had deals with companies like Reebok, Pepsi, Visa, Apple, Garmin, and McDonald's. He also signed with Coca-Cola for the 2008 Olympics.

In July 2009, Yao bought his old team, the Shanghai Sharks. The team was having money problems and might not have been able to play.

Helping Others

Yao has done a lot of charity work. He joined the NBA's Basketball Without Borders program. In 2003, he hosted a TV fundraiser that raised $300,000. This money helped fight SARS. In September 2007, he held an auction that raised $965,000. He also played in a charity basketball game. This raised money for children in China. Other NBA stars and actor Jackie Chan joined him. After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Yao gave $2 million for relief work. He also started the Yao Ming Foundation to help rebuild schools.

Protecting Animals

Yao Ming in Beijing in 2016.

Yao worked with WildAid to make commercials and documentaries. These taught people about the harm of shark fin soup to sharks. From 2011 to 2018, people in China ate 70% less shark fin soup. In August 2012, Yao started filming a documentary about the northern white rhinoceros. He also helps with elephant conservation. In 2014, he was in a documentary called The End of the Wild about elephants. Yao has made many public service announcements for elephant and rhino protection.

Politics

On March 3, 2013, Yao attended a meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He was one of its 2,200 members. He was a member from 2013 to 2018. He is involved in Chinese politics, but he is not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He has received an award from the party for promoting education and socialist ideas.

See Also

• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
• List of tallest players in National Basketball Association history