Yao Ming

Yao Ming is a former professional basketball player from China. He is known for his height and he played in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets from 2002 to 2011. He is an 8-time NBA All-Star.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明) was born on September 12, 1980 in Shanghai, China. He stands 229 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 141 kg. He is right-handed and he played center.

After his NBA career, he started working in the Chinese Basketball Association, and in 2023, he was the Incumbent President.

In 2007, he married Ye Li. They have two kids together.

Early Career and the NBA

When Ming was a teenager he played for the Shanghai Sharks. In the Chinese Basketball Association, he played for five years on the senior team. In the final year, he won a championship.

During the 2002 NBA Draft, he negotiated with the Sharks and the CBA, secured his release, and was chosen by the Houston Rockets. In all his six seasons he was chosen to begin for the Western Conference in the All-Star game of the NBA. Thrice he has been selected to the All-NBA team.

In Ming’s first NBA match the opponents were the Indiana Pacers against whom he could score just one rebound and one point. While playing against the Denver Nuggets he scored his first NBA basket.

Yao averaged only 14 minutes and 4 points in his first 7 games which was very disappointing for the fans. Looking back on the points scored in the previous game while playing against the Lakers, Ming scored a 2 of 2 from the free throw line and a 9 of 9 from the field.

Ming, in his rookie season, had an average of 8.2 rpg and 13.5 ppg and in the NBA Rookie of the Year award was ranked second.

In the 2004 -05 season, Ming got a record All-Star votes breaking the record which was earlier created by Michael Jordan.

51 games were won by the Rockets and they stood 5th in the West. For the second continuous year, they reached the playoffs and there their opponent was the Dallas Mavericks. In the first two games against Dallas, the Rockets were victorious.

In the second game, Ming made 13 of 14 shots and in the history of the Rockets, this was the best shooting performance. However, out of the final five games four were lost by the Rockets. For the entire series, Ming averaged 7.7 rebounds and 21.4 points on 65 percent shooting.

The period from 2006 to 2008 has been an injury-prone season for Yao. On December 23, 2006, while attempting to block a shot Yao injured his knee. He missed his next 34 games and also missed most of the games in the upcoming seasons. Yao underwent a successful operation on March 3, which placed screws in his foot to strengthen the bone.

He retired from playing in the NBA in 2011. He cited his injuries as the reasons for his retirement. He would later be named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Career Highlights

• 2003–2009, 2011 - NBA All-Star
• 2007, 2009 - All-NBA Second Team
• 2004, 2006, 2008 - All-NBA Third Team
• 2003 - NBA All-Rookie First Team

• No. 11 retired by the Houston Rockets

• 2001 - CBA MVP
• 2002 - CBA champion
• 2001 - CBA Finals MVP
• 2000, 2001, 2002 - CBA rebounding leader
• 2000, 2001, 2002 - CBA blocks leader
• 2000, 2001 - CBA Slam Dunk leader
• 2001, 2003, 2005 - FIBA Asia Cup MVP

Career NBA Statistics

• Points - 9,247 (19.0 ppg)
• Rebounds - 4,494 (9.2 rpg)
• Blocks - 920 (1.9 bpg)

• Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, 2016
• FIBA Hall of Fame as a player

Medal Record, Men's basketball, Representing China

• Gold - 2001 FIBA Asia Cup Shanghai
• Gold - 2003 FIBA Asia Cup Harbin
• Gold - 2005 FIBA Asia Cup Doha
• Silver - 2002 Asian Games Busan