Yao Ming is one of the most well-known athletes in China and is sponsored by many significant businesses. Yao became a representation of a more modern and self-assured China due to his success in the NBA and his fan adoration. In China and the United States, he was referred to as the “Yao Ming Phenomenon” and the “Ming Dynasty.” In addition to this, there is also a documentary named The Year of the Yao, about his NBA debut, and an autobiography named Yao: A Life in Two Worlds that he co-wrote with NBA commentator Ric Bucher about his first season.
Continue reading the article to know more about this famous Chinese basketball player in detail and by the end of the article you will get all the details related to his early life, professional career, net worth, stats, and facts that you are looking for.
Yao Ming Biography
Yao Ming, a former professional basketball player from China, was born on September 12, 1980. He participated in basketball for both the NBA’s Houston Rockets and the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanghai Sharks. Eight times at the NBA All-Star Game, Yao was chosen to start for the Western Conference and five times he was named to the All-NBA Team. He was the NBA player with the highest height at 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in) during his final season.
Yao is the sole child of former professional basketball players Yao Zhiyuan, who is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), and Fang Fengdi, who stands 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m). Yao weighed more than twice as much as the typical Chinese newborn at 11 pounds (5.0 kg). Yao started playing basketball when he was nine years old and started going to a junior sports school. Yao was evaluated by sports doctors the following year after measuring 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) and they estimated that he would grow to be 7 feet 3 inches (2.21 m) tall.
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The Career of Yao Ming
Yao Ming represented China at the FIBA World Championships in 2002. The Houston Rockets hosted him in his debut game on December 16, 2002. He was chosen to start in the All-Star Game for the Western Conference in the 2002–2003 season. The All-Rookie team also chose him to be a member.
After Yao Ming joined them in 2003, the Houston Rockets improved from a prior season record of 28-54 to a 43-39 record. For each successive season he played for the Rockets, he was named an all-star. Additionally, the squad won five playoff series in his time with them in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Yao Ming missed the 2009–2010 NBA season due to injuries. He made a comeback at the start of the 2010–2011 season, but his ankle injury prevented him from playing the rest of the year. He played just seven seasons in the NBA before retiring in July 2011.
Career Statistics of Yao Ming
| Year | Team | GP | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast |
| 2002-03 | HOU | 82 | 29.0 | 13.5 | 8.2 | 1.7 |
| 2003-04 | HOU | 82 | 32.8 | 17.5 | 9.0 | 1.5 |
| 2004-05 | HOU | 80 | 30.6 | 18.3 | 8.4 | 0.8 |
| 2005-06 | HOU | 57 | 34.2 | 22.3 | 10.2 | 1.5 |
| 2006-07 | HOU | 48 | 33.8 | 25.0 | 9.4 | 2.0 |
| 2007-08 | HOU | 55 | 37.2 | 22.0 | 10.8 | 2.3 |
| 2008-09 | HOU | 77 | 33.6 | 19.7 | 9.9 | 1.8 |
| 2010-11 | HOU | 5 | 18.2 | 10.2 | 5.4 | 0.8 |
Personal Life & Legacy of Yao Ming
Yao Ming’s income from sponsorships was a significant portion of his career earnings. He provided endorsements for household names including “Nike,” “Reebok,” “Coca-Cola,” and “Pepsi.” In 2003, he filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola for exploiting his image on their bottles to promote the national team and he was successful.
He co-wrote “Yao: A Life in Two Worlds,” an autobiography, in 2004. The Year of the Yao, a documentary movie, was produced in the same year. His debut year in the NBA is highlighted in the movie. Operation Yao Ming, a book written by former “Newsweek” journalist Brook Larmer, was released in 2005.
He has taken part in numerous charity events; one, he oversaw an auction that brought in US$ 965k for orphans in China. He established a foundation to restore the schools that were devastated in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and gave $2 million for relief efforts.
Ye Li was a basketball player who Yao dated before they were wed on August 6, 2007. On May 21, 2010, their daughter Yao Qinlei was born.
He acquired the “Shanghai Sharks” in 2009 after they had chosen not to play in the CBA owing to financial difficulties.
Additionally, he acts as a Global Ambassador and a member of the “International Board of Directors” for “The Special Olympics” and is a devoted supporter of the organization.
He enrolled in a personalized degree program at the “Antai College of Economics & Management of Shanghai Jiao Tong University” in 2011, where he received most of his instruction one-on-one. Yao finished his education in July 2018 and received an economics degree after seven years of study.
He produced a white rhino documentary in 2012. He also represents the preservation of elephants.
Awards and Achievements of Yao Ming
The following are some of the awards won by Yao Ming as mentioned below:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 8 times NBA All-Star in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011
- 5 times All-NBA Team including Second Team: 2007, 2009 and Third Team: 2004, 2006, 2008
- NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2003
- NBA Rookie All-Star Game in 2004
- Gold medal winner with Team China at the FIBA Asia Cups in 2001, 2003, and 2005
- MVP of the 2001, 2003, and 2005 FIBA Asia Cups
- FIBA Diamond Ball Top Scorer in 2004
- All-Tournament Team, FIBA World Cup in 2002
- Chinese Basketball Association Champion in 2001–02
- Rebounding leader in CBA in 2001
- Laureus Newcomer of the Year in 2003
- Proletarian Award, issued by the Chinese Communist Party in 2005
Net Worth of Yao Ming
Yao Ming is expected to have a net worth of USD 180 million as of 2023. He is one of the most famous and well-paid NBA players from China. In addition, his pay increased every season after his debut, and in the last season, he received the highest compensation of his career. Yao earned USD 17.6 million during the 2010–11 campaign.
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Some Facts about Yao Ming
The following are some facts about Yao Ming that you may find interesting:
- Ming is by far the tallest player to have ever participated in the NBA All-Star Game at 7-6 / 229 cm. He is the third-tallest NBA player of all time.
- Yao is also heavy in addition to being tall. He is undoubtedly the second heaviest player that was chosen to be an All-Star, weighing an astonishing 310 LBs/140 KG. Only Shaquille O’Neal (147 kg/325 lbs) was 15 lbs heavier.
- There is a Yao Ming Napa Valley Brut Sparkling Wine produced by his company.
- Ming set records for total rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, and rebounds per All-Star Game in the following order: 24, 6, 18, and 4.
- In each of his previous six seasons, Yao Ming missed almost 250 games due to injury. He announced his retirement from professional basketball in July 2011 as a result of numerous foot and ankle ailments. Ming is still participating in the game, though. He was elected to lead the CBA, the Chinese Basketball Association. Continue reading to learn more about Ming and his initiatives in Chinese basketball.
- Together with Shaquille O’Neal, Yao Ming was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class.
- One of the most well-known Chinese athletes internationally is Ming. He has significant sponsorship agreements with several renowned businesses.
Conclusion
Yao Ming is a former basketball player from China who competed in both the NBA and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The player, who stands seven feet six inches tall, is the only non-American to top the NBA All-Star voting. He was characterized by NBA Commissioner David Stern as “a wonderful mixture of talent, dedication, humanitarian aspirations, and a sense of humor.” So overall, this was all about Yao Ming’s early life, career, personal life, awards, achievements, net worth, career stats, and facts. We hope you found this article helpful and got all the information related to Yao Ming.