Yao Ming

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. He was an eight-time NBA All-Star, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. At 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m), he was the NBA's tallest active player in his final season.

Born in Shanghai, Yao began 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 in 2009, helped the Rockets win their first playoff series since 1997. After missing several games due to a series of foot and ankle injuries in his last six seasons, Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball in 2011. Among Rockets franchise leaders, Yao ranks second in total blocks, sixth in total rebounds, and ranked sixth in total points at the time of his retirement.

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. Yao is also an entrepreneur and owner of Yao Family Wines in Napa Valley, California.

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. In February 2017, Yao was unanimously elected as chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association. Yao had a storied career as a member of the Chinese national team. With the national team, Yao won the FIBA Asia Cup in 2001, 2003, and 2005, winning MVP of the tournament all three times. He also made the All-Tournament Team at the FIBA World Cup in 2002. Yao announced his international retirement after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.