Yao Ming

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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.

In Their Own Story

The night of January 17, 2003, marked Yao Ming's first meeting with Shaquille O'Neal. Before the game, O'Neal said, "Tell Yao Ming, ching chong-yang-wah-ah-soh," prompting accusations of racism. O'Neal denied his comments were racist, saying he was only joking. Yao said he believed O'Neal was joking, but added that a lot of Asians would not see the humor. In the game, Yao scored the Rockets' first six points and blocked O'Neal twice in the opening minutes, also altering two other shots by O'Neal—all four of those attempts coming right at the rim. With 10 seconds left in overtime, Yao made a game-sealing dunk. He finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks; O'Neal recorded 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 0 blocks. O'Neal later expressed regret for the way he treated Yao early in his career. That same season, the NBA began offering All-Star ballots in three languages—English, Spanish, and Chinese—for fan voting. Yao was voted to start for the West over O'Neal, who was coming off three consecutive NBA Finals MVP Awards. Yao received nearly a quarter million more votes than O'Neal, becoming the first rookie to start in the All-Star Game since Grant Hill in 1995.

Reader's Guide

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.

Did You Know?

• Yao was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2016, becoming the first Chinese national to be inducted.
• He was unanimously elected as chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association in February 2017.
• Yao won the FIBA Asia Cup in 2001, 2003, and 2005, winning MVP all three times.
• He made the All-Tournament Team at the FIBA World Cup in 2002.
• Yao announced his international retirement after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.