Yao Ming

Yao Ming

Ming in game against the Washington Wizards in December 2006
Shanghai Sharks
Position	President
Personal information
Born	(1980-09-12) September 12, 1980 (age 36) Shanghai, China
Nationality	Chinese
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
Playing career	1997–2011
Position	Center
Number	11
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, 2008) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2003) CBA MVP (2001) CBA champion (2002) CBA Finals MVP (2002) 3× CBA rebounding leader (2000, 2001, 2002) 3× CBA blocks leader (2000, 2001, 2002) 2× CBA Slam Dunk leader (2000, 2001) FIBA World Cup top scorer (2006) 3× FIBA Asian Championship MVP (2001, 2003, 2005)
Career statistics
Points	9,247 (19.0 ppg)
Rebounds	4,494 (9.2 rpg)
Blocks	920 (1.9 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Medals Men's basketball Representing  China FIBA Asia Championship 2001 Shanghai National team 2003 Harbin National team 2005 Doha National team Asian Games 2002 Busan National team

Yao Ming
"Yao Ming" in Chinese characters
Chinese	姚明
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yáo Míng IPA [i̯ǎu̯ mǐŋ]

Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese retired professional basketball player who played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game eight times, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. At the time of his final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA, at 2.29 m (7 ft 6 in). He is the only player outside of the United States to lead the NBA in All-Star voting.

Yao, who was born in Shanghai, China, started playing for the Shanghai Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (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 Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. He reached the NBA Playoffs four times, and the Rockets won a first-round series in the 2009 postseason, their first playoff series victory since 1997. In July 2011, Yao announced his retirement from professional basketball because of a series of foot and ankle injuries which forced him to miss 250 games in his last six seasons. In eight seasons with the Rockets, Yao ranks sixth among franchise leaders in total points and total rebounds, and second in total blocks.

Yao is one of China's best-known athletes, 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.