Regarded as one of the top basketball players in the history of the National Basketball Association, Yao Ming is one of China’s most recognizable and influential faces.
At 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 meters) tall, he is among the tallest players to have played in the NBA and helped to change the perception of basketball in the world’s most populous nation.
Now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao’s height proved to be a challenge for opponents ever since his arrival in the NBA for the Houston Rockets back in 2002. But his journey to the top has been fraught with challenges.
Both of Yao’s parents were former basketball players, though he said their love for the game never translated to pressure to succeed in the sport. Conversations with his mother and father, he said, would be “on the couch, maybe a coffee or tea and some family talking so we’re not getting so intense after practice.”
Still, there were stresses during his move to the NBA.
“I felt pressure as it’s a ground undiscovered for me and you don’t know what waits out there. Especially when you don’t speak English back then,” Yao told CNBC’s Tania Bryer.
Throughout his time in the league, the Houston Rockets star was designated an NBA All-Star in eight seasons. He likely could have extended his success had it not been for a foot injury that pushed him into retirement at 30 years old in 2011. Still, over a decade after his U.S. debut, Yao was inducted into the NBA’s Hall of Fame.
Yao’s assertive frame frequently put him in competition with NBA titans such as Shaquille O’Neal. In 2003, a rookie Yao stood in O’Neal’s way and blocked multiple shots during their first meeting.
