Image via Complex Original
An eight-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, and a member of the 2000 NBA All-Rookie First Team, Yao Ming had a solid eight seasons with the Houston Rockets. However, the Chinese-born center who towered at 7’6” will forever be known for his charismatic attitude, the influence he had as a global ambassador for the game of basketball, and, unfortunately, his injuries. Yao made numerous appearances, worked tirelessly with charities in both his native China and the United States, and dominated on the court when healthy. Towards the end of Yao’s career though, those health issues played an increasingly nagging role.
Finally in July of 2011, Yao announced his retirement from basketball due to recurring foot and ankle issues. While it may not have been as long as he would’ve envisioned, Yao’s NBA ride was one we were all glad to have been apart of. In celebration of the big man’s 33rd birthday, we’ve decided to highlight some of the lesser known details of Yao’s storied life, and present to you, 25 Things You Didn’t Know About Yao Ming.
Written by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)
Yao missed the start of the 2007 NBA season so he could march with athletes with disabilities in the Special Olympics.
A heart that clearly matches his height in terms of size, Ming knew where his priorities lied in this moment during his NBA career. This is just one of the reasons we honor, respect, and celebrate the life and times of Yao Ming.
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Yao was just the third Chinese player in the NBA, following Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer.
There have only been five players in total from China that have graced the NBA hardwood.
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Just weeks after his retirement from the NBA, Yao went to work as a commentator for CCTV.
Like many of the pro athletes in this country, once Yao hung up his kicks he decided to grab the mic and step into a different kind of spotllight. Apparently he killed it in his first broadcast of a game between China and Bahrain. Is there anything this man can't do?
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In November 2012, he established his own brand of wine using grapes from California's famed Napa Valley
Ladies and gentlemen, Yao Family Wines is in the building. Who knew the big man had the passion to be a vintner? You can order a case of Cabernet Sauvignon, here.
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When asked what his favorite American music was, he said, "I like the national anthem. I listen to it 82 times a year."
That's how you endear yourself to American sports fans, and show you have a sense of humor. Who doesn't love the nation's anthem at sporting events? Unless this girl is singing it.
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Yao made $70,000 a year playing for the Sharks, he lived in a dormitory and slept on a bed that was extended with a wooden cabinet.
Just imagine if professional athletes in this country got treated like that. And dudes have the nerve to hold out over contract negotiations, SMH.
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Yao hated basketball until he attended a Harlem Globetrotters game with his mother at age nine.
What, you thought Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton and Meadowlark Lemon only inspired kids from the United States to pick up the rock? This is cultural diffusion at it's best right here, people.
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Yao's mother's activities as a Red Guard haunted her when an official she persecuted was rehabilitated and placed in charge of Shanghai's sports program.
Despite his family being left with barely enough money to be fed, Yao prevailed against the odds to not just dominate his domestic league, but showcase his skills at the NBA level as well. This just goes to show that adversity can sometimes be the driving force behind success.
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Yao lost 60 percent of his hearing in his left ear at age seven when doctors gave him the wrong medicine for a kidney problem.
Say, what? At least he had an excuse for not listening to his parents, right?
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Barack Obama addressed a meeting of Chinese-American business leaders with the words of Yao : "No matter whether you need are new or an old team member, you need time to adjust to one another."
They say that while he's slamming it home on opposing players, his words are used to solve diplomatic issues between world leaders. He is, the most inter...Yao Ming.
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Yao was named China's most influential athlete ever in 2006
By far one of the coolest honors a nation can bestow upon an athlete. Clearly Yao's lifelong work on and off the court did not go unnoticed by China.
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Yao Ming broke the ice with his wife, Ye Li, by giving her souvenir pins he collected at the 2000 Olympics.
What, you think just because he's an international superstar he doesn't still have to put in work? Seashells from the beach, pins from the Olympic games in Sydney, it's all the same in the end.
The Rockets gave Yao a custom-made bike worth $15,000 for the Chinese New Year.
Just look at this thing. Did this vehicle come with a custom helmet as well?
Yao's home in Katy, Texas, included a video-game system worth more than $5,000.
Cue the stereotypical Asians loving video games joke. Let's be honest though, who doesn't want to play Madden or FIFA on a baller as hell video game system? We bet all the neighborhood kids came over in droves.
In 2010, Yao purchased the team he played for as a teenager, the Shanghai Sharks.
Athletes in this country usually go out and by a car or a house when they get their big payday, Yao Ming saves up and purchases his former team when he wants to ball out. Yao, for the win.
China announced that after the 2008 Olympics, it would auction off Yao's bed in addition to other team memorabilia.
Because who wouldn't want to own an abnormally large bed, slept in by the Dynasty?
Chinese Olympic coach Jonas Kazlauskas infuriated Yao when he benched him during a blowout by Greece.
Like all great competitors, Yao didn't want to be pulled from the game no matter what the score was. We hope Kazlauskas learned a valuable lesson from his actions, never anger the Yao. So what if the team was down 24 in the first half?
Yao helped out NASCAR's Kyle Petty as a member of his pit crew in 2008.
Because Yao Ming is a boss, plain and simple. We wonder if he still has that awesome Coca-Cola jersey hanging up somewhere.
Yao raised millions of dollars for disaster relief after the 2008 earthquake in China.
Homie did not forget his people when he moved to the United States to play ball. With more than 8,000 schoolrooms destroyed in Sichuan and Gansu provinces, Yao pledged $100,000 to rebuild a permanent school housing 300 students.
Yao made just the second three of his career against the Bobcats during the 2008–09 season.
This would be the second and final three ball of Yao's career as well. Just for the record, Yao went 2-10 for his career beyond the arc. Just look at that form though.
Yao Ming led all scorers at the 2006 FIBA World Championships with 25.3 ppg for China.
While they may have gotten mirked by Greece in the first knockout round, it's no doubt that Yao's dominance was the reason they even made it out of the group stage.
In 2003 Yao's No. 15 was retired by the Shanghai Sharks, the first Chinese player to receive this honor.
Just chalk it up as another accolade for the greatest player to come out of the Far East. Yao's pops also donned the No. 15 shirt when he laced up for the Sharks.
Yao was drafted in in the 12th round by the Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs of the ABA.
It may have been an honor back in 2000, but Yao knew there was only one place he would be taking his talents once he decided to head to the States. NBA, or bust, kids.
One of Yao's favorite restaurants in Shanghai is Tony Roma's.
Hey, who doesn't love a good rack of ribs? You think Yao and his entourage have to call ahead to make sure there's enough meat on the premises?
Yao Ming was so tall at age four, that while other kids his age rode public buses for free, he had to pay full fare.
Damn, looks like you can't get away with anything in China. We're going to go out on a limb and say he made all of that money back.