Yao Ming (Chinese: 姚明; pinyin: Yáo Míng) (born September 12, 1980, in Shanghai, China) is a Chinese professional basketball player and one of the premier centers in the National Basketball Association. He is the only son of his 6'10" (2.08 m) father Yao Zhiyuan and his 6'2" (1.88 m) mother Fang Fengdi. Both Yao and Fang were Chinese national team basketball players. At 7'6" (2.29 m, he plays center for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. He was selected by Houston as the 1st overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and signed with them on October 21, 2002.

Yao is 7'6" tall (2.29 m).When Yao initially came into the league, the NBA mistakenly listed him at only 7'5" (2.26 m) without shoes on in his draft bio, but Yao actually measured at 7'5½" (2.275 m) (this is before he grew an additional inch).Yao is currently the tallest player in the NBA, with Shawn Bradley retiring in 2005.

Yao Ming is genetically tall, as evidenced by his normally proportioned body. He does not have pituitary gigantism and acromegaly, a condition afflicting his fellow countryman and basketball hopeful Sun Ming Ming.

During the NBA's offseason in 2003, Yao spent a great deal of time helping to raise money and awareness of SARS in his home country. Among his efforts was a telethon he hosted, which raised $300,000 to help stop the disease.

Before the start of Yao's sophomore season, the Rockets' head coach Rudy Tomjanovich had resigned due to health issues and long time New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy was brought in. Van Gundy ran a slower offense with a higher emphasis on Yao. As a result, Yao averaged 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game (both team highs), and scored a career-high 41 points against the Atlanta Hawks in February. He was voted the starting center of the 2004 NBA All-Star game for the second year in a row (once again ahead of Shaquille O'Neal). His improvement was showcased by his 16 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes in his second All-Star game. Yao was also instrumental in helping the Rockets claim the seventh seed in the 2003–04 playoffs. Despite his efforts, the team was eliminated by the Lakers in the first round, as the Rockets only won one game. Yao's averages in his first playoff series were 15 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.
Source : Wikipedia