Yao Ming

(www.yaoming.net)

Have you ever heard of basketball player Yao Ming? He is the tallest basketball player in the NBA, standing at seven feet, six inches. Yao plays center for the Houston Rockets. He also plays in the Chinese Basketball Association. Yao was born in Shanghai, China on September 12, 1980.

Yao started his basketball career when he joined the Chinese Basketball Association at the age of 17. He played for the Shanghai Sharks. In his first season, 1997-98, playing in the CBA, he scored 10 points and 9 rebounds per game. In his 1999-2000 season he scored 21 points, 14 rebounds, and more than 5 blocks per game. Yao became MVP in his 2000-01 season, scoring 27 points and 19 rebounds per game. he scored 32 points and 19 rebounds per game in his 2001-2002 season. Yao won a sportsmanship award and defeated the Bayi Rockets which gave his team a CBA title. In the playoffs, he had a game when he had made all the shots he attempted. Yao was eligible for the 2002 NBA Draft. Yao became eligible if he was 22 by the start of the season. He was the first international player without U.S. college experience.

Yao started his NBA season sitting on the bench, but he changed things around in mid-November. He scored 20 points against the LA Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal had made fun of Yao by imitating the Chinese language. Yao replied, "Chinese is a hard language to learn." Yao had become the starting center for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game. After the All-Star game, Yao finished the season with 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds average per game. In the 2003 offseason Yao hosted a telethon in which he raised $300,000 to help stop the SARS disease. In his 2004-05 season, Yao averaged 21.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.71 blocks per game.

Yao's height helps him with his basketball career. His jump shot is accurate from as far as 20 feet. He usually scores within 10-12 feet of the basket. He is one of the leaders in free throws. He shot 80 percent of his free throws in his career. Yao was third in field goal percentage in his 2004-05 season.

Yao is a great role-model. When Shaquille O'Neal made fun of him he wasn't insulted. He just made a joke about it. He wasn't put down. He is also the first Chinese baketball player in the NBA. Yao encourages other people to do their best. This is why Yao is my role model.