Yao Ming

As a famous Chinese basketball superstar, Yao Ming is now a member of the Standing Committee of Shanghai CPPCC and Chairman of Shanghai Sharks Basketball Club and founder of Yao Foundation.

Yao Ming was born on September 12, 1980 in Shanghai. At the age of seventeen, he first became a basketball player who played at games of CBA, the Chinese national league. He led Shanghai Sharks to the CBA championship in 2002. Yao joined the Chinese national team in 1998 and played for China at three Olympic Games,two FIBA World Championships, one Asian Games and three FIBA Asia Championships, leading the Chinese national team into the quarterfinals at 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics Basketball Tournaments. As the first foreign athlete ever to become a number-one draft pick in the National Basketball League(NBA) in 2002, Yao Ming became a star player of the Houston Rockets. He made the NBA's All-Star team seven times.

Yao Ming announced his formal retirement on July 20, 2011 and entered Shanghai Jiaotong University later in October to study undergraduate courses.