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yaoming(chinese:姚明;pinyin:yáomíng;bornseptember12,1980inshanghai,china)isaprofessionalbasketballplayerwhoplaysforthehoustonrocketsofthenationalbasketballassociation(nba).heiscurrentlythetallestplayerinthenba,at2.29m(7ft6in).yao,whowasborninshanghai,startedplayingfortheshanghaisharksasateenager,andplayedontheirseniorteamforfiveyearsinthechinesebasketballassociation(cba),winningachampionshipinhisfinalyear.heenteredthenbadraft,andafternegotiatingwiththecbaandthesharkstosecurehisrelease,wasselectedbythehoustonrocketsasthefirstoverallpickofthedraft.hehassincebeenselectedtostartforthewesternconferenceinthenbaall-stargameinallsevenofhisseasons,andhasbeennamedtotheall-nbateamfivetimes.
however,therocketshaveadvancedpastthefirstroundoftheplayoffsonlyoncesincehejoinedtheteam,andhehasmissedsignificanttimeduetoinjuryineachofthepastfourseasons.yaoismarriedtoyeli,aformerplayerforthechinawomen'snationalbasketballteam.heisoneofchina'sbest-knownathletes,withsponsorshipswithseveralmajorcompanies,andhehasbeentherichestcelebrityinchinaforsixstraightyears.hisrookieyearinthenbawasthesubjectofadocumentaryfilm,theyearoftheyao,andheco-wrote,alongwithnbaanalystricbucher,anautobiographytitledyao:alifeintwoworlds.