248 CultureShock! China
Yao Ming
Drafted into the NBA’s Houston Rockets in 2002, Yao is
China’s best-known basketballer. The Shanghai native’s
parents both played for the national basketball teams of
China. His mother is 6 feet 3 inches tall, his father is 6 feet
7 inches tall, and he is 7 feet 5 inches (2.26 meters) tall. He
is the third Chinese national to play in the NBA and has been
part of the China Olympic team since 2000. At the Beijing
Summer Olympics 2008, he had the honour of carrying
the Chinese flag and leading the delegation during the
opening ceremony.