Yao Ming

 Yao was born in Shanghai, started playing for the Sharks in his teens, and played on the team's senior squad for five seasons in the CBA and won a championship in his final season. Yao was let go by the Rockets after negotiating with both the CBA (the Sharks) and the Sharks. Yao was the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. He reached the NBA playoffs four times and the Rockets took the first round series of the postseason in 2009 which was their first win in a playoff series since 1997. Yao declared his retirement from basketball in July 2011, after suffering ankle and foot injuries that forced him to miss 250 games in the course of his previous six seasons. In his eight seasons playing for the Rockets, Yao ranks sixth among franchise leaders for total points and total rebounds, and second overall in blocks.Yao is among China's best-known athletes, with sponsorships with several major companies. His debut season in the NBA was the focus of an documentary film, The Year of the Yao as well as a co-written alongside NBA analyst Ric Bucher an autobiography, titled Yao: A Life in Two Worlds. The book is referred to in China as the "Yao Ming Phenomenon" and in the United States as the "Ming Dynasty" Yao's popularity in the NBA and his fame with followers became a symbol of a new China that was more modern and confident.