Biography
The Chinese basketball player Yao Min is recognized as one of the most famous Asian athletes of the beginning of the XXI century. Thanks to the speeches in the National Championship and Games in the leading club of the NBA Center of the American team "Houston Roquets" repeatedly participated in the performance matches of all stars.In 2016, along with Shakil O'Neall and Allen Everson, hit the Hall of Fame of Nasismith in Springfield, and also became the current Chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association. With a height of 229 cm and weighing 141 kg athlete, the athlete always attracted the attention of journalists who made the face of Laming Yao Mina with one of the most popular memes on social networks.
Childhood and youth
Yao Min Born on September 12, 1980 in Shanghai. His biography was predetermined in advance, since the parents of Yao Zhiiuan and Fan Fandi were athletes who professionally played basketball.
When the boy, by half the superior of other children, was 9 years old, he began to train in the children's section and soon got into the younger team under the Chinese club "Shanghai Sharks".
Doctors, who regularly examined young players, thought that in the future Yao would reach the growth of 221 cm, and was not mistaken, predicting the athlete a brilliant career in basketball. In an effort to do this, as a child, mines trained 10 hours a day and 17 took the form to become a member of the elder team of the National Association.
Basketball
In the debut season, Yao showed good results, but a fracture of his legs for a while I knocked out a young athlete from the gauge, and Shanghai Sharcs lost the championship to the famous club "Bai Rockets". In 2002, the Mina team achieved victory and for the first time in history became the CBA champion. Jao with an average result of 38.9 points and 20.2 selection for the game became one of the best basketball players of the season and the only lifelong owner of a T-shirt at number 15.The Agent Athlete insisted at the transition of Mines to League NBA, but the final decision was postponed for a long time due to disagreements with the leadership of the Chinese Association. For negotiations, a special "Yao team" was created, which included representatives of the Asian and American Parties. As a result, in 2002, Min took part in the draft held on June 26 in Madison Square-Garden.
In the 1st round of a young athlete, the Club of the South-Western Division of the Western Conference "Houston Rockets" chose, and this became a sensation in the Western Basketball World, since Min became the first foreigner who went to the NBA team at number one.
By missed the pre-season preparation because of the Games of China's national team at the World Basketball Championship, Yao first appeared on the playground in the game against the Indiana Pacers club. On the eve of the sports commentators predicted the failure of Legioneer, who graduated from a meeting without a single point.
The pressure on the athlete intensified in the match with the team "Miami Hit", when, following the Eastern tradition, 8 thousand cookies with predictions were distributed in the stands on the stands. Later, in an interview, Yao said that he did not understand the American humor, because in China there was never a similar stereotype.
In addition, in January 2003, Shakil O'Neill allowed himself a derogatory racist statement to the Chinese basketball player, and then admitted that he regretted how he turned to Yao at the beginning of a career. The NBA star was put to the success of Mina who won American in voting on the eve of the match of all the stars of 2003 and recognized as the best newcomer season and the laureate of the Laureus World award.
After that, the new coach "Houston Rockets" Jeff Van Gandhi put Yao to the center of the attack, and the team for the first time in a long time went into the playoff series. And although the club could not reach the final, Min again, as part of the stars of the Western Conference, who won in the opponents in the correspondent match of 2004.
By the 4th season in the assets of Yao, there were 244 matches, after which there was a long break, associated with the deterioration of health and the operation on the thumb left. Nevertheless, a basketball player who has become the winner of the vote in the West, was again invited to participate in the stellar weekend.
Injuries continued to pursue an athlete and long deprived his gaming practice in the NBA. In the spring of 2006, Yao half a year was recovered after a fracture received during the game against the team "Utah Jazz", and then received severe damage in another game when trying to block the opponent.
In 2008, the athlete took surgical intervention, as a result of which metal screws were screwed into the foot to strengthen bone tissue. As a result, "Houston Rockets" was deprived of a miner salaries and in 2011 provided him with the status of a free agent. At the same time, the basketball player announced care from professional sports, and social networks exploded with comments on this decision.
Resigning Yao, NBA Commissioner David Stern said that the player who had the 48th sizes of shoes and an incredible impact of the hands was one of the key figures of the National Basketball Association and the bridge between Chinese and American fans.
In 2012, the media, highly appreciated the achievements of an athlete, nominated a mine in place in the Hall of Glory of Nasismith, but modesty did not allow too early to become part of professional history. Only after 4 years, the highest player "Houston Roquets", along with Shakil O'Neall and Allen Everson, took the honorary title and honored award.
Personal life
At the age of 17, Yao met the Chinese basketball player E., who took the friendship of the young man after a memorable gift acquired at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Soon the lovers appeared together at the closing ceremony of the main sporting event in Athens, and in 2007 it became the wife of the tallest athlete NBA.
3 years after the wedding, on which only family members were attended, the spouses had a daughter, whose American name was recorded as Amy.
![Yao Min and his wife e Yao Min and his wife e](/userfiles/126/11844_1.webp)
Some details and interesting facts of personal life Athlete reported in the autobiographical book called "Yao: Life in two worlds" and the documentary film directed by Adam del Deo "Year of Yao".
These projects have strengthened the popularity of the basketball player and made it a hero of social networks. The photo of Mina, which turned into the famous meme instantly leaked on the Internet and was subsequently used to create comics on Tumblr, Memebase and other resources. Now the laughing person of the athlete often flashes on the pages on politics and the Ukrainian elections of 2019.
Yao Min now
Since 2017, Yao Min is held by the President of the Chinese Basketball Association.
![Yao Min in 2019 Yao Min in 2019](/userfiles/126/11844_2.webp)
Paying attention to the development of youth sports in his homeland, the athlete takes care of children with special needs and promotes the interaction program between China's charitable funds and the United States.
Another type of mine activity is winemaking. Drinks created from different grape varieties have repeatedly occupied honorable places at the prestigious exhibitions of America and Europe.
Achievements and awards
- 2001-02 - Champion of the Chinese Basketball Association
- 2003 - Laureate Prize Laureus WORLD
- 2003 - Newbie of the Year of the NBA
- 2003-2009, 2011 - Member of the match of all the stars of the NBA
- 2016 - Basketball Hall of Nasusmit Glory