Yao Ming, like the other 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees, drew a mass amount of attention during his career due to his uniqueness.
Standing at 7’6″ tall, the Chinese-born Ming utterly dominated the competition during his time in the league, holding career-averages of 19 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
Yao Ming’s skill set is what separates him from the other giants his size in league history. In his prime, he was one of the game’s top shooting big men, having the ability to drain jumpers from 12-18 feet with ease. Unlike many big men today, you couldn’t intentionally foul Yao. He’d likely hit those free throws too, shooting 83% from the line on his career. He grabbed rebounds, protected the rim, finished around the rim, and had a nice touch on his outside jumper.
Here’s 10 of the most dominant plays of Ming’s career:
Yao Ming is believed by many to be the greatest Chinese-born player ever, a claim refuted by few. His career was unfortunately cut short due to foot injuries, and he retired in 2011.
Ming scored 9,247 points, snagged 4,494 rebounds, and rejected 920 shots over his 8-season career. He was selected to the All-Star team in every season he played, and was a member of the Houston Rockets his entire NBA career.