When it comes to revolutionizing basketball, we think of idols like Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, among others, but have you ever thought about the impact that Chinese Yao Ming had on the game worldwide?
Born in 1980 in Shanghai, to parents of former professional basketball players, Yao has always attracted attention due to his height and, from an early age, was encouraged to practice basketball, becoming a professional player of the Shanghai Sharks at the age of 17. The 7.5-foot tall pivot played for the team for 5 seasons, becoming the national champion with an incredible average of 32.4 points, 19 rebounds and 4.8 block shots per game, which led him to be selected as the 1st overall pick of NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets back in 2002.
Yao at first called the attention not only for his impressive height, but also for carrying the flag of a country that, since being part of the People's Republic, believes that citizen formation must go hand in hand with sport and has established itself as one of the greatest powers of the world.
In his first game against Shaquille O’Neal in 2003, Yao blocked his shots 3 times, grabbed 10 rebounds and scored 10 points to ensure the Rockets' victory. The match was watched by more than 200 million people in China alone, an audience larger than the Super Bowl XLIX (2015), the most watched in the history of American television.
His iconic personality was not only successful outside the courts, when playing he scored an average of 19 points per game (NBA) and his career became famous worldwide, Yao was popularly selected to play eight editions of the All Star Games, being the most voted player in the 2005 editions and 2006 with 2.5 million and 1.9 million votes, respectively.
All of his popularity was also built in games in which he defended the Chinese team winning in 1st place as MVP in three distinctive editions of the Asian Championship and landing in 8th place in two Olympic games. The center had such an impact in his home country that he was selected to be the flag-bearer at the opening of the 2004 Olympics in Athens and in 2008 in Beijing.
But why do we say he had an "effect" in the game? Before Yao joined the NBA, it is estimated that, according to the Olympic Channel, 32 million people played or watched basketball in China, today, according to the NBA itself, there are already more than 300 million amateur players in the country, that is virtually the entire population of the United States.
For a League that was constantly internationalizing with MJ and the Dream Team, having a player like Yao Ming was key to conquering a market that constantly and economically grows, and, thanks to him, is now passionate about the game, dramatically contributing to the increase of transmission, merchandising and visibility for the culture as a whole. In addition, he turned basketball, according to Nielsen Sports DNA, into the most popular sport and favorite of 45% of the population under 30 in his home country, serving as an inspiration for many Chinese who dream of representing their nation in the Olympics.
Today, Yao continues to impact the development of basketball in China with his Foundation, as president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the entire legacy of a Hall of Famer. And it's not just about the game we love, it's about more people playing it, more people learning about values that are taught only on the court, more people connecting and, most importantly, more dreams and opportunities fueled by the game of basketball.