It's hard to miss spotting Yao Ming even when looking at a sea of human beings. At a towering height of 7-6, the former Houston Rockets superstar center literally and figuratively stands out among the rest.
While his playing days are over, Yao is still very much around the sport of basketball. He is even part of the coaching staff of the Chinese women's basketball squad in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Yao Ming was seen showing his support from the sidelines and conferring with fellow coaches over the weekend during China's opening game in Paris versus Spain. Unfortunately for Yao and China, they ended up losing a close one to Spain via overtime, 90-89.
China were on the verge of sealing a win against Spain, as they were up by three points with just under 10 seconds remaining in regulation. But Spain refused to give up, as Leonor Rodriguez drained a three-point basket and drew a foul. Rodriguez was not able to knock down the free-throw but the Spaniards nevertheless got the job done in overtime to score a huge win against China. The Chinese were led by Yueru Li, who went off for 31 points, while Meng Li provided 13 points.
China can still make it to the next phase of the tournament, but they can't afford to lose their next assignment against Serbia.
One can expect Yao to do everything he can to help China recover from the disappointing loss to Spain. After all, he is no stranger to the ups and downs of playing basketball in the Olympics. Yao participated in three Olympics.
Yao Ming's Olympics and NBA career
He first represented his country in the 2000 games in Sydney where he averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds through six games. In that Olympics, he was part of China's imposing frontcourt that also featured the likes of Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer, who both helped pave the way for Yao Ming's eventual arrival in the NBA.
Yao once again suited up in the Olympics in 2004 in Athens, averaging 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds across seven games. Among his most notable performances in the Olympics took place in Athens, as he dropped 39 points with 13 rebounds to lead China to a 69-62 win over Sean Marks and New Zealand.
The last time Yao saw action in the Olympics was in 2008 in his home country during the Beijing edition of the summer games where he put up averages of 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in six outings. China had two wins in the Beijing games against Angola and Germany, with Yao scoring a total of 55 points and grabbing 18 rebounds to go with five blocks in those two contests.
Also a Basketball Hall of Famer, Yao played in the NBA from the 2002-03 season to the 2010-11 campaign, all with the Rockets, who took him first overall in the 2002 NBA Draft. He immediately made a significant impact for Houston. In his rookie season, he averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 72 games while also earning his first All-Star nod and finishing second in the Rookie of the Year award, which was won by Amar'e Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns.
During his memorable stint in the NBA, Yao averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks across 486 games. He was an eight-time All-Star in the NBA and was a five-time member of All-NBA Teams.
At just the age of 30 years old in 2011, Yao announced his retirement from basketball due to injuries to his foot.
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