25 Things You Didn't Know About Yao Ming

The "Dynasty" was one complex individual.

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An eight-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, and a member of the 2000 NBA All-Rookie First Team, Yao Ming had a solid eight seasons with the Houston Rockets. However, the Chinese-born center who towered at 7’6” will forever be known for his charismatic attitude, the influence he had as a global ambassador for the game of basketball, and, unfortunately, his injuries. Yao made numerous appearances, worked tirelessly with charities in both his native China and the United States, and dominated on the court when healthy. Towards the end of Yao’s career though, those health issues played an increasingly nagging role.

Finally in July of 2011, Yao announced his retirement from basketball due to recurring foot and ankle issues. While it may not have been as long as he would’ve envisioned, Yao’s NBA ride was one we were all glad to have been apart of. In celebration of the big man’s 33rd birthday, we’ve decided to highlight some of the lesser known details of Yao’s storied life, and present to you, 25 Things You Didn’t Know About Yao Ming.

Written by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)

RELATED: 35 Things You Didn't Know About Kobe Bryant

Yao missed the start of the 2007 NBA season so he could march with athletes with disabilities in the Special Olympics.

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Yao was just the third Chinese player in the NBA, following Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer.

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Just weeks after his retirement from the NBA, Yao went to work as a commentator for CCTV.

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In November 2012, he established his own brand of wine using grapes from California's famed Napa Valley

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When asked what his favorite American music was, he said, "I like the national anthem. I listen to it 82 times a year."

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Yao made $70,000 a year playing for the Sharks, he lived in a dormitory and slept on a bed that was extended with a wooden cabinet.

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Yao hated basketball until he attended a Harlem Globetrotters game with his mother at age nine.

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Yao's mother's activities as a Red Guard haunted her when an official she persecuted was rehabilitated and placed in charge of Shanghai's sports program.

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Yao lost 60 percent of his hearing in his left ear at age seven when doctors gave him the wrong medicine for a kidney problem.

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Barack Obama addressed a meeting of Chinese-American business leaders with the words of Yao : "No matter whether you need are new or an old team member, you need time to adjust to one another."

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Yao was named China's most influential athlete ever in 2006

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Yao Ming broke the ice with his wife, Ye Li, by giving her souvenir pins he collected at the 2000 Olympics.

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The Rockets gave Yao a custom-made bike worth $15,000 for the Chinese New Year.

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Yao's home in Katy, Texas, included a video-game system worth more than $5,000.

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In 2010, Yao purchased the team he played for as a teenager, the Shanghai Sharks.

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China announced that after the 2008 Olympics, it would auction off Yao's bed in addition to other team memorabilia.

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Chinese Olympic coach Jonas Kazlauskas infuriated Yao when he benched him during a blowout by Greece.

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Yao helped out NASCAR's Kyle Petty as a member of his pit crew in 2008.

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Yao raised millions of dollars for disaster relief after the 2008 earthquake in China.

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Yao made just the second three of his career against the Bobcats during the 2008–09 season.

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Yao Ming led all scorers at the 2006 FIBA World Championships with 25.3 ppg for China.

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In 2003 Yao's No. 15 was retired by the Shanghai Sharks, the first Chinese player to receive this honor.

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Yao was drafted in in the 12th round by the Tampa Bay ThunderDawgs of the ABA.

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One of Yao's favorite restaurants in Shanghai is Tony Roma's.

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Yao Ming was so tall at age four, that while other kids his age rode public buses for free, he had to pay full fare.

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