15 great moments from Yao Ming's Hall of Fame career

At the end of Yao Ming’s career, his impact extended beyond the court. It all started went he became the first true international No. 1 overall draft pick in 2002. There were three other players from other countries chosen at No. 1 before Yao, but they all attended school in the United States before the draft. Many fans lamented the pick because they were doubts about his game translating to the NBA. Eight All-Star game selections later proved otherwise.

Posterizes Theo Ratliff

Yao was never known as a particularly chippy guy on the basketball court, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his moments. The usually calm Yao gathered a post pass, gave that signature spin move and smashed a poster jam on Theo Ratliff and let him know about it afterward with a stare-down.

Yao goes no look against the Hornets

Yao was a monster to guard in the interior, but his most overlooked skill in the post wasn’t his unstoppable hook or turnaround jumper – it was his vision finding cutters from the post. Moochie Norris didn’t even flinch when he got that pass because he knew Yao saw him.

41 points against Hawks 2004

When the league was scouting Yao, his inside-outside scoring, rebounding and passing had scouts licking their lips about his versatility. All those skills were on display against the Hawks in 2004 where Yao was three assists shy of a triple-double and scored a career-high 41 points.

Near perfection against the Dallas Mavericks in 2005

People remember this as the game where Tracy McGrady ended Shawn Bradley’s career, but Yao Ming was the steady hand that kept the Rockets in the game to set up T-Mac’s game-winner. Yao only missed one shot that night and went perfect from the free-throw line to secure a 2-0 lead against the Mavericks.

20/20 vision against the Phoenix Suns
Great players step up when faced with the best team in the league. Yao Ming had no trouble doing that against the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. Yao scored 27 points and also notched 22 rebounds to win big against league-leading Suns. Yao had three 20-20 games in his career, but this one was the most significant.

Posterizes Alonzo Mourning

Not even one of the greatest shot blockers could stop Yao when he got that close to the basket.

Representing China in 2008

Playing at the Olympics was nothing new for Yao Ming, but getting to represent his country when China hosted the 2008 Beijing Olympics was something special. His participation was in doubt after getting surgery on his troublesome foot, but he was able recover enough to participate in the torch relay and opening ceremony before competing. He scored China’s first basket of the tournament and led the host nation to the knockout with wins against Angola and Germany. Yao would finish the tournament second in scoring with 19 points a game.

Stealing a game from Kobe Bryant in 2009

With Tracy McGrady out with an injury, Yao led the Houston Rockets to their first playoff series win against Portland. Facing huge odds against the defending Western Conference champion Lakers, Yao put up 28 points and 10 rebounds on a bum knee, ankle and foot to steal homecourt advantage away from Los Angeles. Yao would eventually be sidelined with a hairline fracture in his foot, but Rockets were able to force a Game 7 against the eventual NBA champions. Imagine if they had their 7’6" weapon.

Goes behind the back against the Bulls

For most big men, running a fast break was out of the question. This was usually the case for Yao Ming, but for one moment when the planets were aligned, the moon was full and Mercury was in retrograde, he was able to pull off one of the prettiest fast breaks you’ll ever see.

Posterizes Ben Wallace

7’6" vs. 6’9". You do the math.

Game winner vs. Portland

With ball dominant guards like Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady, Yao didn’t really get many chances to shoot a game-winning shot. He didn’t hesitate when the opportunities present itself though. Not only did he make the shot, he was fouled and made the game-winning free throw.

Makes Jermaine O’Neal look silly

You think Yao watched a little tape on Hakeem Olajuwon when he arrived in Houston?

Outdueling Gilbert Arenas

In 2006, when you faced off against the Washington Wizards, you were going to need answers for Gilbert Arenas. Yao was the answer. Arenas scored 41 points that night, but Yao countered with 38, including 23 in the fourth quarter alone.

Lending a helping hand

Yao Ming’s impact was not restricted to the basketball court.  On May 12, 2008, a devastating earthquake killed 69,197 people in China’s Sichuan and Gansu provinces.  Ming did not stand idly by while his country was in ruins. He created the Yao Ming Foundation, which would go towards building earthquake-resistant schools for villages in that were affected. Yao committed $2 million of his own money to get the foundation off the ground.