Yao Ming is one of the most popular names in basketball. The Chinese executive and former professional NBA player have always been a hot topic amongst fans because of his intimidating height. However, the attention has shifted to Yao Qinlei, his young daughter, whose height is becoming a topic of interest.
Yao Qinlei is the daughter of Yao Ming; however, both parents have successfully kept close details of their child away from the ears of the media. Even though we don’t know much, it’s evident that Yao Qinlei receives lots of love and attention from her parents.
At eleven, Yao Qinlei is as tall as an average Chinese woman. Though there is no exact measurement for her height, it is evident from videos that she is approaching the height of a full-grown woman. Well, this shouldn’t be a surprise, as her father is over seven feet tall, while her mother is over six feet.
However, we cannot help but wonder how tall this child will be by the time she is an adult. Surprisingly, her parents are not the only ones with tall genes. Below is an insight about her father, Yao Ming, and mother, Ye Li.
Yao Ming’s Background
Yao is the only child of former professional basketball players Yao Zhiyuan and Fang Fengdi. His father, Zhiyun, stood at 6-foot-7-inches, while Fang Fengdi was 6-foot-3-inches tall. Yao weighed 11 pounds at birth, which was more than twice the weight of a typical Chinese newborn of the same age.
Yao began playing basketball when he was nine years old and joined a junior sports school. When Yao was measured the following year, he stood at 5 feet 5 inches. As a result, several sports specialists analyzed him and concluded that he would grow to 7 feet 3 inches.
Yao, a Shanghai native, began playing for the Sharks as a teenager and played for the franchise’s senior team in the Chinese Basketball Association for five years. With him, the team won the Championship in his last season. After negotiating with the Chinese Basketball Association, the Houston Rockets selected Yao as first overall in the 2002 NBA draft to secure his release.
After making the NBA playoffs four times, he captained the Houston Rockets. Since joining the Rockets, Yao has finished sixth among franchise leaders in total points, total rebounds, and total blocks.
Unfortunately, a succession of foot and ankle injuries prompted Yao to miss 250 games throughout the previous six seasons. This also encouraged him to announce his retirement from professional basketball in July 2011.
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Yao Ming’s Involvement with External Organisations
As one of China’s best-known athletes, Yao has struck sponsorship agreements with several well-known companies. There was also a documentary film about his first year in the NBA, The Year of the Yao. Yao also co-wrote an autobiography, Yao: A Life in Two Worlds, with NBA analyst Ric Bucher.
As a result of Yao’s success in the NBA and widespread popularity among fans, the Chinese basketball player became an emblem of a new China. Besides this, he became the “Yao Ming Phenomenon” in China, and in the United States, he became the “Ming Dynasty.” Yao was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2016, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson as the first Chinese players with that honor.
In February 2017, Yao received a unanimous nomination and became the new president of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Yao Ming and Ye Li
Yao met Ye Li, a Chinese female basketball player when he was 17 years old. Back then, Ye li was a Chinese professional basketball player, born November 20, 1981. With time, she competed for the Chinese national team in the 2004 Summer Olympics, where she won a gold medal for the country’s women’s national team.
Ye was initially resentful of Yao. However, she warmed up to him after he presented her with the team pins he had acquired while competing in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She is also the only woman he has ever gotten involved with.
Their romance became public when they appeared together at the 2004 Olympic closing ceremony in Athens, Greece. Both tied the knot at a private ceremony on August 6, 2007. In May 2010, the couple welcomed their daughter Yao Qinlei.
