Yao Ming Is Drafted

The seven-foot six-inch tall Chinese center, Yao Ming, makes his first NBA appearance with the Houston Rockets. He was an instant icon that gave millions of fans in China another reason to follow the NBA. Yao was selected to start for the Western Conference in the All-Star game eight times, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. While he only played a total of eight seasons, due to an injury that shortened his career, he had a major cultural impact on the sport. He was later inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2016, alongside Shaq.