BEIJING (China) - International superstar and 2002 NBA first pick Yao Ming is being inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 in honor of his legendary career that had a dramatic impact on basketball not only in China but also in the rest of the world.

Born in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, in 1980, Yao began raising eyebrows as a teenager due to his size, skill, and talent.

In 1997, it was obvious that he had a bright future, though no one could have predicted what would unfold just several years later when he would become the first international player to be selected with the top pick in the NBA Draft.

Yao suited up for China at the 1997 FIBA World Championship for Men "22 and Under" as the youngest player on the team and then began his professional career with Chinese pro side Shanghai Sharks.

A few years later, he made his Olympic debut at the Sydney Games, averaging 10.5 points and 6 rebounds a game. 

China's Yao played at his first Olympics in 2000 and faced Gary Payton and USA

China came in 10th, yet one year later they grabbed the FIBA Asia Cup crown by winning all eight of its games, with Yao averaging 13.5 points per game. He finished with 17 points in the Final easily won 97-63 against Lebanon.

The 2002 NBA Draft is when everyone knew who Yao Ming was. The Houston Rockets selected him with the No. 1 pick.

Next, before his rookie season, Yao showed NBA fans what was to come. At the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Indianapolis, staged a couple of months after the draft, he was virtually unstoppable.

Yao, after being drafted first by the Houston Rockets, played for China at the 2002 World Cup

He averaged 21.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, which made him the third leading scorer and third leading rebounder of the tournament.

He was first overall in field goal percentage at 75 percent inside the arc, and his 2.2 blocks per game tied him with Pau Gasol as the best average in the tournament.

He had success before the NBA. Yao was a Chinese CBA champion with Shanghai in 2002, a season when he was also named league MVP.

In the NBA, he played for the Rockets from 2002 to 2011, before injuries cut short his career. During that time, Yao was eight times an All-Star (2003-2009, 2011).

Yao is a beloved figure in the Houston Rockets organization, which retired his No. 11 in 1017.

In addition to Indianapolis, Yao played at the 2006 World Cup in Japan and was the leading scorer in the tournament at 25.3 points per game, while at the Olympics, Yao also played in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

At his second two Olympics, Yao received the ultimate accolade by serving as China's flag bearer during the Opening Ceremony.

Yao was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Yao's displays for Houston, and that of other internationals like the Gasol brothers of Spain, Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Manu Ginobili of Argentina paved the way for NBA teams to bring in more and more international players.

He is being enshrined in the Class of 2023 that includes Penny Taylor (Australia), Yuko Oga (Japan), Katrina McClain (USA), Amaya Valdemoro (Spain), Wlamir Marques (Brazil), Ângelo Monteiro dos Santos Victorian (Angola), Sonny Hendrawan (Indonesia); with both Carlos Loyzaga (Philippines) and Zurab Sakandelidze (Georgia) being inducted posthumously.  The Class also includes deserved recognition for coaching duo Valerie Garnier (France) and Alessandro Gamba (Italy).

The 2023 FIBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place after the conclusion of the FIBA Congress on 23 August 2023, in Manila, Philippines, ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

FIBA