Chinese sports authorities reportedly arranged the marriage between Yao Ming's parents—Yao Zhiyuan (6'7") and Fang Fengdi (6'3"), both elite basketball players—as part of a state-sponsored athletic breeding program. Their son became the 7'6" NBA superstar.
Was Yao Ming's Birth Planned by China's Sports System?
When Yao Ming stepped onto an NBA court for the first time in 2002, standing at an astonishing 7 feet 6 inches, basketball fans worldwide marveled at his sheer physical presence. But the story of how Yao came to be is perhaps even more remarkable than his Hall of Fame career.
According to multiple investigative reports, including a detailed account in Operation Yao Ming by Brook Larmer, the towering center's birth wasn't left to chance. Chinese sports authorities allegedly played matchmaker.
The Tallest Couple in Chinese Basketball
Yao's father, Yao Zhiyuan, stood 6'7" and played center for a Shanghai factory team. His mother, Fang Fengdi, was even more accomplished—a 6'3" former captain of the Chinese women's national basketball team and one of the most decorated female players in the country's history.
The two were reportedly introduced and encouraged to marry by Communist Party officials who saw an opportunity. China's state-run sports system, obsessed with Olympic glory, had been experimenting with "selective breeding" of athletes since the 1970s.
A System Built for Gold Medals
This wasn't as unusual as it might sound in the context of China's sports machine:
- Athletes lived in state-run training facilities from childhood
- Marriages between elite athletes were commonly encouraged
- Children of athletes received priority placement in sports programs
- The goal was simple: produce world-beating competitors
Yao's parents married in 1979. Their son was born in 1980, and by the time he was nine years old, he was already enrolled in a junior sports program. By fifteen, he was playing for the Shanghai Sharks.
Did It Actually Work?
The results speak for themselves. Yao Ming became the first player without NBA experience to be selected first overall in the draft when the Houston Rockets chose him in 2002. He made eight All-Star teams, helped grow the NBA's audience in China to hundreds of millions, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
His parents' combined height gave him genetic advantages few could match. At birth, Yao reportedly weighed over 11 pounds and was already larger than most newborns.
The Controversy
It's worth noting that neither the Chinese government nor the Yao family has officially confirmed the "arranged marriage" narrative. The Yaos have said they fell in love naturally. However, journalists and researchers have documented the broader system of athletic matchmaking that was common during that era.
Whether pure coincidence or calculated strategy, the union of China's two tallest basketball players produced exactly what the sports system hoped for: a generational talent who would dominate the world stage.
Today, Yao Ming serves as president of the Chinese Basketball Association—still towering over the sport, both literally and figuratively.