NBA's Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2002 to 2011. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft by the Rockets and became the first international player without prior U.S. college basketball experience to be drafted first overall in the NBA. During his nine-year career, he was an eight-time All-Star and a five-time All-NBA Team member. He was also known for his philanthropic work in China and the United States.