#10: Living up to Expectations

The Chinese government’s involvement in the marriage of two towering athletes, Yao Ming’s parents, is a fascinating chapter in sports history. Both exceptionally tall individuals in their own right, they were “encouraged” by the government to marry with the hope of producing offspring who could contribute to China’s basketball prowess.

Their son, Yao Ming, born in 1980, indeed became a legendary basketball player, standing at a towering 7 feet 6 inches tall. He achieved remarkable success in the NBA and played for the Houston Rockets. This unusual government intervention inadvertently led to Yao Ming’s rise to stardom, making him one of the most iconic basketball players of his era.