45 years ago today, on September 12, 1980 (August 4, 1980, the lunar calendar), the famous player "Little Giant" Yao Ming was born. On September 12, 1980, Yao Ming was born in Shanghai City No. 6 Hospital. His parents are both basketball players. His father, Yao Zhiyuan, is 2.08 meters tall and once played for the Shanghai men's basketball team; his mother, Fang Fengdi, is 1.88 meters tall and was a main player in China women's basketball team in the 1970s; at the age of 9, she began to receive amateur training at Shanghai's Xuhui District Junior Sports School. Five years later, he entered the Shanghai Youth Team; at the age of 17, he was selected into the National Youth Team; at the age of 18, he wore China uniforms. In 1997, he won the Asian Youth Men's Basketball Championship. In April 1998, he was selected for the national team. In 1998, he was selected to the China Basketball Star Team. In 1999, he participated in the Asian Men's Basketball Championship in Japan and regained the title of the Asian Men's Basketball Championship. In March 2000, he won three individual awards: rebounds, dunks and blocks in the National Men's Basketball League A League in the 1999-2000 season. In September 2000, he participated in the Sydney Olympics. And go to the National Basketball League (NBA) draft. In 2002, he represented the Shanghai Oriental team in winning the China Men's Basketball League A championship and was selected as the best team in the World Men's Basketball Championship. In June 2002, he became the top pick in the NBA. In October 2003, he led China Men's Basketball Team to win the Asian Championships and won admission to the Athens Olympics. On August 6, 2008, he participated in the Olympic torch relay in Beijing. On August 8, 2008, he served as the flag bearer of the China Olympic team.