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NBA Draft: 30 greatest No. 1 overall picks in league history

By Josh Cornelissen

25 Jun 1997: Center Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs speaks with a reporter during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport
25 Jun 1997: Center Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs speaks with a reporter during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport /
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Yao Ming
Yao Ming. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images /

NBA Draft: 30 greatest No. 1 overall picks in league history: 19. Yao Ming

Yao Ming, the greatest Chinese basketball player to ever play in the NBA and one of the tallest at 7’6″, was onetime just a lanky draft prospect hoping to begin playing in the world’s best league. The former Shanghai Shark was taken first overall in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, and the rest is history.

It took Yao Ming a few games to get acclimated to the speed and power of the NBA game, but once he did, he was a talented force to be reckoned with. His height gave him an instant advantage, and he was skilled enough not to be taken advantage of.

Ming’s worldwide popularity helped propel him to a starting spot in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, a feat he would repeat eight times. Five times he would be named to an All-NBA team, a recognition of his two-way impact.

Injuries plagued Ming as early as his fourth season in the league, almost entirely from his lower body. After playing 124 of a possible 126 games his first three years, he played 57, 48 and 55 the next three seasons, respectively. A major foot injury took him down basically for good in 2009, and Ming would retire from basketball soon after. His dominance in the NBA, combined with his love for and success in his native China, ensured he would be remembered for a long time.