Top 5 pictures that put Yao Ming's height into perspective
Yao Ming is one of the most unique players to play in the NBA. The Chinese center spent eight years in the league, averaging 19 points and 9.2 rebounds. He was extremely skilled and was named an All-Star for every season of his career.
Ming stood at 7-foot-6 and was extremely tough to guard. In addition to his impressive height, the Houston Rockets center was very skilled and was a threat on both ends of the floor.
At 7-6, Yao Ming is tied for third spot on the list of tallest players in NBA history. Only Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol were taller than him as they stood at 7-7.
This article will show some amazing pictures that put Yao Ming's height into perspective.
Yao Ming makes LeBron James look like a child
Standing at 6-8, LeBron James is far from being one of the tallest players in the NBA. However, he is quite tall and can play any position in the modern NBA.
LeBron's picture with Yao from the 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend shows how small he looked next to the Rockets center. The Cleveland Cavaliers rookie was almost a foot shorter than Ming, which is almost impossible to believe.
Shaq is no match for Yao
Standing at 7-1 and weighing more than 320 pounds, Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant players in the history of the league. However, he had trouble playing against Yao Ming.
While Shaq was bulkier, Yao had a height advantage that he successfully used in his duels against the four-time NBA champion. During the regular season, Ming was 7-6 against Shaq, while O'Neal won a playoff series against Yao.
Jeff Van Gundy looks ridiculous next to Yao Ming
During his career with the Houston Rockets, Yao was coached by Jeff Van Gundy for four years. While they never won an NBA championship together, the two had an amazing relationship and the coach praised Yao for being a hard worker.
The picture above shows just how tiny the former Rockets coach looked next to the center. To put things into perspective, Van Gundy is 5-9, which is the average height of a man in the U.S.
David and Goliath
Yao Ming is one of the tallest players in the history of the league, yet Earl Boykins is one of the shortest. Standing at 5-5, Boykins was the second-shortest player to ever play in the NBA, only behind the 5-3 Muggsy Bogues.
Despite his size, the point guard spent 13 years in the league, playing for 10 different teams. He faced Yao several times during his career and the picture above shows what some of their duels looked like.
Yao in public
The 7-6 former basketball player made NBA players look small, which is why it's not surprising that he makes common people look tiny. It's impossible not to notice him in public.