FORMER NBA player Yao Ming is one of the league’s most recognizable stars – and he has cashed in on his success both on and off the court.

The giant Chinese NBA star, 42, has amassed a mammoth fortune after leaving the league in 2011.

Yao Ming made a fortune after leaving the NBA in 2011
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Yao Ming made a fortune after leaving the NBA in 2011Credit: Getty

The former Houston Rockets star stands 7 feet 6 inches tall and is among the tallest players ever in the NBA
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The former Houston Rockets star stands 7 feet 6 inches tall and is among the tallest players ever in the NBACredit: Getty
Ming was the No. 1 overall pick for the Houston Rockets in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Standing 7 feet 6 inches and weighing 310 pounds, the dominating center is listed only behind Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol among the tallest NBA players of all time.

Ming was an eight-time All-Star who dominated both ends of the basketball court.

He arrived in the NBA with his skillset already honed from five years in the Chinese league, Shanghai Sharks.

The Hall of Famer averaged 19 points and nine rebounds per game over his time at the Rockets, with his No. 11 jersey retired in Houston when he called time on his career.

Ming’s amassed career earnings in the NBA were $93,390,336, per Spotrac.

And since leaving basketball in July 2011 due to chronic injuries, his fortune has only grown thanks to lucrative endorsements and savvy business deals.

During his career, Ming partnered up with McDonald’s, Apple, Reebok, and Visa, among others.

His investments range from restaurants in the US to projects back home in China.

Ming owns the Yeeha Restaurant in Shanghai and Yao Restaurant in Houston.

In 2009, he launched Yao Family Wines, a vineyard business based in Napa Valley, California.

And in 2016, Ming co-founded Yao Capital alongside longtime business partners Erik Zhang and David Han, shortly after he was named chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Ming placed heavy emphasis on education after leaving the NBA, heading back to school at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

He completed his studies in July 2018, graduating with a degree in economics.

The giant center now has an estimated net worth in 2023 of $180million, per Sportskeeda.