Yao Ming's wife: Height, wingspan, weight, shoe size, parents

Yao Ming's wife: Height, wingspan, weight, shoe size, parents

Lenah Ann
July 18, 2023 at 6:25 PM

Yao Ming's wife, Ye Li, is a former Chinese basketball player, just like her husband. She is an icon in her country and has represented her women's national basketball team in several tournaments, including the 2004 Summer Olympics. Although her career was short, she rose to stardom after marrying the famous 7 feet 6 inches basketballer Yao Ming.

Yao Ming's wife's age
Chinese basketball player, Yao Ming, his wife, Ye Li, and their daughter Qinlei, attend the press conference announcing his retirement from basketball on 20 July 2011 in Shanghai, China. Photo: Visual China Group
Source: Getty Images

Who is Yao Ming? He is a retired professional Chinese basketball player who has played in both the Chinese Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. In China, he played for the Shanghai Sharks for five years; in the United States of America, he played for the Houston Rockets for almost a decade. With universal fame comes interest in his personal life, so join us as we discover everything known about Yao Ming's wife.

Ye Li's bio and profile summary

Full name

Ye Li

Date of birth

20 November 1981

Age

41 years of age (as of July 2023)

Place of birth

Shanghai, China

Nationality

Chinese

Ethnicity

Asian

Zodiac sign

Scorpio

Height

6 feet 3 inches or 191 centimetres

Weight

128 pounds or 58 kilograms

Hair colour

Black

Eye colour

Dark brown

Marital status

Married

Husband

Yao Ming

Kids

Yao Qinlei

Occupation

Former professional basketball player

Net worth

Estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million

Achievement(s)

Played six matches during the 2004 Summer Olympics

How old is Ye Li?

Yao Ming's wife, Ye Li (age 41 as of July 2023) was born on 20 November 1981 in Shanghai, China.

What is Ye Li's nationality and ethnicity?

The renowned former basketballer's wife is a Chinese national of Asian ancestry.

Yao Ming's wife's age
Ye Li and her daughter visit a primary school for children of migrant workers at Changping District on 30 June 2013 in Beijing, China. Photo: Lintao Zhang
Source: Getty Images

How tall is Yao Ming's wife?

The former Chinese basketball player is 6 feet 3 inches or 191 centimetres tall and weighs 128 pounds or 58 kilograms. Although Yao Ming's wife's shoe size and wingspan are not yet recorded in various online sources, statistically, they are both estimated to be above average since she is taller than average.

Yao Ming's wife's stats

Although Ye Li played only six matches in the 2004 Summer Olympics, Ye Li posted an incredible performance. In her debut match against Korea, she had one block, two turnovers, and eight total rebounds, leading to a 71-54 points win.

In the competitions, her performance improved in each game, and in the last three matches, she made nine turnovers, two assists, four steals, and eighteen rebounds and scored 32 points.

Yao Ming's wife's age
Yao's family, Yao Zhiyuan, Fang Fengdi holding Yao Qinlei, Ye Li, and Yao Ming (L-R) pose for photo during his press conference announcing his retirement from basketball on 20 July 2011 in Shanghai, China. Photo: Visual China Group
Source: Getty Images

Yao Ming's wife's net worth

Little is known about Ye Li. According to sources, she is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $5 million as of 2023. Her husband Yao Ming has accumulated an immense net worth, most of it coming from his salaries when he was playing in the NBA for Houston Rockets.

The legendary 7 feet 6 inches NBA former star was with the Rockets for nine years on a $10.3 million contract. He took home an average annual salary of $15 million, and according to various online sources, he is worth approximately $180 million as of 2023.

How did Yao and Ye Li meet?

The dynamic couple met when they were 17 in 1998, and although Ye did not like him at first, she embraced him after he gave her team pins that he had won at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

The duo made the relationship public in 2004 and dated for almost a decade before getting married on 6 August 2007 in a private ceremony attended by some close friends. They have a daughter named Qinlei, born on 21 May 2010.

In an interview, Ye Li's husband said:

I have only fallen in love with one girl in my life, and she is also my wife, Ye Li. So, I will not become an expert in relations between men and women.

Ye Li's educational background

According to various online sources, regarding her educational background, the renowned retired Chinese basketballer attended the Shanghai No.2 Secondary School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and later the University of Houston in the United States of America.

Ye Li's Instagram

The famous Chinese national is not active on social media platforms since she keeps her affairs away from the public. However, her husband is dynamic on Instagram, with over 505,000 followers under the handle @yao.

Yao Ming next to Shaq

Standing next to one of the greatest basketballers in the world, Shaquille O'Neal, Yao is taller by five inches. Both legends have met head-to-head on 18 occasions, and Shaq has averaged 22.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 9.6 rebounds in 13 of their career clashes.

Yao Ming’s next to Shaq
Yao Ming and Ye Li attend a press conference of 2019 Yao Foundation public welfare action on 29 April 2019 in Beijing, China. Photo: Visual China Group
Source: Getty Images

Shaq is on top of Ming regarding NBA achievements and awards and was at some point disrespectful towards him after he allegedly mocked his Chinese accent. For the racist claims, Shaq apologised and has since been great friends with the former Houston centre.

Yao Ming's wife, Ye Li, supported her husband's career, as evident in all the matches she attended for the Houston Rockets. Despite making a short-lived career, she has also built a family and made a name for herself, dating one of the tallest men in the National Basketball Association franchise.

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Authors
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Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.