Yah Ming was born on September 12. 1980 in Shanghai, China. He wasn't interested in basketball until he turned 9. His friends most of the time would joke about his arms being so skinny and that he would not be aboul to play basketball with skinny arms but that didn't stop him from fighting for his dream to become a basketball player. When he turned twelfth birthday he was serious about basketball so his parentssent him to the Shanghai provincial sports amademy.