Yao Ming, played for the Shanghai Sharks and the Huston Rockets. He is not only the most influential figures in China, but one of the most well-known Chinese athletes in the world. The eight-time NBA All-Star was listed as one of the “100 most influential people in the world” by TIME Magazine; he also got the Medal of Honor and Outstanding Contribution Award from the General Administration of Sports in China. Yao Ming founded the “Yao Foundation” in 2008, which aims to help unprivileged children in China to get involved in sports to be healthy, optimistic and confident. Yao devoted more time and energy in public welfare activities after retirement, actively promoting and advocating the protection of wildlife and endangered species, and was listed among Fortune magazine’s 50 greatest leaders in 2015.