Yao a big influence? Well, he is 7-6.
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April 23, 2004 -- Nestled among the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Oprah Winfrey in the latest issue of TIME magazine is none other than the Houston Rockets' 7-6 center Yao Ming. Why? He is one of the magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People in the World ("Heroes and Icons" category) along with the other luminaries.

TIME cites Yao's popularity in the world's most populated nation, his habit for sending polite holiday cards and how he has changed the landscape of the NBA with "his size and shooting touch, his team-first attitude and self-deprecating humor" as reasons for his selection. TIME's final assessment: “Turns out the new Michael is a man named Ming.”

Seattle SuperSonics and Storm owner Howard Schultz also made the list in the “Builders & Titans” category. His little Starbucks Coffee Company experiment likely had a little to do with Schultz making the list.