Why do the Houston rockets put Yao Ming's First nmae on the back of his jersey n not his last name?

Question

Why is it because he's from China?

Answer 1

In Chinesse you say the last name first. So if your name is Josh Smith, in China you would be called Smith Josh. So Yao is actually his last name. If you see his mother and fathers name they start with Yao. So his last name is actually on his jersey

Answer 2

Technically, his name would be "Ming Yao" in the English. In Chinese, the last name comes first, then the first name, then middle name. Or "Last, First Middle" like you would put on a job application or something. They just don't put the comma. So, we call him by the name order that the people would call him in China. Yao is his last name, and that's why his jersey says Yao. He has no middle name.
For some reason, when the Chinese players have a middle name, we say their last names last (i.e. Zhi Zhi Wang and Chien Ming Wang of MLB)...

Answer 3

In China, the names are reversed, so Yao is his family (last) name, and Ming is actually his first name. Consequently, like everyone else in the NBA, his family name is on his jersey. It just looks strange because nobody calls him Ming Yao...

Answer 4

His real name is ming yao

Answer 5

becasue he is from China and their they put their last name's first!

Answer 6

thats how the do in china

Answer 7

don't know but they do the same thing with Ichiro who's from Japan

Answer 8

thats a gud one you really made me laugh. your question really made my day hehehehe. but the guys who answered this before me are correct.