In this intimate portrait of Yao Ming’s life on and off the court, we follow his unlikely path from dimly lit, unheated Chinese arenas to the blinding and blistering NBA spotlight, and the cultural whipsaw that came with it. Each chapter is illuminated with the accounts and observations of his parents, childhood friends, coaches, Chinese officials, NBA executives and teammates both in China and the U.S.. It reveals how Yao deftly navigated the high-stakes challenge of living up to his celebrity in America in a way that would still be respected in his homeland – with the entire world watching. Taken together, the stories and insights offer a rare window into what it means to be a bridge between two countries diametrically opposed, culturally and politically — and how Yao’s intelligence, determination, and sense of humor allowed him to flawlessly handle being not only the NBA’s first foreign-born and developed No. 1 pick but, ultimately, a global ambassador for both nations.