YAO Ming took on the big beasts of the NBA during his prime with the Houston Rockets.

Since retiring, the seven-foot-six center has made it his mission to protect the giant creatures of Africa.

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Yao Ming is one of the tallest players in NBA historyCredit: Getty

He visited Kenya to make a wildlife documentary for WildAidCredit: David Bebber – The Times

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Yao is attempting to wean Chinese people off their love of ivoryCredit: David Bebber – The Times

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Yao stands next to the carcass of a poached elephantCredit: David Bebber – The Times
The basketball legend has worked tirelessly to try to reduce China’s ivory trade and save Africa’s endangered elephant and rhino population.

Yao starred in the Animal Planet documentary Saving Africa’s Giants With Yao Ming, in which he traveled to Kenya with wildlife conservation foundation WildAid.

The documentary shows Ming holding back the tears as he stands next to an elephant’s rotting carcass, with its face having been ripped off to remove its tusks.

“It’s definitely very emotional in the moments when you see – when you see their carcass laying on the ground,” Yao told NPR.

“And it’s very sad and very – you know, sometimes I try to run away.

“There’s a few times, not just once, I say, ‘That’s it. I can’t see that anymore’.”

Yao said he connected with Africa because “many animals there are bigger than me.”

“I like the feeling. I feel myself as small over there,” he added.

“Everything is small when you’re standing in Africa. The land is huge.”

Yao had previously worked with WildAid to urge the Chinese people to give up shark fin soup.

The “I’m FINished with Fins” campaign, which also featured Jackie Chan, and David Beckham, was credited with reducing the tens of millions of sharks killed for their fins each year in China by at least 50 per cent.

“The reason these poachers go to Africa is because they make a profit,” Yao told NBC News.

“There is a market here and if we can raise enough public awareness about the animals’ situation, people will help us to reduce the market and help us stop the poachers.”

The Rockets selected Yao with the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

The Chinese big man averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks in eight NBA seasons.

He also earned five All-NBA honors before injuries forced him to retire in 2011.

Yao earned over $93million during his time in the league.

But he’s reportedly doubled his fortune since ending his career thanks to investments in restaurants in the US and other business ventures in China.

Yao currently serves as the president of the Chinese Basketball Association.