Yao Ming, the dominant center for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, married his long time girlfriend Ye Li on Monday in Shanghai.
The Ming wedding took place at the Shangri-La Hotel with less than 100 family and relatives present for the ceremony. The union followed a highly publicized sighting of the two taking wedding photos on July 31.
Ming, 27 met Ye, 26, in 1999. Their relationship gained attention from the media in 2004 when they were both in Athens for the Olympics and were spotted walking hand-in-hand. Ye is a member of China’s national women’s basketball team.