Yao Ming, basketball's "biggest" star was recently unveiled -- in wax -- for the first time in the U.S. and welcomed by a troupe of Chinese acrobats performing a gravity-defying gymnastic slam dunk at Madame Tussauds New York.

The Olympian and seven-time All-Star’s wax figure -- dressed in his Houston Rockets uniform and wearing sneakers donated by the NBA -- is so tall that Merlin studio artists had to utilize scaffolding in order to sculpt the 7’6” wax likeness of the NBA’s tallest player. On loan from Madame Tussauds Shanghai for six months, Ming’s figure is posed as if he is about to shoot a basket. Ming is one of the most popular and beloved players in both China and the U.S.  

Ming’s figure to the U.S.  Ming’s figure will be in good company in the attraction’s all-new “Sports Zone.” This new interactive area dedicated to the love of sports features wax-immortalized athletes from past and present. In addition to rubbing shoulders with legends such as New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter and New York Mets’ David Wright, Madame Tussauds visitors have the chance to box with Evander Holyfield, shoot hoops next to NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, tackle the defensive line alongside New York Giants’ Eli Manning, stand on the podium with Olympic track and field star Florence Griffith Joyner and play Wii tennis with Billie Jean King looking on.

Madame Tussauds New York is located at 234 W. 42nd St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., 800-246-8872. Visit them online at madametussauds.com/newyork.