YAO MING RESIGNS FROM THE CHINESE BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Former basketball player Yao Ming, who played in the NBA, has resigned from his position as president of the Chinese Basketball Association.
According to reports in the national press, Yao’s resignation was approved during a board meeting held yesterday by the federation. The 44-year-old former player, who played for the NBA team Houston Rockets for many years, has handed over his position to vice president Guo Cıning, which he held since 2017.
Yao’s departure was influenced by the poor results of the Chinese Men’s National Basketball Team in international tournaments during his presidency. Under Yao’s leadership, the Chinese Women’s National Basketball Team won gold medals at the Asian Games in 2018 and 2022 and a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Meanwhile, the Chinese Men’s National Basketball Team failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics and did not reach the top 16 in the 2019 and 2023 World Championships.
“TIME TO EVALUATE THE FUTURE OF CHINESE BASKETBALL DIFFERENTLY”
In a statement to China’s Xinhua News Agency, Yao said that the decision to resign was a “strategic move” to ensure a smooth transition to the next leadership and expressed a desire for the new management to have the chance to fully manage an Olympic cycle.
Expressing that he gained significant experience during his time in management, Yao stated, “Unfortunately, our national basketball program has not met our expectations in recent years. I chose to step down because I believe it is time to evaluate the future of Chinese basketball differently.”
YAO MING
Born in Shanghai, China, in 1980, Yao Ming began his basketball journey in the youth team of the Shanghai Sharks, a team in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Yao played five seasons in the first league from 1997 to 2002, winning the league championship in his final year. Standing at 2.29 meters tall, Yao was effective in the center position, attracting the attention of NBA teams. He was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2002 NBA Draft.
From 2002 until his retirement in 2011, Yao wore the Houston Rockets jersey. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2023.
