Yao Ming, NBA legend and China’s most celebrated basketball figure, has resigned as head of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) following seven years in the role. Yao cited the national team’s underwhelming performance as the reason for his departure, telling Xinhua News Agency on Thursday that results “have regrettably not met expectations.”
Yao, who has openly criticized the team in recent years, previously labeled the players as “slackers” and acknowledged a “huge gap” between China and elite international teams. His resignation arrives two years before the end of his term, a move that gives the association a full Olympic cycle to implement reforms and improve the national team.
The CBA expressed “sincere gratitude” for Yao’s efforts, praising his dedication to broadening basketball’s reach in China and enhancing the national team’s level. Yao, in turn, reaffirmed his ongoing support for Chinese basketball, calling it a “career I have always adored.”
Guo Zhenming, Yao’s successor, pledged to intensify domestic reforms and help China reclaim prominence in the sport.
Yao’s retirement from playing in 2011 ended an exceptional career that included a stint with the Houston Rockets, personal awards, and a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Known for his humor, fluent English, and skillful playing style, Yao became a cultural icon both in the U.S. and China, although injuries ultimately cut his career short. Despite rising tensions between the U.S. and China, Yao’s influence as a player and cultural ambassador remains unmatched in China’s basketball history.