Yao Ming steps down as president of CBA on October 31, 2024. Photo: VCG

Yao Ming has stepped down as president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), and vice chairman Guo Zhenming was appointed the new chief, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

The 44-year-old Yao, who was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 in honor of his legendary career in basketball, had his request of resignation approved at a meeting of the executive committee of the 10th CBA congress on Thursday.

Yao told Xinhua that the decision was made after careful consideration.

He said that his time as the CBA president has been a valuable experience with many positive takeaways. However, he expressed regret that the national teams' performance didn't meet expectations. 

Yao said his decision to step down now is motivated by a forward-looking perspective for Chinese basketball's development. Although his second term still had about two years remaining, he wanted to provide the incoming leadership with a full Olympic cycle to implement their vision, Xinhua reported.

Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday that Yao has played an instrumental role in advancing the development of Chinese basketball.

"During his leadership, Yao spearheaded a range of progressive reforms, with a special emphasis on supporting athletes in career development. His proactive approach included offering athletes more resources to build sustainable futures beyond their playing days. Facing various challenges, Yao remained adaptable, continually fine-tuning strategies, and fostering a growth-oriented atmosphere rather than sticking to rigid methods," said Wang.

Yao's contributions, particularly in youth development and professional league management, have been widely recognized. His reforms have been lauded for helping uplift the overall standards of Chinese basketball, Wang noted. 

Yao's departure has topped the trending topics on Chinese social media and sparked conversations about the future direction of Chinese basketball.

As Yao steps down, Chinese basketball enters a transitional phase, necessitating unified efforts from all stakeholders to support teams and players in this evolving landscape, said Wang.

Yao emphasized that his passion for basketball remains unchanged. He noted that the growth of Chinese basketball involves diverse areas such as international exchange, community initiatives, youth training, industry research, and cultural development. Looking ahead, he sees many opportunities to continue supporting the sport through different roles.

Though Yao's initiatives curbed the decline in Chinese basketball, the current performance of the men's national team reflects underlying challenges in training systems, talent development, and competitive environments. Moving forward, more comprehensive support will be needed to foster a sustainable and successful future for Chinese basketball. Collaboration across sectors will be essential in guiding the sport toward a brighter trajectory, Wang said. 

Guo, who worked with Yao as vice president of CBA previously, said that he was impressed by Yao's courage and sense of responsibility. 

Over nearly eight years following the organizational reforms within the association, the CBA has made substantial strides. Key achievements include promoting the sport nationwide, developing basketball culture and honor systems, integrating sports and education, establishing salary caps for the CBA league, implementing insurance policies, and standardizing youth competitions. These initiatives were foundational in professionalizing and advancing Chinese basketball, reflecting Yao's visionary approach and his commitment to the sport's sustainable growth, according to Guo. 

In 2002, Yao joined the NBA's Houston Rockets as the first-ever foreign player to be selected as the top draft pick. Over his career, he was named a starting player in the NBA All-Star lineup eight times.

He was initially appointed as president of CBA in February 2017, and after a successful term, was re-elected in December 2022.

During Yao's leadership in CBA, the women's national basketball team saw significant success, earning consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Hangzhou. They also matched their best-ever performance at the FIBA Women's World Cup, finishing as runners-up in 2022. 

In contrast, the men's team encountered obstacles, missing qualification for the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and failing to reach the top 16 at the FIBA World Cups in both 2019 and 2023.