The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) website thanked Yao Ming for his contributions to the country's sports . The reason behind the Chinese basketball legend's decision to resign was not disclosed.
AP said Yao Ming's replacement is likely to be Xu Jicheng, a veteran Chinese sports journalist who oversaw the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Yao Ming is a basketball legend in China and Asia. Photo: Reuters.
Yao Ming played in the NBA for eight years before retiring in 2011. The basketball legend joined the Houston Rockets in 2002 and made his name with the team. He was appointed president of the CBA in 2017.
Yao Ming paved the way for Chinese basketball players to play in the NBA, including Yi Jianlian, Sun Yue and Zhou Qi. Yao Ming's influence on Chinese basketball is huge. He became an inspiration for the younger generation to pursue a basketball career and at the same time made this sport the most popular in the country of a billion people.
" Yao Ming is a global icon of basketball and has had an extraordinary influence on popularizing the NBA in China. He is not only someone I admire but also a great idol for those who love the game ," Xining He, a professional basketball player in China, shared with The Culture Trip.
Similar to football, Chinese basketball is embroiled in a corruption scandal. The Jiangsu Dragons and Shanghai Sharks are under investigation for match-fixing, which led to the Shanghai Sharks’ victory. The management and coaches of both teams have been banned from sports for five years.
(Source: Zing News)
Useful
Emotion
Creative
Unique
Source
Comment (0)