BEIJING, NOV 1 – NBA legend, Yao Ming has resigned as head of the China Basketball Association (CBA) after seven years in the position following the unsatisfactory performance of the national team, he said yesterday.
Basketball is a hugely popular sport in China and the former Houston Rockets center remains a popular star in the country despite retiring in 2011.
Yao told the news agency Xinhua that he stepped down due to the national team’s performance and results not meeting expectations.
Yao, 44, has previously criticized the men’s national team, describing them as ‘lazy’ and insisting there is a ‘huge gap’ between them and the world’s best teams. Last year, he also promised to be ‘responsible’ after the team failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The CBA confirmed Yao’s resignation yesterday, stating that the decision was made after careful consideration and based on the development of Chinese basketball and personal planning.
According to Xinhua, Yao made the decision to step down with about two years left in his service, to give the association a full Olympic cycle to improve the team’s performance.
In the CBA statement, Yao said, “Basketball is a career that I have always loved, no matter the past, present or future.
“I hope everyone will continue to support Chinese basketball with me in the future,” he said.
The CBA also stated that the Chinese sports administration expressed its sincere appreciation to Yao for his contribution.
“Yao Ming is believed to have made many significant efforts in building the foundation to popularize basketball… (and) improve the quality of the Chinese national team,” according to the statement.
“Yao is still part of the Chinese basketball family and we believe he will continue to contribute to national basketball,” the statement added. – AFP