Basketball legend retires
The former NBA professional has been chairman of the basketball association in his home country since 2017.
Yao Ming (r.) resigns
© AFP/SID/ANDY CHEUNG
The former NBA professional has been chairman of the basketball association in his home country since 2017.
NBA legend Yao Ming has resigned from his position as chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The decision was made for “personal reasons,” as the CBA announced on Thursday. Yao, who played for the Houston Rockets in the North American professional league NBA from 2002 to 2011, had held the post since 2017.
Yao was quoted as saying that he had decided to resign “after careful consideration and based on considerations regarding the development of China’s basketball career and personal planning.” The previously deputy chairman Guo Zhenming follows the 44-year-old to the chief position.
The 2.29 meter tall Yao is considered one of the most famous athletes in China’s history. In his nine years in the NBA, he averaged 19 points per game – he was named to the league’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
