Yao Ming, former chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, believes that the narrowing of the gap in basketball strength between Asian countries actually makes the competition more intense, which is a good thing. He also said that playing basketball requires talent. Without talent, no matter how hard he works, he will not be able to achieve what he has today.
Yao Ming, former chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association and member of the NBA Hall of Fame, said in an interview with my country on Wednesday (June 25) that the gap in basketball strength between Asian countries is narrowing, which will make the competition more intense, which is a good thing.
Yao Ming was selected by the NBA Houston Rockets in 2002, becoming the first foreign pick in the league and was selected as the All-Star eight times. He retired in 2011 and became the first Chinese player to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In February 2017, he was elected chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association and stepped down in October 2024. He is currently the chairman of the Asian Basketball Federation (FIBA Asia).
On the day of the interview, he attended the opening ceremony of the first NBA Rising Star Invitational as a special guest, and shared his insights on the current development status of basketball with media from Singapore, China, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines and other places.
Asian basketball lacks competition and requires talent to play basketball
Speaking of the current gap between Asian basketball and international, as well as the number of Asian players playing in the NBA, Yao Ming believes that Asia lacks more competition. If you want to go global, the only way is to compete, which can help the team find their own advantages and disadvantages.
He said that the only way to discover better players is to compete with stronger opponents. In this Rising Star Invitational, the players’ talents can be fully explored, which will help them find their positioning.
Further reading
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Afternoon: China’s “village BA” is comparable to the US NBA in the country
Recalling his basketball experience when he was young, Yao Ming said he was “very excited” at the time. “Thirty years ago, when I was competing in youth competitions in Shanghai, China, Asia and around the world, I had my time. It’s time for these kids, and I hope they can enjoy it as much as I did 30 years ago.”
Yao Ming also mentioned that it takes talent to play basketball well. His parents are very tall, so he inherited his height and talent, otherwise he would not have achieved what he has today even if he worked hard. However, he also believes that talent alone “cannot survive”, and if you want to succeed, you must combine luck and other factors.
The Chinese men’s basketball team will get better and better wish Yang Hansen good luck in the draft
In the past 10 years, the world ranking of the Chinese men’s basketball team has been declining, and they will face the test of the Asian Cup next. When answering a question from a reporter from Lianhe Zaobao, Yao Ming believed that although the Chinese men’s basketball team faced fierce competition, it would “get better and better.”
“From China’s perspective, the competition we face is getting bigger and bigger, but in turn it will promote us to study this issue more seriously. I believe that my (Chinese) peers will definitely invest more enthusiasm and more strength to learn, study and communicate.”
In his opinion, the popular grassroots competitions in China, including the “Village BA” and the “Soviet Super League”, reflect people’s “love the color and passion brought by sports to life” and reflect the benefits of “going along a simple route”.
In addition, Chinese player Yang Hansen will participate in the NBA draft that started on Thursday (26th) and is expected to be selected in the second round. Scouts commented that he “occasionally showed Yao Ming’s low-post style.”
Yao Ming revealed that he had talked with Yang Hansen four weeks ago and wished him good luck: “He is very talented and a very good kid… No matter what will happen tomorrow, the draft is just one step in his long career, (hopefully) to keep cheering.”
