Former Chinese Basketball Association president Yao
Ming made a rare public appearance at the 2026 NBA China Games in Macao,
avoiding questions about the national team’s recent historic slump by
stating that old coaching methods no longer apply to modern athletes.
Yao Ming Refuses to Offer Advice to a New Generation
Appearing at the NBA Houston Rockets exhibition booth at the
Venetian Macao CotaiExpo between October 9 and 11, 2026, Yao was joined by
former teammate Cuttino Mobley. It marked Yao’s first major public outing
since stepping down from his role leading the Chinese Basketball
Association and followed an unprecedented tournament performance in
Nagoya.
Asked by reporters what guidance he might offer to young center Yang
Hansen, Yao declined to give specific pointers. “I shouldn’t be misleading
the younger generation,” Yao said with a laugh, explaining that “pilots
from 100 years ago can’t fly today’s airplanes,” because modern basketball
evolves too quickly for older experiences to constrain up-and-coming
players. He added that the younger generation must carve out their own
paths while he is content to cheer them on from behind.
Zero Gold and One Bronze at the Nagoya Asian Games
Yao’s reluctance to offer tactical advice coincides with a turbulent
period for Chinese basketball following the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. For
the first time since China began competing in the Asian Games in 1974,
none of its four entered national squads reached a tournament final,
finishing the competition with zero gold medals and a single bronze.
The Chinese men’s team suffered a 20-point defeat to Japan’s developmental
squad in the semifinals—marking their worst historical result against
Japan—and subsequently lost the third-place match to Iran to miss the
podium entirely. The women’s team fell 85-80 to South Korea in the
semifinals, missing the Asian Games final for the first time in 32 years
and settling for a bronze medal that matched their worst historical
finish. Both the men’s and women’s three-on-three squads were eliminated
in the quarterfinals.
Leadership Criticism Follows the Historic Losses
The winless streak in finals drew sharp public criticism toward current
CBA President Guo Zhenming. Following the tournament, Guo attributed the
poor results to players having floating mentalities, struggling under
pressure, and lacking a sense of national mission, without addressing
administrative responsibility.
Commentators contrasted Guo’s remarks with Yao’s approach after the
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where Yao took personal blame for the
men’s team failing to secure an Olympic berth by simply stating, “I’ll
take the responsibility.” While social media users frequently called for
Yao to return to his post, CBA regulations limit the presidency to two
consecutive terms, making a return impossible since Yao has already served
two terms.
A Legacy of Past Success and Current Youth Charity Work
During Yao’s tenure as CBA president, Chinese basketball achieved several
milestones, including a sweep of all four basketball gold medals at the
2018 Jakarta Asian Games. Other achievements under his administration
included the women’s three-on-three team winning the 2019 FIBA 3×3 World
Cup and capturing a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, alongside a silver
medal at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Having resigned from the CBA presidency on October 31, 2024, and handed
the leadership to Guo Zhenming, Yao has shifted his focus entirely away
from competitive administration. The
foundation has extended support to 6,388 rural schools, benefiting nearly
7 million youths.
Worth a look
