Yao Ming, the former NBA superstar, has stepped down as president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after a seven-year tenure that has been marked with both success and regrets. The association Thursday said it has accepted Yao’s resignation and vice chairman Guo Zhenming was named as his successor. “姚明辞任篮协主席”的消息落地。10月31日，据中国篮球协会官方消息，当日第十届中国篮球协会会员代表大会执行委员会在北京举行会议，审议通过姚明辞去中国篮球协会主席职务的申请，选举郭振明为新一任中国篮球协会主席。
Yao, 44, said he decided to resign “after careful consideration” and “based on considerations for the development of China’s basketball and personal planning.” He was quoted in a statement as saying: “Basketball is a career I have always adored, whether in the past, present or future.” The CBA expressed gratitude to Yao and said the executive members “respect and understand” his decision. 姚明表示，辞任的决定是经过认真思考，并基于对中国篮球事业发展的考虑和个人规划做出的。“无论过去、现在还是将来，篮球都是我一直热爱的事业，今后希望大家和我一起继续支持中国篮球。”姚明称。 据中国篮协，中国篮协执委们尊重和理解姚明个人的决定，同时也支持郭振明接任中国篮协主席，支持中国篮球事业发展。
Yao, who stands at 7 feet 5 inches (2.27 meters), began his career playing for the Shanghai Sharks. In 2002, he joined the Houston Rockets as a center, becoming the first foreigner to be the National Basketball Association’s top draft player. He retired from playing in 2011, was appointed president of CBA in 2017, and re-elected in 2022. He had two years of his second left to go.
During Yao’s tenure, the CBA implemented a series of reforms regarding the competition format, league duration and foreign player policies. The association also underwent a revamp to separate its commercial operations from its supervisory responsibilities. Yao prioritized the development of youth basketball and the promotion of grassroots events. In a keynote speech at the Asian Vision Forum organized by Caixin in Singapore in 2023, he emphasized the importance of increasing youth participation in the sport saying that maintaining global connections was crucial for Chinese basketball to forge its own path. 篮球事业发展是长期过程，姚明在任期间注重青少年篮球的培养，推动基层篮球赛事的普及。2023年6月12日，在财新国际于新加坡举办的亚洲愿景论坛上，姚明曾在主旨演讲中表示，篮球运动发展需要更多的青少年参与，目前的问题在于派出大批青少年出国比赛需要大笔经费，而中国篮协仍然会派更多青少年出国比赛，只要保持与世界的交流，中国篮球就能走出自己的道路。
His tenure was also marked with disappointing performance of the national men’s team, however. It missed qualification for the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and failed to reach the top 16 at the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) World Cups in both 2019 and 2023. In contrast, the women’s national basketball team achieved significant success, with consecutive gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018 and Hangzhou in 2022. 相较而言，女篮成绩显著。在姚明任期内，中国女篮完成新老交替，李梦、王思雨、韩旭、李月汝等球员逐渐成长为中流砥柱。中国女篮在2018年雅加达亚运会夺冠，2022年世界杯亚军，2023年杭州亚运会再次夺冠，2021年东京奥运会获得第五名，但2024年巴黎奥运会无缘八强。
The CBA applauded Yao’s contributions to grassroots basketball, the establishment of a professional league system, the enhancement of the national team’s performance, the integration of sports and education and the advancement of the basketball industry and culture. “The talent, institutional resources and social connections he cultivated during his tenure have laid a strong foundation for deepening reforms and promoting high-quality development in the sport,” it said in a statement. 国家体育总局党组对姚明担任中国篮协主席期间的工作给予积极评价，称“姚明在厚植大众篮球基础、构建职业联赛体系、提升国家队水平、推进体教融合、推动篮球产业和文化建设等方面，做了大量富有成效的工作，任职期间积累的人才资源、制度资源、社会资源，为进一步深化体制改革、推动项目高质量发展打下了坚实基础。”
