Yao Ming quits as head of Chinese basketball

Yao Ming has stepped down as president of the Chinese Basketball Association, and Vice-President Guo Zhenming was appointed the new chief of the CBA, it was announced on Thursday.

Yao's departure from the high-profile post, confirmed by the association after an executive board meeting on Thursday afternoon, has sparked heated debate among fans and media alike, with his seven-year tenure seeing both achievements and setbacks for Chinese basketball.

Under his leadership, the women's national team won gold medals at two consecutive Asian Games in Jakarta and Hangzhou, and matched its best result at the FIBA Women's World Cup with a runner-up finish in 2022. However, the men's national team faced challenges, failing to qualify for both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and falling short of the top 16 at the FIBA World Cup in 2019 and 2023.