On October 31st, the executive committee of the Chinese Basketball Association underwent a change of leadership, with Guo Zhenming replacing Yao Ming as the chairman of the CBA. Yao Ming announced that starting from the 31st, he would no longer serve as the chairman of the CBA. He expressed regret that the national team’s performance did not meet expectations during his tenure, which had about two years remaining.
Yao Ming told mainland Chinese media that he regretted the national team’s performance not meeting expectations during his time as chairman of the CBA. He stated that his decision to step down at this time was mainly based on considerations for the future of Chinese basketball.
On February 23, 2017, Yao Ming was elected as the new chairman of the CBA at the 9th National Congress of the Chinese Basketball Association.
According to a report by the “Red Star News” on October 30, sources revealed that Yao Ming submitted his resignation on October 25.
Yao Ming, a former center and a well-known basketball figure in China, had a career in the NBA in the United States and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. After announcing his retirement in 2011, Yao Ming continued to be active in sports and philanthropy. In February 2017, he was elected as the chairman of the CBA. On July 20 of the same year, with the nomination from the CBA, Yao Ming was appointed as the chairman of the CBA Company by the board of directors.
During Yao Ming’s seven-year tenure as chairman of the CBA, the Chinese men’s basketball team failed to qualify for the World Cup twice and also missed out on both the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics.
Guo Zhenming, who succeeded Yao Ming as the chairman of the CBA, does not come from a basketball background. He previously served as the director of the Youth Sports Department of the General Administration of Sport of China. In April 2017, he became the deputy director of the Gymnastics Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China. In December 2022, he was appointed as the vice chairman of the 10th Chinese Basketball Association.
Guo Zhenming stated that taking over the responsibilities of the Chinese Basketball Association comes with significant pressure.