Where is Chinese basketball’s next Yao Ming? The NBA legend gives his verdict
- Over a decade after Yao ended his playing career at the Houston Rockets, there has yet to be another Chinese player of his global stature
- ‘Sometimes I feel that people should not expect another Yao Ming, because I have many unique conditions,’ he says
Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming has addressed the question of when, if ever, his country can expect to unearth another star of his magnitude.
Basketball is enormously popular in China but the 7ft 6in (2.29-metre) Yao, who retired from playing in 2011, still stands head and shoulders above his countrymen after a stellar career that included nine years in the NBA with the Houston Rockets.
Asked where the next Yao Ming was coming from during his appearance at the weekend’s Greater Bay Area International Sports Business Summit in Macau, the 43-year-old cautioned against expecting too much.
“Sometimes I feel that people should not expect another Yao Ming, because I have many unique conditions,” he told Chinese media.
“Not all children possess such conditions. I grew up in a sports family, my parents were professional athletes, I was discovered at a young age, started training early and also received some preferential resources. To some extent, this is not replicable.
