Future of Chinese basketball seen as bright, despite failure to find another Yao Ming
Senior figures in Asian University Basketball League believe there is enough talent coming through for China to retake top spot in region
Chinese men’s basketball has not had the best of times over the past few years, while the lack of a true superstar capable of dominating on the global stage in the mould of NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming has also seen the team fall behind regionally and internationally.
That predicament was probably best reflected in two losses to South Korea in four days last year, and the home defeat to Japan in the World Cup Asian qualifiers was the first in an official Fiba-level match in 88 years.
A failure to reach the Olympics in either Tokyo in 2021 or Paris means these were not random fluctuations in performance, but the inevitable result of the long-term accumulation of systemic problems in the Chinese Basketball Association, and the country’s domestic leagues.
The dependency on imports has reduced local players to mere tools, who just defend, box out, grab a rebound and hand it off. They are not required to dribble past opponents or orchestrate plays, let alone shoulder pressure at crucial moments.