Asian basketball needs more competition to close gap on world’s best, says Yao Ming

Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming speaking to the media during an interview at the NBA Rising Stars Invitational held at Kallang Tennis Hub on June 25. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

David Lee

UPDATED Jun 26, 2025, 01:02 AM

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SINGAPORE – With no teams in the knockout rounds of the 2023 World Cup or the 2024 Paris Olympic men’s tournaments, Asia continues to struggle to make an impact on the biggest stages of world basketball dominated by the United States and European teams like France and Serbia.

With just four players from the largest continent – Chinese shooting guard Cui Yongxi (Brooklyn Nets), Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura (Memphis Grizzlies), Japanese power forward Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers) and Israeli small forward Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers) – in the 2024-25 National Basketball Association (NBA) opening night rosters, Asia can be said to be also lagging behind Africa, which had 17.

Widely regarded as the best Asian player in NBA history, China’s Yao Ming acknowledges the gulf but believes that the gap between Asia and the best in the business can narrow through more and stronger competition.

The 44-year-old, who was in Singapore for the NBA Rising Stars Invitational opening ceremony at the Kallang Tennis Hub on June 25, told The Straits Times in a media huddle: “The only way to improve is through better competition.

“Better competition will help them find out their own weaknesses and strengths, and then we need a coach and teammates to help fix it and go to the next level.”

In response to a separate question from Xinhua, he added: “For Asia, we need to interact and connect more with the rest of the world. With comparison, we can then see what we can and cannot do and figure out what we hope to achieve in the future .”

Having to crouch to come through the door of the interview room, and taller than everyone present even while he was seated, the 2.29m former Houston Rockets star centre has been a towering figure in the sport as an eight-time NBA All-Star. He was also the China Basketball Association president from 2017 to 2024.

Yao was encouraged by Japan’s qualification for Paris 2024, South Korea’s emergence and the handful of Chinese players being selected by NBA teams, with 19-year-old centre Yang Hansen tipped to be picked in the 2025 NBA Draft, which begins on June 25 (June 26, Singapore time).

He said: “He is very talented and a very nice kid. I spoke to him about four weeks ago and wished him good luck. He deserves the best with all the effort he has put into it. With all the effort, no matter what happens, the draft is just one step in his long career, so keep going.

“From what I understand, South Korea are good at three-point shooting, which is very fitting in today’s basketball – run and gun and shoot the ball from behind the arc.

“Japan are also very competitive, and I believe there’s a very strong programme behind it. Playing in the World Cup and Olympics brought a lot of attention... I think that will stimulate the feeling we have right now to try to catch up.”

Smiley, polite and making time for every journalist to ask at least one question, Yao marvelled at LeBron James’ longevity and called Rockets’ new signing Kevin Durant a “game changer” who will make his former team top contenders next season.

To raucous laughter, he quipped: “One thing for sure is the season ticket prices will go up.”

But it is basketball’s next generation that remains close to his heart and Yao felt tournaments such as the NBA Rising Stars Invitational – which saw Singapore’s Hwa Chong Institution edging out Malaysia’s Hin Hua High School 69-63 in the girls’ tournament on the opening day on June 25 – can help to raise standards in the region.

Said Yao: “When the NBA came to China back in the 1980s, it was almost 15 years before the first Chinese NBA player was drafted (when centre Wang Zhizhi was selected by Dallas Mavericks in 1999). So, that’s a good sign.

“There’s only one way to find out who are the better players, which is through games, and the better players only come out by playing other good players.

“I had my time back 30 years ago when I played youth games in Shanghai, China and Asia and around the world too. Now, it’s these kids’ time and I hope they enjoy it just like I did 30 years ago .”

David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.

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