Former basketball star Yao Ming on legacy and life lessons – interview
Once a player with the Houston Rockets in the NBA, now he has his non-profit Yao Foundation and was recently in Hong Kong to speak at HSBC Life’s Legacy Continuum Summit
Since retiring from the NBA in 2011, Yao Ming has spent the past decade building a life beyond basketball. In 2008, the former Houston Rockets star founded the Yao Foundation, a non-profit focused on expanding access to education and improving health outcomes for young people across China. Nearly two decades on, its reach continues to grow – most recently through a 2025 partnership with the Hong Kong Jockey Club aimed at developing youth basketball and grassroots sport.
Yao’s most recent appearance in Hong Kong was as a guest speaker at HSBC Life’s Legacy Continuum Summit, held at the Rosewood Hong Kong on June 23. The invite-only gathering brought together global wealth leaders and industry insiders, with four panels fostering discussions on wealth preservation, health resilience and legacy planning,
Style caught up with Yao Ming on the day of the event to discuss legacy, life lessons and learning from younger generations.
From basketball to business and philanthropy, you’ve made huge career shifts. How has your thinking around “legacy” changed along the way?
It’s too early to call this a legacy. I think I’m still young for that; I don’t have the experience or the qualifications to use that word yet. But looking at what I’ve done, I feel very fortunate. I’ve had the chance to experience many different countries and cultures through basketball and business. I’ve travelled the world. Not many people get to see so much change in such a short time. I’ve been very lucky.
This summit is all about passing things on to the next generation. What’s one lesson from your time in sport that you think really stands the test of time?
Sport is everywhere – not only on the basketball court or football field. Life is like sport. You are always competing with others or collaborating with colleagues. It’s very similar. So I would say: appreciate what you have today, and learn from every experience and every person you meet. If you can do that, over time you will become much better. Don’t waste any day.
Appreciate what you have today, and learn from every experience and every person you meet
A lot of the conversation at this event revolves around wealth and long-term planning. Do you see parallels between managing finances and the discipline of being an athlete?