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Retired NBA superstar Yao Ming meets secondary school students and teachers at the Southorn Stadium, Wan Chai, in July. Photo: Felix Wong

Academies not 'fairy dust' needed to find the next Yao Ming in China, says NBA's Silver

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said unearthing the next Yao Ming should not be left to chance as the wildly popular US basketball league pushes efforts to develop Chinese stars.

AFP

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said unearthing the next Yao Ming should not be left to chance as the wildly popular US basketball league pushes efforts to develop Chinese stars.

The Houston Rockets giant set off an NBA boom in China which still reverberates, demonstrating the enormous value of home-grown players.

As Chinese-American Jeremy Lin was mobbed in China during preseason appearances for the Charlotte Hornets, Silver said the NBA was deeply involved with nurturing Chinese players.

Retired NBA star Yao Ming teaches the sport to students at Yongshou Hope Elementary School in Sichuan province. Photo: Xinhua

"It doesn't have to be left to fairy dust," Silver said in Shanghai. "It's going to come from organised, structured programmes like the ones players in the NBA are exposed to from a very young age."

The NBA, which commands huge television and mobile audiences in China and has an office in Beijing, has forged close links with Chinese authorities and especially the China Basketball Association (CBA).

Last weekend, the NBA announced a six-year extension with the CBA training centre in Dongguan, which is dedicated to developing elite players aged 12 to 17.

It doesn't have to be left to fairy dust. It's going to come from organised, structured programmes like the ones players in the NBA are exposed to
Adam Silver

NBA players, legends, coaches and trainers, including All-Stars Derrick Rose and John Wall, have visited what is the first facility of its kind in China and has trained more than 8,000 players since 2011.

"To us, the Dongguan Academy is a blueprint to creating more programmes," Silver said. "There are lots of physically gifted players in China.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver with Chinese supporters at a Fan Appreciation Day event in Shanghai. Photo: AP

"The issue is can they get the dedicated instruction, coaching and competition that is necessary to the development of a great player?"

The 2.29 metre Yao, who retired in 2011, is also involved in player development in China through the NBA Yao Basketball Club afterschool programme, which launched last year.

"Yao feels strongly that academics needs to be balanced with sports in Chinese education," Silver said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: The next Yao Ming won't happen by chance: Silver
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