Yao Ming has stepped down as president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and vice president Guo Zhenming will succeed him in the position, it was announced on Thursday.

"Whether in the past, present, or future, basketball has always been a passion of mine," Yao said. "I hope everyone will continue to support Chinese basketball with me in the future."

Yao's seven-year tenure as the Chinese basketball chief began in February 2017 and he became chairman of the board of the CBA Company in the same year. The women's national team achieved great success during that period of time by winning the gold medals at two straight Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018, and in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, in 2023. Moreover, they finished as the runners-up at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Sydney, Australia, in 2022, matching the team's best result at the tournament.

By contrast, the men's national team suffered a series of setbacks as they failed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and in Paris in 2024 falling short of the top 16 at the two FIBA World Cups in 2019 at home and 2023 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

As a player, Yao led the Shanghai Sharks to win the CBA championship in 2002 before he was drafted by the NBA's Houston Rockets with the first-overall pick in the same year. He became an eight-time All-Star in the NBA and a five-time All-NBA Teams nod before retiring in July 2011. His No. 11 jersey was retired by the Rockets in February 2017 and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2016.

Guo has been working with the CBA since 2022 and praised Yao's efforts as the president.

"On one hand, Yao's unique influence and ability to integrate resources within the basketball community are unparalleled," Guo said. "On the other hand, when we compare our situation to the national initiatives aimed at revitalizing the goal of establishing China as a sports powerhouse by 2035, we still have a considerable way to go."