Yao Ming has stepped down as president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and vice chairman Guo Zhenming was appointed the new chief, it was announced on Thursday.

The former Houston Rockets All-Star center was first elected as CBA president in February 2017 and later became chairman of the board of CBA Company. Yao was re-elected as CBA chief in December 2022, marking a tenure of over seven years with both achievements and setbacks for Chinese basketball.

Under his leadership, the women’s national team achieved remarkable success, winning gold medals at two consecutive Asian Games in Jakarta and Hangzhou, and matching its best result at the FIBA Women’s World Cup with a runner-up finish in 2022. However, the men’s national team faced challenges, failing to qualify for both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and falling short of the top 16 at the FIBA World Cup in 2019 and 2023.