Asian basketball needs more competitions to fill the differences in the best in the world, explains Yao Ming

ahsan65@gmail.comJune 26, 2025

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Asian basketball needs more competitions to fill the differences in the best in the world, explains Yao Ming

Singapore – Without teams during direct elimination filming of the 2023 World Cup or the Paris 2024 Olympic male tournaments, Asia continues to fight to have an impact on the biggest stages of world basketball dominated by the United States and European teams such as France and Serbia.

With only four players from the biggest continent – the Chinese shooter Cui Cui Yongxi (Brooklyn Nets), the Japanese leader Yuki Kawamura (Memphis Grizzlies), the Japanese energy striker Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers) and the Deni Avdija association of Deni Israéli (NBA) – Asia Can’t the 2024-25 National Basketball Association (NBA) AS Asia Can’t the 2024-25 also said to lagging against Africa, which had 17.

Largely considered to be the best Asian player in the history of the NBA, Yao Ming of China recognizes the Gulf but believes that the gap between Asia and the best of the company can shrink thanks to stronger competition.

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

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

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

Faced with crouching to go through the door of the interview room, and bigger than everyone present even if it was seated, the former Houston Rockets star center of 2.29 my summer an imposing figure in sport in eight stars of the NBA. He was also president of China Basketball Association from 2017 to 2024.

Yao was encouraged by the Japanese qualification for Paris 2024, the emergence of South Korea and the handful of Chinese players selected by the NBA teams, with the 19 -year -old center, Yang Hansen, to be chosen in the RBA 2025 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 four weeks ago and wished him good luck. He deserves the best with all the efforts he has put in it. With all the efforts, whatever happens, the project is only a step in its long career, so continue.

“From what I understand, South Korea is good in the three -point shot, which is very suitable in today’s basketball – run and arm the ball behind the arc.

“Japan is also very competitive, and I think there is a very strong program behind it. Playing in the World Cup and the Olympic Games has attracted a lot of attention … I think it will stimulate the feeling that we have at the moment to try to catch up. ”

Smiley, polished and taking time to each journalist to ask at least one question, Yao has amazed LeBron James’ longevity and called the new signing of Rockets, Kevin Durant, a “game changer” that will make his former candidates next season.

With noisy laughter, he joked: “One thing is certain is that the price of seasonal tickets will increase.”

But it is the next generation of basketball that remains close to its heart and tournaments felt by Yao such as the NBA Rising Stars Invitational – which saw the Institution Hwa Chong of Singapore is Hin Hua High School of Malaysia 69-63 in the girl tournament on the opening day on June 25 – can help increase the norms in the region.

Said Yao: “When the NBA arrived in China in the 1980s, it took almost 15 years before the first Chinese NBA player was written (when the Wang Zhizhi center was selected by Dallas Mavericks in 1999). So it’s a good sign.

“There is only one way to discover who are the best players, which is through the games, and the best players only go out by playing other good players.

“I spent my time 30 years ago when I played youth matches in Shanghai, China and Asia and the world too. Now it’s time for these children and I hope they appreciate it as I did 30 years ago. “”