Yao Ming's retirement: Why hasn't China produced a new NBA star?

Apparently, a massive talent pool, huge interest in basketball, and an intense state-run athletics program aren't enough

Yao Ming announces his retirement during a press conference in Shanghai on Wednesday: The NBA star missed the entire 2009-2010 season due to a stress fracture in his foot, and played only 5 g
(Image credit: Imaginechina/CORBIS)

After nine seasons in the NBA, China's iconic basketball star, Yao Ming, is retiring. As the towering 7-foot-6-inch center for the Houston Rockets, the gentle giant racked up one of the best true-shooting percentages in N.B.A. history, was an eight-time all-star, and hugely boosted the popularity of the sport in China — it's now the largest market for basketball outside of the U.S. But, in recent years, despite a population of 1.3 billion and a furious state-run athletics program, China has failed to export a successor to Ming. Yi Jianlian, once predicted to be his rightful heir, was dropped by the Washington Wizards and is now a free agent, while Sun Yue, the only Chinese national to play point guard in the NBA, was dumped by the Los Angeles Lakers after just ten games. Why hasn't China managed to produce another Yao Ming? Here, four theories:

1. China's grueling system is rough on players

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