Yao Ming, a former NBA All-Star center, was branded too young and too inexperienced to serve as the head of the State-owned China Basketball Association (CBA) by a commentary run by the Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday, while scores of Chinese basketball fans expressed the opposite view.
According to the Xinhua commentary, Yao, 36, who retired from the court only five years ago, although being widely acknowledged for his high level of IQ and EQ, still appears to be lightweight on his resume and lacks social and management experience.
"The CBA has never appointed a chairman as young as Yao," Xinhua said.
But Net users expressed their support for Yao.
"At least the idea that basketball professionals should manage the CBA cannot be wrong," Weibo user "Mr Na" commented under the article post, receiving about 200 likes as of press time.
"How experienced it is for Trump to be the US president, 'too young and inexperienced', its all bureaucratic rhetoric" commented another user named "qiu."
"Yao may have no idea how to play politics, but as the one and only Chinese basketball player to enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, he understands basketball, and isn't that the most important thing?" another Net user "Micks_85" wrote on Wednesday.
The Basketball Pioneer, a Guangzhou-based newspaper, revealed on Monday that the General Administration of Sport has recommended the appointment of Yao as the CBA chairman and head coach of the national team.
