Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming steps down as head of national league

Former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming has stepped down as head of China's struggling national basketball league. An eight-time NBA All-Star, Yao had been leading efforts to commercialize the top-tier 20-team Chinese Basketball Association Management Company since his appointment in 2017. A notice on the CBA's website thanked Yao for his service. Yao was one of the first Chinese athletes to become an international household name when the Houston Rockets drafted him with the first pick in 2002. Allegations of corruption have dogged the league in recent years. China's basketball and football leagues have drawn foreign talent and commercial endorsements, but are weighted down by uncertain ownership lineups and the influence of government. Basketball remains enormously popular in China, largely because of Yao's storied NBA career.