The CBA league is by far one of the best pieces of sports IP and the biggest attraction in the market of basketball in China. After Yao took in charge, the league started a five-year plan of reform. There will be ten playoff teams instead of the previous eight, and the number will increase to 12 in 2018-2019 season. The regular season will grow from 38 rounds to 56 rounds within five years.

Yao's reform of the league also includes the design of a NBDL-like development league to provide more opportunities to young players. More fundamental work is being done like professional training of the judges, the CBA draft and fitness tests.

"Investment isn't everything in the sports industry, gold medals aren't everything for a strong sporting country," Yao said in his remarks at the annual session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body.

China had already built much more than 600,000 basketball courts, showing that the country realizes that a sole focus on professional games or national teams would be not enough. Yao said that competitive sports, mass sports, the sports industry, and sports culture must all advance shoulder to shoulder.

Yao and the CBA are now promoting basketball to people of all walks of life, including children.

"Only by keeping our feet on the ground of history can we look up at the starlit sky," said Yao when he visited the first basketball stadium of China in Tianjin.

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