David Shoemaker, CEO of NBA China, has vivid memories of the day in 2011 when Yao Ming announced his retirement.

Shoemaker was busy answering phone calls from friends and families who asked him if he regretted taking the job in China, when the announcement came through, just a month after he started in his new role.

"But I attended his (Yao's) retirement ceremony and listened very carefully to his words and he was thoughtful in what he said. He said, 'I'm leaving the court but not the game'," Shoemaker said, during a round-table forum with reporters in Shanghai on Friday.

"And from that moment, Yao committed himself to working to develop the game for young boys and girls. We have formed a partnership to develop the game for all of China. And I think that's played a nice and very large role in how we are able to maintain the momentum (of Yao's influence) right through his retirement and in the foreseeable future."

During the same forum, Adam Silver, the NBA's commissioner, said: "Yao Ming has shared with us that it's his dream that boys and girls throughout China can play basketball for fun and fitness rather than just to bring honor to the country."

"I personally share Yao Ming's dream that basketball can be enjoyed by people throughout China, especially boys and girls, as a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

In 2012, NBA China and Yao announced the partnership, which aims to develop youth basketball and conduct community outreach programs. The NBA Yao School provides after-school basketball training and fitness programs for boys and girls aged 16 and younger at all skill levels.

"(NBA) China games are only a very small part of our business here. For example, the NBA Yao School, which we began in Beijing last year, is something we hope to grow throughout China. We will bring it to Shanghai next year," Silver said.

To assist the development of elite young Chinese players, the NBA has brought in top-notch coaches and trainers, and, along with the CBA, has also established a joint coaching program that has trained nearly 780 Chinese coaches so far.

"My advice (on the development of Chinese basketball) would be that patience is necessary. It will take time to develop a true basketball culture," Silver said. "I also think it's necessary that we increase participation among all boys and girls, not just those players specially designated as 'being tall'."

In addition, NBA Cares, the league's global social responsibility program, has built 45 spaces where children and families can live, learn, and play, in eight cities across the country.

During their trip to China for the NBA Global Games, the Sacramento Kings visited a "play and learn" center at the Shanghai Violet Migrant School on Oct 11, and the Brooklyn Nets conducted a basketball clinic for deaf-mute children in Beijing on Tuesday.

(China Daily USA 10/16/2014 page5)