McGrady lauds Yao's lasting influence

Former Houston teammate says CBA boss 'will get things done'

It's been years since Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming partnered on the court for the Houston Rockets, but the seven-time NBA All-Star firmly believes Yao remains the best man to fire China's fortunes in international hoops.

Both Hall of Famers inspired an entire generation of Chinese fans, and Yao, who retired in 2011, was last year appointed chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association and helped steer the country to four gold medals on the court at the recent Asian Games in Jakarta.

McGrady, who was in Shanghai to suit up for Tencent's Super Penguin Ultimate Game on Saturday, said China's success at the Asiad was largely due to Yao's influence.

"They couldn't find a better guy to be put in that top position to enhance Chinese basketball," he said.

"Yao is very intelligent. He's great with people. He understands the game. He has played at the highest level. I think he's the guy that will get things done and turn things around for China."

Since Yao took over as CBA chairman he's been pushing a series of reforms, including splitting the men's national team into two squads: Team Red and Team Blue.

Team Red, which won gold at the Asian Games, includes Zhou Qi, the only Chinese player who saw action in the NBA last season (with Houston).

Yao also launched a nationwide 3x3 tournament for both professional and amateur players to identify possible recruits for the national team.

The men's 3x3 team took gold at the Asiad with a squad featuring three amateurs－a university lecturer, a student and an office worker.

Although China claimed all the basketball gold that was up for grabs in Jakarta, the country still lacks a superstar to follow in Yao's footsteps. McGrady believes Zhou might one day fill the bill, but said he needs to do more.

"Zhou's still raw and there's a lot of work for him," said the 39-year-old. "Obviously his talent is there or he wouldn't be on the roster.

"He just has to continue to work and get better and better. Hopefully, he'll have more minutes this year and become a vital part of what the Rockets are going to do."

As a household name in China, McGrady has been doing his part to boost domestic basketball development.

"I've been coming to China for years; I'm one of the first who came here and really imparted my basketball knowledge," said McGrady.

"I'm trying to give something back to my Chinese fans and leave a legacy.

"I'm trying to create a 3x3 league here. We have the Big3 in the States, but I'm trying to create something different here and a training program for youth as well. I'm working on it.

"China is my second home. It's a place where I feel very comfortable."