More Competition Needed For Asia: Yao

NBA icon feels that is how the gap between the continent and world's best can narrow

- David Lee

With no teams in the knockout rounds of the 2023 World Cup or the 2024 Paris Olympic men's tournaments, Asia continues to struggle to make an impact on the biggest stages of world basketball dominated by the United States and European teams like France and Serbia.

With just four players from the largest continent — Chinese shooting guard Cui Yongxi (Brooklyn Nets), Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura (Memphis Grizzlies), Japanese power forward Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers) and Israeli small forward Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers) — in the 2024-25 National Basketball Association (NBA) opening night rosters, Asia can be said to be also lagging behind Africa, which had 17.

Widely regarded as the best Asian player in NBA history, China's Yao Ming acknowledges the gulf but believes that the gap between Asia and the best in the business can narrow through more and stronger competition.

The 44-year-old, who was in Singapore for the NBA Rising Stars Invitational opening ceremony at the Kallang Tennis Hub on June 25, told The Straits Times in a media huddle: "The only way to improve is through better competition.