2 national teams: Yao Ming kicks off reform on Chinese basketball

Yao Ming, the new president of Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), is planning to set up two national men's basketball teams in the future, according to a plan submitted to the sports authority.

Yao Ming is elected as the new president of Chinese Basketball Association in Beijing on Feb. 23, 2017. [File photo: baidu.com]

The two national teams would train separately and attend respective international games until 2019 when they will be integrated into one team for preparation for the 2019 Basketball World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

During the two year period, the two teams would be banned from exchanging players.

Chinese national basketball team in FIBA Asia Championship on Sep. 23, 2015. [File photo: baidu.com]

The move would be an attempt to double the chance to bring in sufficiently talented players to the national-team level, while allowing younger players to gain more international experiences.

The plan will also require the hiring of two new head coaches.

Anyone who qualifies the requirements can apply or be recommended for the position and join in an open competition. It's also the first time that the coaches of Chinese basketball team have been hired this way.

CBA said the final results will come out later April.

Then who are the possible nominees for the head coaches?

Yao Ming awards the CBA championship trophy to Li Qiuping coached Xinjiang team on Apr. 7, 2017. [Photo: sohu.com]

Li Qiuping, who recently led Xinjiang to the CBA Championship is thought to be the most likely to take a position.

However, he has gone on-record recently saying he won't apply for the job, and will only accept the position if he were asked directly.

Liu Qiuping (Right) had once coached Yao Ming with the team of Shanghai Sharks from 1996 to 2001, but he was fired from the position in 2009 by Yao, who became the boss of the Shanghai team that year after retirement from NBA. [File photo: sohu.com]

Li Chunjiang, current head coach of Zhejiang, is also considered another option.

Wang Zhizhi, former teammate of Yao Ming on the national team during the Beijing Olympics, is also said to be in the running.