There is an even bigger group that has laid the foundation of basketball's future in China. In 2018, the CBA spared no effort in promoting mini-basketball, a new match system using smaller-sized basketballs for children. The league is in full swing, and the training of coaches, as well as implementation of technical standards, weekend training camps and big data are also being carried out. Since March 2018, the Mini Basketball League has entered more than 100 cities and attracted 100,000 players and 9,700 coaches from 15,000 teams.

Yao firmly believes that the growth of youth basketball can help enrich children's lives. "We will continue to discuss ways in which we can merge sports and education, as they both play important roles in helping people grow up."

Basketball in China acts as a bridge between the present and the future, and also links the ordinary and the extraordinary. In terms of people's personal growth, basketball is also playing a role of growing importance, with the national teams' successes providing inspiration to ordinary people on many different levels.

In a video published by the CBA on its Weibo account, one heartwarming story is the tale of "the Wipe Guy", a caddie who impressed every stadium with his enthusiasm, or grandma Hong Nanli, the octogenarian who still enjoys recording basketball matches with her camera.

The ideas put forward by Yao when he was elected CBA president in 2017 are now being implemented one by one, and 2018 will long be remembered in the history of Chinese basketball. Under the background of reform, basketball has gone far beyond the scope of pure competition.

The reform of both the national team and CBA will secure the long-term growth of basketball in China, the mini basketball project serves an educational role for young people, and the national fitness campaign is benefiting from 3x3 basketball. The idea to "Make the Ordinary Extraordinary" has extended itself to a broader field, transforming a growing number of people's lives, and helping them bring out the best in themselves.

"Not everyone can achieve greatness, but the greatness must come from every corner." Yao noted.