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basketball invented by Dr. James Naismith
Dr. James Naismith was a canadian physical education instructor who invented basketball in 1891 while working at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. -
Basketball came to China
Basketball was introduced to China by American YMCA workers, just five years after Canadian/American James Naismith invented it. -
The CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) established
In 1995, the CBA was established. -
Yao Ming's arrival in the NBA
Since Yao Ming's arrival in the NBA, basketball had become increasingly more popular. -
Yao Ming drafted by Houston Rockets
Yao Ming was forced to enter the NBA draft in 1999 by Li Yaomin, the deputy general manager of the Shanghai Sharks. Li also influenced Yao to Sign a contract for Evergreen Sports Inc. -
400 million Chinese people
By 2015, more than 400 million people play basketball in China, which is equivalent to more than the entire US population.