Yao Ming, the former NBA star and newly appointed chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, has put reforming the domestic game's management at the top of his agenda.

China's only NBA Hall of Famer was chosen to head the country's basketball governing body by unanimous vote at the CBA's ninth national congress on Thursday. He is the association's first chief drawn from outside government ranks.

The backbone of Chinese basketball during his 14-year athletic career, Yao is tasked with pushing reform of every aspect of the game, including professional league operation, youth cultivation and national team development.