Longtime NBA coach Bob Hill welcomed Yao Ming's unanimous appointment this week as the Chinese Basketball Association's new president.

In fact, Hill, who has worked as a technical consultant for the Taiwan men's national team in recent years, hailed the move.

"Yao is an iconic figure here in China and rightfully so," Hill told The Japan Times. "I believe he will be able to open doors for the CBA that have never even been approached throughout the history of the league."