Larmer says Chinese athletes such as Yao Ming and tennis star Li Na, who recently became the first Chinese tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament, have managed to be trail blazers who broke free from the rigid mold of China's national sports system. But that does not mean that others will follow in their footsteps.

“I don't think in basketball, however, that there will be many other Yao Ming's," Larmer said. "I think he is unique and probably the last, the one and only player of his sort that will ever come out of China.”

China’s state-managed sports system still focuses on recruiting exceptionally tall children to put through years of strictly regimented training. Despite the immense interest in basketball in China, Larmer says that until the state system changes, it is unlikely that other players will be able to replicate Yao Ming's success in the NBA.