NBA commissioner-in-waiting Adam Silver has big plans in China, the NBA's biggest foreign market, but he faces many challenges, especially because the NBA doesn't have a single Chinese player since Yao Ming retired in 2011.

China has vast potential and the US$5 billion league is promoting NBA games played in China, training young Chinese players, and selling broadcasts in China of NBA games. It's engaged in digital promotions as well as franchising sales of merchandise.

Silver also oversees the NBA's game telecasts, which are carried in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages.

Silver, due to take over from legendary commissioner David Stern in February 2014, was in China last month, mostly to promote this year's NBA China games between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He also had dinner with Yao Ming, former Houston Rockets center, on March 20 to discuss cooperation with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

"I have big shoes to fill," Silver told a group of reporters, referring to Stern who will have led the NBA for 30 years when he steps down. Silver, a lawyer, has been his protege for 20 years.

And where Stern can be polarizing and outspoken, 50-year-old Stern is seen as calmer, cooler, the guy behind the scenes who knows everything and everyone and works out all the details. He has established a network with younger owners, coaches and players. Stern eventually led the NBA's marketing and television efforts as the President of NBA Entertainment.

Today some NBA All-Stars play in the Chinese Basketball Association: Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas and Stephon Marbury.

Chinese player Yi Jianlian played in the NBA after Yao but he returned to Chinese league last season after failing to secure a contract.

This years NBA China Games between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors will be played starting October 15 in Beijing and Shanghai.

The last time Silver showed up in Shanghai, he was sitting beside Stern who was peppered with questions at a news conference.

This time, he held his own media interview.

Standing around 1.9 meters tall, the New Yorker grew up being a fan of the New York Nicks. Today he runs in marathons.

Silver fielded questions from a group of reporters.

Q: Gradually NBA players are moving between the CBA and NBA. What does it take for CBA to catch up with NBA?

A: The CBA is doing all the right things to develop their league. We should remember that the NBA is over 60 years old. I'm a fan of CBA and I look forward to watching CBA finals back in the US. We'd like to see movement of players from the NBA to CBA and it provides great opportunities for NBA players to bring top-notch basketball to CBA. I'm also enjoying seeing great CBA players move to the NBA.

Almost 60 NBA players have current accounts on Chinese social media platforms. We plan to work to increase those numbers so even more players are able to directly communicate with Chinese fans.

Q: What's the biggest challenge in promoting basketball here? Your biggest success?

A: The biggest challenge is the geographical distance between the US and China. Athletes in their prime need to be rested and need to adjust to time zone changes. So it's very difficult to pick a team up and bring it to Beijing and Shanghai, play games and return to the US. That's probably the greatest challenge. It's also a challenge in terms of live broadcast. Because our games are in prime time in the US, it's not ideal TV time for watching games in China.

I'm most proud of what my colleagues here in China have done to develop the NBA's presence in social media with Tencent, with Sina. I'm also very proud of the NBA Cares Program in China (the league's global community outreach initiative in education, health, wellness, youth and family development). It's something that Yao Ming also works on for us and we feel a very strong obligation to give back to the communities that we play in and we promote our game in.

Q: During the last NBA China games, many star players did not spend much time on court while fans called out their names. Are you worried Chinese fans will be disappointed if this happens again?

A: No. I think we saw last year with the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat that the players know it is so special to be here in China to play, and they have so many fans watching them. They would like to be put forward when they play on Chinese soil.

Q: The NBA brings the best teams and the best players, such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to China. Does it takes more for the NBA to appeal to Chinese fans?

A: I don't think so because as the Chinese fans become more sophisticated about the game, the level of knowledge of the teams goes much deeper than just the stars. So I think, again, fans will recognize that there are logistical difficulties in bringing teams here.

Q: Will the NBA go to cities besides Shanghai and Beijing?

A: We've been to Guangzhou as well. That's something we were exploring. We recognize that China is huge country in terms of geography and population, and of course it's our hope to play in many other cities in the future.

Q: What's the NBA cooperation with Yao Ming?

A: The most recent dinner with Yao was on March 20. Our relationship is more about business with the CBA as a league rather than with an individual team. Yao is very smart, very creative and he's very optimistic about growing basketball here in China, including the CBA, the NBA, and the national team. He very much would like to see improvements in his performance as a bridge between the NBA and CBA. One of the things Yao speaks so passionately about is that the game of basketball is not just about winning. Through this great game, we can teach values, sportsmanship and teamwork to boys and girls in China.

Q: Now that we have seen Chinese players in the NBA, is it possible there will be Chinese referees and managers?

A: It's a great question. I think it's very possible. We now have an NBA general manager from Nigeria, so that has opened everyone's mind to the fact that there are great basketball executives from everywhere. And I think it's also a very good question about referees. We are searching not just for players but referees, coaches, and general managers. The NBA teams are driven to win, and they search for the very best everywhere on the planet.

Q: David Stern said in 2001 that "I almost robbed Adam Silver from his law career to use him in NBA." Do you ever think about how different your career path became?

A: I began my career at the NBA as David Stern's assistant and had the privilege to learn the industry directly from him. David Stern did not have the benefits I did, there wasn't someone he could learn the industry from the way I did. David Stern had to create the business from scratch.

Q: Do you remember when you first met Stern?

A: It was in early 1992 and I had written him a letter asking for career advice. I was not thinking that it would lead to my job in the NBA and certainly never thought of being commissioner of the NBA one day. After several meetings, he offered me a job in the NBA. I remember I was so nervous that I began to sweat.

Q: It may be a bit premature, but how would you like to be remembered in the basketball world?

A: I have very big shoes to fill. I would like the basketball world to remember me for the ability to continue to grow the NBA the way that David Stern does. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to predict the future.