Prior to the 1990s, sport in China, as in some Eastern Europe countries, was government-funded, not market oriented. Some excellent athletes quit at the height of their careers because they were uncertain about life post retirement. The situation began to change in 1994 when Chinese soccer became the first sport to take the road to professionalization and in its wake similar reforms were carried out in basketball, volleyball, table tennis and go(围棋) The process brought with it prosperity; Sport associations became profit-making entities and a club system came into being; professional leagues formed, improving China's sports environment; and commercial management systems took shape. The professionalization of sports has encouraged the emerging of a sports management market and business-structured systems. Sports club operations now cover ticket sales, advertising, club transfers, commercial matches, television broadcasting and other commercial activities.

Another achievement of the reform is that some Chinese athletes have joined foreign professional leagues. For instance, basketball star Yao Ming(姚明) joined the American NBA, while Yang Chen and Sun Jihai(孙继海) play in European soccer leagues.