Mou, Zuoyun
Biographical Note
Mou Zouyun (牟作云) was born in 1913 in Wuqing district, Tianjin. In 1934, while he was still in high school, Mou was selected to Chinese National Basketball team for the 10st Far East Asian Olympic Games. Mou had a nickname “Mo Zhe Yun”, which means, “touch the clouds”. Mou also participated in track and field in Far East Asian Games in 1934. Later in 1934, He was admitted to Beiping Normal University under Shouyi Dong and became one of the “Five Tigers”. The “Five Tigers” won the National Championships in China, and the players, including Mou, became members of the Chinese National Basketball Team in 1936 Berlin Olympic games.
Mou married John Ma’s second daughter, Ma Peilun, in April 1944. He then came to Springfield College for a two-year graduate program along with Ma Qiwei, John Ma’s son, in June 1946. While here, he was known as James (Jimmy) T. Y. Mao. Mr. Mou received a Bachelor degree from Springfield College in 1947. Mr. Mou expected to continue his graduate program, when he was appointed as the basketball coach of Chinese Olympic team for the 1948 Olympic, so he had to cut off his graduate study and return to China to take up his role in June 1947.
Mou is regarded as a pioneer of professional basketball of the People’s Republic of China. In recognition for his achievement, Mou was conferred the title of Lifetime Honorary President of the Asian Basketball Association and was made appointed a lifetime Honorary Committee position on FIBA. The championship title of the Chinese Basketball Association League was named as “Mou Zuoyun Cup” in 2005. And he was praised by Yao Ming in his induction speech to the Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony in 2016.
Mou passed away in 2007.