Abstract: Exploring the road of basketball development with Chinese characteristics is a key area of deepening the reform of China's sports system and mechanism, and an important symbol of moving towards a leading sporting nation. Using research methods of literature review, expert interviews, comparative analysis and logical reasoning, the three important stages of basketball development in China since the founding of New China were sorted out, as well as the origins of the road of development with Chinese characteristics. On the basis above, the connotation and development goals of basketball development with Chinese characteristics were proposed; the current dilemmas such as the governance of basketball's multiple subjects, the improvement of competitive levels, youth training system, high-quality industry development and the integration of multiple cultures were clarified. It build a future development path for basketball with Chinese characteristics from improving the basketball governance system and innovating the development mechanism of characteristic basketball, etc.