Chinese big man Yi Jianlian, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, has announced his retirement as a professional player, according to a China Global Television Network report.
“Time flies; in the blink of an eye, basketball has been by my side for 21 years,” Yi wrote as part of a larger statement on the social media site Webio. “After much contemplation, I have made the decision to officially bring my basketball career to a close.
“… Farewell is not the end, but rather a new beginning. I will cherish the memories of the past while continuing to move forward, embracing new chapters in my life. Goodbye, my beloved basketball.”
A seven-foot forward, Yi played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China from 2002-07 before entering the NBA draft. He was selected with the No. 6 pick by the Bucks and spent his rookie season in Milwaukee, despite a desire to play in a U.S. market with a larger Chinese community.
Following his rookie year, Yi was traded from Milwaukee to New Jersey in a deal that sent Richard Jefferson to the Bucks. He played for the Nets for two seasons from 2008-10, then spent one year in Washington and one in Dallas before returning to China, where he played for Guangdong from 2012-23.
Yi had another brief stint stateside in 2016, when he joined the Lakers for the preseason, but he was cut that fall when the regular season began. In 272 total NBA regular season appearances, the 35-year-old averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .404/.333/.780.
Although he didn’t have much success in the NBA, Yi has enjoyed a long, productive career in China, representing the national team in several international competitions and earning 12 All-Star berths in the Chinese Basketball Association. He also won six CBA titles with Guangdong, most recently in 2020, and was named the CBA Finals MVP three times.
This is why an NBA championship is a “world championship.” Any other leagues around the world are second rate despite all the chatter this last week. Yi was a very good player and stood out on the world scene with championships and mvps. But in the NBA he couldn’t get a sniff of success but instead riding on the potential of a high Lottery pick. So a nice career, a successful basketball player, but the NBA is a whole different level.
No it’s not, it’s an NBA championship. A championship in a league with rules that caters to soft players. A great example of this is when Ginobli embarrassed team USA
Team USA would have been creamed by an NBA All Star team. Even if you took out the International players. Team USA rarely fields the best American players. Often some of our best play for the competition because their ancestors are from overseas. What Ginobili and his teammates did is impressive. But don’t kid yourself. Any NBA team would have wiped the floor with them. Imagine a Team USA with Durant, James, Curry, Mitchell, Harden, Tatum, Mobley, Williamson, Jalen Brown, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Booker, Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. The only International team that could compete would be a team composed of the best players from the rest of the world. International play continues to improve but the NBA is still the top league on the planet.
NGL he was a beast on 2k8. Overrated like a mf tho.
Take Marcus Morris with you back to Guangdong.