China's next basketball sensation contemplating move to NBA
Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian, fresh from helping his Guangdong Tigers win their third straight China Basketball Association (CBA) championship, is now contemplating a move to the NBA.
Yi averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds a game as Guangdong beat long-time rivals the Bayi Rockets four games to one in the best-of-seven-game series Wednesday night.
In the fifth and final game, Guangdong won 88-81 with the seven-foot (2.12 meter) center/power forward scoring 26 points and snaring 11 rebounds.
He has long been seen as China's best basketball prospect since Yao Ming, the three-time National Basketball Association All Star for the Houston Rockets.
"Presently, I'm still with the national team and personally my skills have not reached the NBA level," Yi said following Wednesday's game.
"Before Yao Ming went to the United States, he had already participated in a lot of international matches. Myself I have not reached this level."
Yi said for the time being his priorities remained playing for China's national team in this summer's World Basketball Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He remained non-committal on whether he would declare for the 2006 NBA draft before the April 29 deadline, but insiders said "Team Yao," Yao Ming's management team, have been hired to try to work out a deal with an NBA team for Yi's services before a decision is made.
"They want to find a team that will agree to pick Yi in the first round (of the NBA draft) and give him guaranteed playing time during his first season," one well-placed CBA source told AFP.
"If no team wants to commit to those conditions, then it is unlikely Yi will declare for the draft."
According to NBA rules, players under 21 years of age must declare themselves for the draft, while teams can freely pick any player older than 21.
Yi, whose age remains something of a mystery, is officially listed as 19 years old, but many in the CBA say he is actually as old as 21.
Being drafted by an NBA team would only be the first hurdle in Yi's journey to the NBA as he will also need permission from the CBA and his club.
"The CBA has always supported players going overseas to play, but if they are talented players on our national team, then their playing time must be guaranteed," CBA head Li Yuanwei said after Wednesday night's game.
"We want to avoid our players going to the NBA and sitting on the bench."
Yi's club was also guon the future of their star.
"It's too early to say if he will participate in the NBA draft, right now the time is not ripe, but the Guangdong team will not stop him from declaring (for the draft)," said Chen Haitao, Guangdong manager.
AFP
