Yi Jianlian could be headed back to the NBA
Way back in 2007, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Chinese big man Yi Jianlian with the #6 overall pick in the draft.
Yi played 5 seasons in the NBA, starting 163 of 272 games while averaging 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 22.2 minutes a night.
Not bad numbers for a young, athletic, 7-0 center.
He returned to the Guangdong Southern Tigers full time in 2012-2013 and immediately went back to being one of the most dominant players in China.
Yi has posted the following numbers since heading back overseas:
After three years of being the best big man in a lesser division, Yi seems once again ready to tackle the challenge of playing the best of the best every night in the NBA.
Enter the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the back of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers dominated the Chinese market. You have to wonder if losing a foothold in such a lucrative market could, in some way, influence their decision to reach out to Jianlian.
That’s not to say this is a solely a marketing play. Yi looks ready to not only head back to the NBA but to contribute on a nightly basis in the best league in the world.
There should be a lot of gas left in the tank here too. The big man will only be 29 years old when opening night rolls around. He would join a rebuilding team featuring D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Jordan Clarkson, Ivica Zubac, Larry Nance Jr., Loul Deng, Jose Calderon, Timofey Mozgov and Lou Williams.
That roster looks a heck of a lot better, and more promising than it did one year ago.
- TAGS
- Kobe Bryant
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Yi Jianlian
