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Yi's Chinese club to block move to Milwaukee.

GRZFTBL

Well-known member
Horseshit. :loser:




Report: Chinese team says Bucks not best for Yi
Reuters

Updated: July 17, 2007, 9:00 AM ET
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BEIJING -- The Milwaukee Bucks' campaign to secure the services of reluctant power forward Yi Jianlian has suffered a blow after the player's Chinese club said it would block his move to the United States.


Yi, taken by Milwaukee with the sixth selection in the NBA draft last month, would "definitely not" play for Milwaukee, Tuesday's Beijing News quoted Guangdong Tigers chief, Chen Haitao, as saying.


"This is not -- as media reports have said -- because Milwaukee, as a city with very few Chinese people, is not good for Yi's commercial development," Chen said.


"Rather we want to find a team suitable for Yi's growth. That's the root of the problem," he added.


Earlier in July, Yi's Chinese agent said the unsigned player was looking to be traded to another club, despite pledges by Milwaukee officials to do whatever they could to make him feel at home.


Chen expressed concern that Yi would have trouble getting playing time with the Bucks, whose squad boasts Australian 7-footer Andrew Bogut and a number of other tall young players.


"The national team and the Olympic Games are now our key considerations ... If [Yi] goes to a team where he can't compete, that would be being irresponsible to the national team," Chen said.
 
This is only going to hurt Yi in the end. Since the Bucks drafted him and his contract in China is up, I believe he can't play competitively next year unless the Bucks give him permission (which isn't going to happen) which is going to drop him down the draft board should he re-enter next season. Plus there are going to be teams somewhat wary of drafting Yi should he wait until next season.

I really think that David Stern is going to need to get involved here because if this goes down, a very very bad precedent is going to be set. Look at what happened in Vancouver when Stevie Francis refused to go there. The NBA can't have a bunch of premadonna athletes who haven't proved shit saying where they are and aren't going to play. Stern needs to step in and be like, you go to the team you were drafted by or you don't play here for at least three years (not this one-year crap). I think that would send a message to hot-shot prospects who want to get paid like a #1 pick but also want to play for a team like the Lakers or the Suns.

Yi should man up, play his two or three years in Milwaukee and get the hell out. Playing in the NBA is an incredible privilege, not a right.

:twocents:
 
I think he should keep his lame ass in China. He is a nobody and can stay home if he doesn't like how things went in the draft. He is damn lucky he went as high as he did.
 
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