Following another incredible individual performance at the Olympics in Rio, where he averaged 20.4 points in five games, Yi Jianlian signed a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers last week to become China’s only active player in the NBA and the sixth in history.
Born in Heshan, a county-level city of Jiangmen in the southern part of Guangdong, 28-year-old power forward Yi Jianlian has long been a source of pride for Chinese basketball fans.
Representing his country at the Olympics in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, as well as at the 2006 and 2010 FIBA World Championships, Yi has also alternated between participating in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) and the NBA.
In the past 10 years, he’s sported the jerseys of the Guangdong Southern Tigers (CBA), Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks and, as of last week, the Los Angeles Lakers.
“We’re excited to have a player of his worldwide accomplishments,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing him to training camp and hopefully having him make an impact on our team.”
With his latest contract, Yi joins an all-star roster of players like Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., Ivica Zubac, Timofey Mozgov and Tarik Black. The LA Lakers have not won an NBA championship since 2010, but the 6-foot-11 Heshan native hopes to contribute to the team with his offensive skill set.
When Yi was a child, his parents did not allow him to join one of China’s state-sponsored sports schools, which are designed to spot promising young athletes and train them to become international champions.
However, a basketball coach at a local sports school picked up on Yi’s phenomenal skills anyway and persuaded his family to allow him to train professionally.
In 2002, when Yi was just 15 years old, Adidas invited him to attend the company’s ABCD camp in New Jersey with the hope that he would sign an endorsement deal. Later that year, he returned to China and signed a contract with the CBA Guangdong Southern Tigers before going on to win Rookie of the Year.
The LA Lakers kick off the 2016 NBA season on October 26 with a home game against the Houston Rockets.
[Cover image via nba.com]
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