When talking about Chinese basketball in the NBA, there’s no denying that the first name that comes to mind is Yao Ming. However, there have also been a handful of Chinese players who have made their mark on the league through the years. One of them is former Milwaukee Bucks lottery pick Yi Jianliang, who on Wednesday, announced his official retirement from the sport.
Yi Jianlian Retires From Professional Basketball
Yi, who played in the NBA from 2007 to 2012, took to social media with a heartfelt message to announce his retirement:
“Time flies; in the blink of an eye, basketball has been by my side for 21 years,” said Yi in a post on social media site Weibo late Tuesday (h/t CGTN). “After much contemplation, I have made the decision to officially bring my basketball career to a close.
“Reflecting upon this journey, I am filled with deep gratitude for my cherished family, esteemed mentors, each and every coach, teammate, adversary, sponsor, as well as my collaborators and management team.”
Yi made special mention of the national team as he thanked them for all their support throughout his career. The 7-foot big man spent most of his non-NBA career with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), and they too received a message of thanks from the 35-year-old:
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Chinese men’s basketball team, a name that holds immense significance to me,” Yi continued. “Every time I wore the national team jersey and represented my country, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride bestowed upon me by our mighty nation.
“I am also deeply grateful to the Guangdong men’s basketball team for their years of nurturing and support, providing me with the opportunity to bring honor to my hometown and paving the way for me to step onto larger stages.
“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.”
Yi Jianlian started off his NBA career as the Bucks’ No. 6 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to the lofty expectations, averaging just 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25.0 minutes of action in his rookie year.
In the summer of 2008, Milwaukee traded Yi to the New Jersey Nets along with Bobby Simmons in exchange for Richard Jefferson. He also had stints with the Washington Wizards as well as the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs was Yi’s last team (during the 2011-12 season) before he headed back to the CBA.
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