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Sports / China
Deal done: Yi signs Bucks
By Guan Xiaomeng (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-08-29 17:22
The two-month stalemate between NBA franchise Milwaukee Bucks and its
star draft pick Yi Jianlian from China finally came to an end after the
latter agreed to wear a Bucks jersey next season.
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The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference
held by the China Basketball Association (CBA) and Guangdong Tigers, Yi's
CBA club, in Hong Kong. Yi?was at?the event, fresh from training camp in
Europe with his national teammates.
Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl and general manager Larry Harris met Yi,
Chen Haitao, Yi's club boss and China's basketball officials before Yi
signed a three-year deal with Bucks.
But the details of the hard-won contract were not released according to
NBA rules.
"We all anticipate Yi's arrival and welcome him and his family to
Milwaukee," Kohl said. "We look forward to a successful relationship for
many years to come."
The Bucks said that Yi would be in Milwaukee for the start of training
camp on October 1, but it was unclear if he would be making a visit at an
earlier date.
In a statement, NBA Commissioner David Stern said: "We are happy that Yi
will be playing with the Bucks to further develop his skills and his
contribution to both the Chinese national team and the NBA. This is
another great example of cooperation between the CBA and the NBA."
Yi was ranked the sixth top draft pick when the Wisconsin-based club
chose him at the annual NBA Draft in late June. But at first the Chinese
NBA prospect was not interested in this franchise team, and his agent
group?wanted him to go to a city with a larger Asian population.
During the summer, he played for the Chinese national team, the NBA
Summer League, Stankovic Cup and then a European tour. Bucks
officials?followed?Yi all the way to watch him play believing they had
the upper hand in this dispute.
"Yi isn't going back to China to waste a year he could be using in the
NBA to prepare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics," the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel opined.
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