Yi's Chinese Team To Block Yi From Bucks

[magius]

I don't approve of what he's doing, but I can understand the reasoning behind it.

i don't see why you all are so enraged at yi anyway, obviously it is not completely in his hands. on the other hand, Steve francis did the same thing, albeit obviously on his own, and I don't recall the same reaction. Maybe yellow is the new black.

an aside, Our eurocentric culture believes itself so open minded and righteous relative to others, but I think thats bullshit.

[---]

first it was moving from pick 3 to pick 6, then we get this shit, its probably a sign of things to come next season. I just wish we could trade him and get something for him now, maybe a decent player and a first round pick. Our team really dont need rookies, we just need a good player that will help our team.

If I'm the Bucks I don't trade him.

I would rather hold on to his rights and force him to sit out a year of pro ball before he can return to the NBA, rusty as hell and with his image severly tarnished. He will get hell in every arena he goes to. It's either that or he plays for the Bucks. Milwaukee has to stand still and make it a win/win situation for them, without letting Yi get what he wants.

[CMJ3]

I would rather hold on to his rights and force him to sit out a year of pro ball before he can return to the NBA, rusty as hell and with his image severly tarnished. He will get hell in every arena he goes to. It's either that or he plays for the Bucks. Milwaukee has to stand still and make it a win/win situation for them, without letting Yi get what he wants.

I agree totally, and what makes you think another NBA team would want him after this fiasco if i was an owner of another team i would stay well clear of this death trap.

[mvpshaq32]

first it was moving from pick 3 to pick 6, then we get this shit, its probably a sign of things to come next season. I just wish we could trade him and get something for him now, maybe a decent player and a first round pick. Our team really dont need rookies, we just need a good player that will help our team.

If I'm the Bucks I don't trade him.

I would rather hold on to his rights and force him to sit out a year of pro ball before he can return to the NBA, rusty as hell and with his image severly tarnished. He will get hell in every arena he goes to. It's either that or he plays for the Bucks. Milwaukee has to stand still and make it a win/win situation for them, without letting Yi get what he wants.

But what Yi wants is to play for the Bucks.

[BZ]

I don't approve of what he's doing, but I can understand the reasoning behind it.

i don't see why you all are so enraged at yi anyway, obviously it is not completely in his hands. on the other hand, Steve francis did the same thing, albeit obviously on his own, and I don't recall the same reaction. Maybe yellow is the new black.

an aside, Our eurocentric culture believes itself so open minded and righteous relative to others, but I think thats bullshit.

Being a Vancouver Grizzlies fan back then, that was hell. I remembered purchasing tickets for that game against Houston just to boo the hell out of Francis. Yi's situation is handled by his team and agent, Yi is just doing what he does best, play basketball. If anything, his handlers should get the brunt of the hostility, not Yi himself.

what's wid these chinese ppl
man... they really do think they're the center of the world as they claim
man fuck this yi and his ppl... let no chinese in nba draft no more
their way or high way... it's like that huh
they fucking r dumb shitheads who don't realize this kinds of things create misunderstandings between races...

What the hell's your problem? The problem is between Yi's handlers and the Bucks. It isn't China against the Bucks for fuck's sake. Get the fuck out of here zanshadow

[jonthefon]

It's either that he's unwilling to stand up (because he might think he'll get disowned or something), or that every move he wants to make is blocked.

[NovU]

man... i ain't no hater based on color of skin...
i just can't respect arrogant culture they're trying to implement that will end up influencing the league in negative ways
i believe bucks management & fans approached yi and his ppl in decent manner with pure & good intentions
but all they got in return was disrepectful response & absurd behavior
the reason they gave r lame excuses
chinese government should stay outta yi's business
to a lot of ppl, this issue's becoming more about chinese gov and nba than just bucks and yi
they should know yi coming to nba is for all fans of nba, not just for the interests of china or for a few groups of ppl
that's a disrepect right there and ppl, bucks & league have right to feel offended

and sorry if i offended anybody in this forum, didn't mean it really

[---]

The thing I find funniest about this whole thing is that the Chinese/Yi/Yi's "Handlers" are actually trying to make people believe it's not all about the money. They try to say it's more about Yi's personal basketball development and that if Yi plays for the Bucks, he won't get playing time, which makes his development stop or even go backwards - in turn hurting his ability to play well for the national team, leading to the National team being worse off.

Well, let's check out the options as it stands now.

A) Stay and play for the Milwaukee Bucks - By going with this option, Yi will, at the very least, go up against NBA level competition every day in practice. Yi will either be a starter or a key player off the bench, possible a 6th Man of the Year award winner. Milwaukee has said over and over that they will not trade Yi, which means Yi will be a Buck if he chooses to go to the NBA this year.

B) Go back to China and play professionaly - By going back to China and playing, Yi will get significant playing time against a lower level competition. If Yi is already the best player in the CBA, he obviously can't get much better playing against players at a lower level, only polishing up on his game and working on the little things. If Yi decides to do this, his rights will still be held by the Bucks, meaning if he ever does go to the NBA, he has no choice but to play for Milwaukee.

C) Go back to China and sit out the pro season - If Yi does this, he will be out of competition for an entire year, losing alot of polish on his game, especially for in-game situations. He will be able to return to the NBA, but will once again go through the draft process. What if he doesn't get the team he wants this time round? If Yi is truly 19 as the league believes, he will have to sit out a year in China, then play in the CBA until he is 24 to sign a free agent contract with the NBA team of his choice. This way, Yi will either risk the chance of being drafted by another "non-asian" market in the 2008 NBA Draft, or enter the NBA in 2012 with the team of his choice as a free agent.

Looking at those options, if it's all about Yi's basketball development - A is the obvious choice.

If this isn't a bluff and Dan Fegan/Yi/Chinese Government are really this stupid, have fun dominating the CBA and going down as one of the biggest assholes in NBA history (without even playing a game!), Mr. Yi.

[Ty-Land]

First of all, I can't explain how frustrating this whole process has been. It has really got on my nerves of late.

Now lets break down the key arguments of that article:

"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.

So Fegan and co have been lying all along? So the reason why he wouldn't be suited to play for the Bucks was due to playing time. Then why is L.A, Boston, NY, Atlanta etc. considered possible options.

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

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

Have they even had a look at the Bucks roster. Last year we had Skinner, a 6'9 brick wall with little offensive skills, and Patterson, a 6'5 small forward who plays out of control most of the time, playing at PF. Other than them we have got Markota, Ilyasova, CV and had Reiner. No Patterson is gone. Skinner will be a 3rd string back-up at 4/5. Markota is a scrub and probably will be cut if a better player is found prior to training camp. Ilyasova is going to play in Europe for 2 years to develop and get minutes. CV is coming off shoulder injury and still can't shoot with his right arm. Reiner is gone. You could also consider Bogut and Gadz. Bogut will solely play C unless we trade for one (not going to happen), and Gadz is too clumsy to play anything but back-up minutes at the 5.

So where exactly is the competition? If CV isn't 100% before season starts Yi could very much be our starting 4. Worst case scenario he comes off the bench to play back-up minutes at the 4, spot minutes at the 3 and minutes at C if we play small ball.

"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.9

Keeping him in China doesn't help his cause either. He won't develop or improve playing in a lesser league. He could play in Europe, but the Bucks would still hold his rights if he plays anywhere professionally.

Milwaukee has been trying to do the right thing from day one. We drafted the BPA. Anyone who argues that we shouldn't have picked him because he said he didn't want to play for the Bucks is lacking a lot of backbone IMHO. If Oden refused to play in Portland people would be up in arms, but because he is an international player and the Bucks aren't a big city team it is ok? The town has come out in support of the pick, created and promoted incentives to come to the town. The Milwaukee City China Council has been active trying to promote the cities ties with China and further improve relations. Bogut loves Milwaukee, as does all the teams other international players even though there isn't a plethora of ex-pats there. We should the Bucks relent to his demands. Why can't a smaller market team try and land a star? Lebron seems to be doing fine in Cleveland, KG is still famous and earning big dollars in Minnesota. For good sake, the champs are in San Antonio! The draft has rules for a reason, and if Yi and co. won't follow those rules then they have to suffer the consequences, being losing the opportunity to play in the NBA or sitting out for a year.

Best case scenario at this stage is he eventually signs and turns into a quality player and this can all eventually be forgotten. Worst case scenario in my view is Yi is traded and the Bucks get shit all back. If this happens I hope the Bucks sign Charles Oakley and Rodman to 10 day contracts to kick the shit out of him. If he sits out a year, the Bucks lose a draft pick, but they make a very important point. The stand up for the smaller market teams and protect the draft process (which is why Stern is starting to get involved).

While patience is in essence, in my ways myself and many other Bucks fans just want this to end. All in all, I just hope Larry Harris and Sen. Kohl stand true and strong and make this situation turn into a very important precedent for the NBA and improve the perception of Milwaukee as a city to play a Basketball in!

[[Q]]

just trade him ffs to Oakland, where its filled with Asians and let him rot under Nellie, because no way Yi will fit into the fast breaking style of play.

personally i think he's a good shooter and would fit in well playing Nellieball.
would be a shooting version of biedrins.


and for the record, there's not as many asians in Oakland... notorius for more blacks than anything else. the asians (and gay people) are safely across the bay in San Francisco.

[Anthony15]

just trade him ffs to Oakland, where its filled with Asians and let him rot under Nellie, because no way Yi will fit into the fast breaking style of play.

personally i think he's a good shooter and would fit in well playing Nellieball.
would be a shooting version of biedrins.


and for the record, there's not as many asians in Oakland... notorius for more blacks than anything else. the asians (and gay people) are safely across the bay in San Francisco.

Closer then Milwaukee though

[Sauru]

I don't approve of what he's doing, but I can understand the reasoning behind it.

i don't see why you all are so enraged at yi anyway, obviously it is not completely in his hands. on the other hand, Steve francis did the same thing, albeit obviously on his own, and I don't recall the same reaction. Maybe yellow is the new black.

an aside, Our eurocentric culture believes itself so open minded and righteous relative to others, but I think thats bullshit.

i have hated francis since day one cause of what he did. i am more willing to let it go with yi cause like everyone has said, its not all him, well at least we dont know if it is. he could be telling his handlers "i dont want to play for the bucks, get me out of this" and of course they will cause they dont want them there either. hell half the americans in the nba draft dont want to play for the bucks.

the only thing i dont like about this is it should have been handled away from the media. the bucks should have first and formost taken the warning of yi's camp as he is a completly different situation than francis, a much riskier one. then when they realized he would not play there, before it went even more public, they should have traded him. right now the bucks wont get shit for him cause everyone knows they have to unload him cause he just wont play there. the bucks might only get a second rounder for him now.

[The X]

yeah, I'd like to see the Bucks not trade him....they won't get fair value now so they may as well sit tight & make China make the call....the Magic didn't & probably won't get lottery pick Vasquez, so it's not the first time a team expecting to get a player doesn't get him....

as for Francis, the guy is a dickhead....I liked him in college but when he demanded a trade, I was horrified....I was disappointed in the Grizzlies too, they should've let him sit out a year, but instead they caved in & traded him for Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington & change....yeah, that's fair value....Francis, you suck....

Yi, you suck too....I hope China finishes last in their own Olympics....even Craig Bradshaw will own Yi's arse

[cyanide]

It doesn't stop here. The Chinese sports association sharply criticized Yao Ming for being late.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/stor ... AHeadlines

"No matter how lofty public welfare activities are, they can't be allowed to take first place in a player's life,''

"No matter how sweet personal life is, it can't be compared to the exultation of capturing glory for one's nation,''

I guess the old parent-child ways haven't changed.

[Jing]

They are saying he (Yao) spent too much time planning his wedding and helping with the 2008 Special Olympics... That's just absurd. It seems like they are just going around handing out blame and criticism to everyone they can lay their hands on nowadays.

[BZ]

as for Francis, the guy is a dickhead....I liked him in college but when he demanded a trade, I was horrified....I was disappointed in the Grizzlies too, they should've let him sit out a year, but instead they caved in & traded him for Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington & change....yeah, that's fair value....Francis, you suck....

You have to kind of expect it when the GM was Stu Jackson. I hate Stu Jackson with a passion. This is the guy who drafted 3 straight PG's in a row (Daniels-bust, Bibby-Good, Francis-Ass) when the Grizzlies needed to get a decent SG or PF. Jackson was also the man who made the trade to get Otis Thorpe (a diminishing PF at that time) for a first round draft pick... that turned out to be the 2nd Overall Pick in the 2003 draft. The pick was Darko, so it even things out, but if the Grizz were still in Vancouver I'd still be pissed to pass up opportunities to get Wade or Bosh.

[NovU]

as for Francis, the guy is a dickhead....I liked him in college but when he demanded a trade, I was horrified....I was disappointed in the Grizzlies too, they should've let him sit out a year, but instead they caved in & traded him for Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington & change....yeah, that's fair value....Francis, you suck....

You have to kind of expect it when the GM was Stu Jackson. I hate Stu Jackson with a passion. This is the guy who drafted 3 straight PG's in a row (Daniels-bust, Bibby-Good, Francis-Ass) when the Grizzlies needed to get a decent SG or PF. Jackson was also the man who made the trade to get Otis Thorpe (a diminishing PF at that time) for a first round draft pick... that turned out to be the 2nd Overall Pick in the 2003 draft. The pick was Darko, so it even things out, but if the Grizz were still in Vancouver I'd still be pissed to pass up opportunities to get Wade or Bosh.

i hated michael heisley more than STU pid jackshit. yeah... otis was a difinite mistake... he got punched by oakley yet no vancouver player stood up for themselves including sissy otis. and i seriously think they had a good chance at title back then if they utilized cherokee parks and pete chilcutt a little bit more... like i said in other thread, itz no friggin wonder y francheese never wanted to start his career in van unless he could be in canucks unif along wid pavel bure

It doesn't stop here. The Chinese sports association sharply criticized Yao Ming for being late.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/stor ... AHeadlines

"No matter how lofty public welfare activities are, they can't be allowed to take first place in a player's life,''

"No matter how sweet personal life is, it can't be compared to the exultation of capturing glory for one's nation,''

I guess the old parent-child ways haven't changed.

*sigh* man... i almost feel sorry for yao. it's just sad...

cyanide, i see the relationship more as in Pet & Owner way...

[Andrew]

I have to admit when the situation first arose, my first instinct was to place some of the blame on Yi because I felt, as many probably did, that his silence was incriminating and normally I would sugges that to be case. However, it's become quite apparent that however Yi feels about playing in Milwaukee it doesn't really matter because his handlers and Chinese officials are against it and unwilling to budge.

I still find the situation disgraceful though. It's not as though Yi is the first Chinese player that has been allowed to enter the NBA Draft so his camp should be well aware of the rules and reality of entering his name in the Draft. If they wanted to dictate where he ended up, he should have forgone the Draft and then sought to sign on somewhere as an undrafted free agent, as other international players have done in the past.

[Ty-Land]

I have to admit when the situation first arose, my first instinct was to place some of the blame on Yi because I felt, as many probably did, that his silence was incriminating and normally I would sugges that to be case. However, it's become quite apparent that however Yi feels about playing in Milwaukee it doesn't really matter because his handlers and Chinese officials are against it and unwilling to budge.

There's new quotes on the Realgm site from a few of our new Chinese members that has Yi stating himself that he doesn't want to play in Milwaukee. This is not rumour, it is fact and it changes the negotiations and the situation greatly.

I still find the situation disgraceful though. It's not as though Yi is the first Chinese player that has been allowed to enter the NBA Draft so his camp should be well aware of the rules and reality of entering his name in the Draft. If they wanted to dictate where he ended up, he should have forgone the Draft and then sought to sign on somewhere as an undrafted free agent, as other international players have done in the past.

He would have to have waited until he was 24 to be signed as a free agent under the CBA. International players under that age have to declare for the draft to enter the league. So he would have to wait 2 years if he is in fact 22, or 5 years if he is 19 as he claims to be.

[Andrew]

There's new quotes on the Realgm site from a few of our new Chinese members that has Yi stating himself that he doesn't want to play in Milwaukee. This is not rumour, it is fact and it changes the negotiations and the situation greatly.

I stand corrected. If that's the case then it's a disgraceful attitude all around.

He would have to have waited until he was 24 to be signed as a free agent under the CBA. International players under that age have to declare for the draft to enter the league. So he would have to wait 2 years if he is in fact 22, or 5 years if he is 19 as he claims to be.

I forgot about that rule. But even so, if he and/or his camp want to dictate which NBA team he plays for then that is the road they'll have to take and if that means waiting, so be it.

[Sauru]

question is, does he really not want to play for the bucks, or are they telling him to say that? in the end something like this will only hurt the stock of anyone from china trying to play in the nba.

[-Young Buck-]

Im starting to hate our GM, at first i thought he was really good, but the decisions he has made as of late is really pissing me off.

[Jing]

http://www.nbadraft.net/draftbuzz072.asp

A bogus news story was released in China on Tuesday that Yi Jianlian's Chinese agent and Guangdong Tigers chief Chen Haitao said that Yi would "definitely not" play for the Milwaukee Bucks. The report has been denied by Chen himself plus a Guangdong Tiger's VP who responded with two words - "BS".

Apparently some media sources in China don't care if their reports are not factually accurate as long as they generate interest.

Most amazing is that the report was picked up by numerous AP news sources all over the web and and was given credibility when in fact the story is unsubstantiated.

Milwaukee may not be where Yi's agents Dan Fegan and Chen or the Guangdong Tigers wanted him to end up in the draft, but Milwaukee selected him, and they have made every effort to please him, even guaranteeing him a starting position.

Having watched Yi play five times in Las Vegas over the past two weeks, it is apparent that he has a great deal of talent. But his timing and skill level are not where they could be if he had better experience playing against NBA level players. Having missed out on higher competition level the past 2-3 years, staying in China to play in the CBA has already stunted his development to a degree. He can't afford another year away from the NBA, his game would never recover. Yi knows this, and his agents do too.

With China gearing up for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Yi has too much to lose by not playing next season. For Yi to re-enter the draft next year, he would have to miss the entire season playing for any team, the Guangdong Tigers included (Otherwise the Bucks would retain his rights). A lost season would be devastating to Yi's development, and in turn diminish China's chances of making an impact in Beijing. So in reality, Milwaukee holds all the cards in the ongoing situation.

In Las Vegas, Yi's agent Dan Fegan said that the biggest reason Yi wouldn't play for Milwaukee was their log jam at the post positions and the fact that a slow start could have lasting effects on Yi's career.

NBA scouts in Las Vegas scoffed when they heard this saying they felt the true reason was in fact financially based and that Yi's Nike contract likely paid considerably more in a bigger market. And further, if Yi's got the talent, it shouldn't matter where he plays. They also said they felt he would ultimately end up playing in Milwaukee.

Part of the displeasure with the Bucks organization stems from the fact that they weren't honest about their true intentions when they selected him. They announced they took him because they felt he was the best player available, but many in China including his handlers feel their true reason for taking him was based on the financial impact he would have on the club.

Yi met with Bucks GM Larry Harris in Las Vegas but would not comment on his future with the Bucks.

The controversy has had a big affect on Yi over the past few weeks as American and Chinese media and fans alike have cultivated a negative impression of Yi. The public opinion is that he is being greedy and should just go to the club that selected him and be gracious about his opportunity to make millions playing in the NBA. But his decision to hold out and not to go to Milwaukee should not be blamed on Yi, but on his handlers.

In China, players are much less media savvy, many consider the media a nuisance and using the media to market oneself as American athletes do is a foreign concept. Yi has been schooled on the importance of being "media-friendly" but still has a long ways to go, and seems to have a hard time painting himself in a positive light.

The controversy could end up having devastating effects on Yi's popularity in China as well, which even after the issue gets worked out could have lasting ramifications. His marketability won't be nearly as effective if fans in China lose their appreciation for him.

Milwaukee Bucks fans are already have built up a negative impression of Yi, after he did not report to the city after the draft, so the longer he holds out, the more negative the reaction will be if and when he finally reports to the city.

Yi's Chinese agent Chen Haitao has full control over Yi, and there is some speculation that if things aren't worked out, Yi's American agent Dan Fegan will ultimately be used as a scapegoat and fired.

Despite all of the media reports to the contrary, Milwaukee remains the likely destination for Yi. And with such a whirlwind of negativity building around him, an announcement from Yi deciding to end the controversy and join the Bucks could come sooner than expected.


*On Tuesday Yi said he would never fire his American agent Dan Fegan, as he has only done what Yi has wanted him to do.

[jonthefon]

Ouch or what?

I hope NBAdraft.net got it right.

[JT_55]

Well, if one fake story came out, there might be another. But this might be China trying to make themselves look good in all this. I certainly hope not, but...