Jim Jackson did it too

I am sure all the other GM's sympathise on one hand and offer 50 cents in the dollar with the other.

The Bucks took a calculated risk - Yi's people said to the Bucks "don't draft Yi, he won't play there". They called what they obviously thought was a bluff and they have paid the price.

Not sure what they will get if they trade him - GSW may trade Brandan Wright - if I was the Bucks that is what I would be aiming for.

You can't have a guy on your squad who doesn't want to play for you.

On Steve Francis read an interesting article posted on TrueHoop (link to Full Court) about Francis being a victim of his max contract - have a read - quite interesting. Think I could be unhappy for $36 Mil though

link

Hi demands are not reasonable at all. He is lucky to be drafted at all, especially since how he is conducting himself now. It is a draft, i'm sorry Yi you don't get to pick what team you play for. It does make you wonder though, why the Bucks picked him in the first place and considering they already have Bogut. Apparently they asked him to come for a workout and he refused. There seems to be an issue here?? Very strange indeed, i wonder how it will play out. Yi going back to China, or Yi getting traded to a team on his wishlist? I think the former. It's all been great publicity for him though. I really have my skeptical hat on for this one.

If he refuses to play, I think he cannot play professionally for a year?

I am sure this is not Yi`s doing - he probably would happily play in Milly - it`s the scumbag Commie Apparatchiks and his handlers pulling the strings... Same old national prestige crap (that we saw during the Cold War)... Yi is just toeing the line he has no choice - it`s extreme but he has family back home and if he pisses off the Government they can make life difficult for his family if they want to... They don`t care about the Chinese population in his playing city as much as they do the Domestic (as in China) Population`s perception of him playing in a big well known town (i.e. a LA, Chicago, etc)... Much like Boguts rep would be bigger in oz if he played for a bigger team... but no-one really cares in his case... cause we are not a one-party dictatorship...

It's an interesting scenario and there are quite a lot of little things building up to big things.

He is currently contracted to Guangdong Hongyuan for one more season. I've heard that the owner (private) gets a cut of 20% for Yi marketing dollar for the duration of 1 year, hence the reason why they want a larger Asian population. Interesting is that Fegan also gets a % of Yi's marketing dollar on top of his fee for representing Yi.

The CBA is pushing for Yi to join the NBA (not necessarily a team nominated by Yi and Fegan), especially with the Beijing Olympics coming up and they want to put on a good show. They possibly believe that Yi will be better served to play NBA before CBA, giving the Chinese team 2 legit NBA players (Yao and Yi) and 2 borderline NBA players (Sun and Wang).

The Bucks asked 5 times before the draft to meet with Yi and have a tryout, all were rejected by Fegan. Scouts of the Bucks even arrived in LA once, but Fegan told them on the phone to go back to Milwaukee.

Fegan did promise Yi that he would end up in a big city with the addition of favorable ball style that suits Yi.

Fegan apparently sent a fax to the Wolves and Bucks telling them not to select Yi. McHale confirmed that he received the fax.

Yi originally told Fegan he wants Chicago, and Fegan replied "Chicago it is". Hence a failed promise. It's only around an hours drive from Chicago to Milwaukee. Hell, live in Chicago and drive to Milwaukee. Enough people live in Murray Bridge and drive to Adelaide to work.

There has been some very interesting media stories out of China (lucky for me I work with a Chinese translator who spends about an hour a day helping me out with the articles).

Some quotes from these articles include:

"Myself, I'm not really familiar with the city but I'm happy to play with the team and I'm happy to play in the NBA," (from Yi himself)

"He probably will not say 'No' to the Bucks. He is not American. He respects the NBA very much," said Sun Qun, the editor of China's top basketball newspaper Pioneers.

I believe that this is a very good outcome," CBA deputy head Hu Jiashi told reporters.

CBA officials have long maintained that potential playing time in actual game situations is crucial to whether or not the league will release its players to the NBA, and I think that the Bucks could accommodate the CBA and Yi on this front.

The more and more I read about this it seems that it's not the CBA or Chinese Government blocking the movement, but it's Fegan that is being the d*ck as he can't backup his promises and just won't fall on his sword.

For Yi to reenter the draft he'd have to sit out of organized basketball for 12 months and I can't see the CBA allowing that with the Olympics around the corner.

Good post TR. Sounds like what's happening.

If Fegan and co have a significant cut of endorsements, then they obviously have a substantial interest in getting him away from the Bucks.

That sucks. They get the pick, and they draft who they think is the best player remaining. That player should suit and play to the best of their ability. Money outside of that which the club provides should not be a factor!

Here is an article that I had translated. Yao Ming's spin on things about the situation.

Reporter Yang Yi reports

It was on the night of the draft in New York when all the craze of the draft quenched down. Yi Jianlian returned to his room in the Westin Hotel; it was just like waking up from a dream. He took off the Milwaukee Bucks draft cap, and threw it to the tea tray at the far corner of his hotel room. And at the same time, the mobile in his pocket vibrated.

He took it out and looked at it; it was a call from Yao Ming from Houston.

Yao Ming had followed the 2007 NBA Draft live from TV, but he chose to call Yi only after more than 2 hours; So deep into the night, all Yao Ming said was very simple: "How are you now ? Feeling alright?" Yi Jianlian answered: "I'm fine. And so it went astray." Yao Ming: "Just let it be; it happened and it happened. Just accept it. NBA Draft is just like this. At least, you will be earning big money; Just think about the fact that you will be earning US$ 2.8 Million a year, and that will soothe you down and make you not feel so bad deep down inside. " Yi Jianlian finally chuckled, and said: "Oh&yes." "We will have a lot of opportunities to meet each other from now on. Let's meet and chat later." Yao Ming hang the phone.

So early next morning, Yao Ming left Houston, and detoured via Los Angeles to return to Shanghai. Very few people knew actually this was actually the second time that Yao Ming returned to Shanghai during this summer. 2 weeks earlier, Yao Ming made a short trip back to Shanghai for 3 days, and then left quickly for Houston so as to join the training arranged by Carroll Dawson.

Yao Ming said (to reporter) "I think it would be better off for me if I had not made that trip back to Shanghai previously. Just flew in and stayed so short and then back into Houston. That made me home sick for the past 2 weeks." Yao Ming will fly to Beijing on July 2 to participate on July 3 an activity organized by the Chinese Olympic Organizing Committee and Coca-Cola. He will return the same night, and thereafter will stay mostly in Shanghai concentrating on his rehabilitation training as well as handling/organizing his own wedding.

"Well, my heart was occupied with Yi Jianlian's draft throughout the past 2 days. Actually he should consider himself fortunate; at least he is more fortunate than a lot of us." Yao Ming said. "None of us had been able to be there in person to experience the Draft. You just looked at him in his Western tailored suit. He just looked so handsome and full of sunshine. That is something that I could not match up with. I also looked at a couple of the pictures taken during the Draft. If I was Greg Oden, I would not have taken that picture together with Ah Lian. Does he not feel that he looked too old (when compared with Yi?)"

"As to the pick by Milwaukee Bucks, there is nothing Ah Lian can do about it&just no way. Speaking purely out of my own experience, regardless of whichever team picks you, there will be an extremely difficult adaptation process. Viewed from a CBA's perspective, NBA is really really tough and intense, and each rebound was like snatching diamonds from the others."

"Secondly, as an international player, your rookie year will just zip by very quickly, as you have to adapt to the new culture and the new team. So everything you feel and see will be new and strange to you, and all these perceptual experience comes and goes so fast that in an eye's blink, your rookie season will be over. Therefore it is very very difficult for an international rookie to make a name and take a firm stand in NBA in his rookie season. It will be in your second season, that you will become more familiar with your environment, your own situation and your opponents' situation, then you become more steadfast and settled and your opponents also start to understudy your game, that is when the real challenge begins. But often by that time, you might already have a completely new team with you, with team mates different from those you knew in your rookie season."

So the Number 1 draft of previous years might not have fully comprehended Yi Jianlian's embarrassment and troubles. When Yao Ming was picked by Houston Rockets, the Houston Rockets, given its glorious tradition and heritage as a team with dominant centres, was without a centre; therefore it had given Yao Ming huge development room and space. But the Milwaukee Bucks has every of its centres and power forwards positions filled in its current roster, so where is the spot left for Yi Jianlian? Also ever since the time of Oscar Robinson/Lucius Allen/Sam Cassell, the Milwaukee Bucks had been famous and focused on its exterior play. So how is Yi Jianlian going to display his skills as a power forward/centre in this team?

"But what else can you say?" Yao Ming said. "(in NBA), You need to walk you own road to carve and create your own destiny."

and the real reason why there could be some issues....


"another comment from ppl in China, you all may find it offensive but that is the culture difference. ppl do not like green color. WHY?? because when your wife cheat on you, everyone will say you are "Wearing GREEN hat". So green hat is a big time taboo in China. So BUCKS better get a series of RED hat for china market. Do not laugh. It is true! "

Came from a Chinese poster on JSOnline which is a Milwaukee newspaper site.

Pretty stupid by the Bucks to pick someone that obviously didn't want to play for them. The fact that Yi's agent didn't even take him to speak witht he Bucks before the draft would have to tell them something. Idiots!!! I hopd they lose him and receive nothing for it, then theyu might learn a lesson in recruitment!

Did he wear the Bucks cap on draft day? I can't recall exactly? I really do think a lot of this is a press beatup to get publicity. Beware of what you read people's!

It's nice to see some people actually take after their user name...

So if your Portland or Seattle and Oden's or Durants agent didn't make contact with you before the draft would you not select either one of them??? Bucks picked the best remaining player (in their belief) on the board for their franchise. They weren't fans of B.Wright. Brewer, Horford and Conley Jr were gone.

I believe Yi wants to play, blame his idiot agent and his money hungry mits for the problem.

Yi was issued with a white Bucks cap. From memory the whole draft was done with white caps.

Completely Disagree "Dumb"

You enter a "Draft" knowing that any team can take you & don't get sucked in by Agent's promises.

I hope the reverse happens, i.e. that Yi Jianlian is never heard from again, except on a poster when Newley throws one down on him at Beijing 2008 and he becomes that year's Frederic Weis!

sorry, brewer wasn't gone..... he went 7.

My understanding that you are only ever able to enter the nba draft on one occasion, there after you are a free agent. thus why brad didnt try last year, and why high schoolers and college players dont try year to year to make the SHOW.. Very different to our afl system here.

The bucks retain his rights and can demand that he suit or force him from suiting, i think it is in the vicinity of 3 years or so...

Actually, if he doesn't play pro ball over the next 12 months, he can enter the draft again next year. If he does play, than the Bucks will own his rights for the rest of his pro career, I believe.

**Balla**, I'm not really sure what wearing a draft cap has to do with anything, but yes he did wear it, as do all rookies when they get drafted.

And this is anything but a publicity stunt. As TR posted, he has quite a few people around him that are going to cash in on his success, therefore want him to earn as much as he can. Really, it's a shame that greed is getting in the way of all of this, just let the kid play.

twenty four - not much, but he was part of the process on the day. He got the cap of the team he got drafted for. He put it on, he must have spoken to some representative from the Bucks. He is aware of the process of the draft etc. This all means something. It's not like he was sitting at home in China. The whole thing is political and the overwhelming coverage that he is getting leads me to believe in a media beat-up. Bucks are getting heaps of publicity, Yi is getting heaps of publiciy and Chinese basketball is getting heaps, just before the Olympics next year.

yer there getting publicity but does Yi really want to be known for this, or what he rather be known for his game.

and the chinese team probaly wont want this because it will make everyone think that there all the same as Yi.

TR, different circumstances for diffenrt players. When you are dealing with a player like Yi, who is from a foreign country, coming to a much different place to represent his own country on the big stage, I think you would want to know that for one he wants to play for you, he that he would be happy and comfortable at your team before actually choosing him. No point in choosing someone who does not want to play for you, cos there's a fair chance he won't give it his all.

You enter the NBA lottery, knowing it's a lottery and you could end up anywhere. It's not like it's written in small print that you have a choice of which team to play for just because it's a personal preference. I'm sure Oden and Durants agent would of preferred for them to land in a big city like Chicago, New York, Atlanta or Boston, but unfortunately Seattle and Portland won.

If he wanted to go and play for the Lakers or Bulls or whoever he preferred then he should of become a free agent and approached the teams, not declare for the draft.

He nominate for the draft, you play for the team that drafted you, not bitch and moan and have your agent behaving like a 5 year that had his favourite Transformer stolen.

TR... I think you can't be dealt with as a FA unless you have nominated for the draft and no been picked... That's why at a certain age 22??? you automatically nominate for the draft (whether you expressly want to or not) and the teams have a chance to pick you or not - then you are a FA...

Malevolent or not - i would have a long (mean) laugh (poetic justice) if Yi ends up being the next 'Skita (making even Mengke Bateer look like a HOFer)... Given all the hawwing and hahing by his people (just to stick it to all of the vested interests (both in in the US, the CBA, and the Chinese Govt.) elevating this thing into a political totem pole)...

I would be happy if Yi turned into the next Frederick Weis and his ar$e rotted at the end of the bench of back in China. Problem is I don't think it's entirely his fault. I think his agent is feeding him and his handlers a big turd sandwich and pumping him bad information.

I'm unsure about the whole age/draft/free agency thing, but it sounds like your right Johnny, but how do experienced internationals make the NBA. I can't remember Heal, Bradtke or McKinnon ever nominating for the draft. I guess that's where the age factor kicks in. I'm not that up to date on the CBA.

The majority of people are questioning Yi's age, some speculate we could be as old as 25 and as young at 19. Who would know as who's going to dispute a birth certificate (which are a piece of cake to forge), the kid should of said he was 22 and 1 month, thus he couldnt go into the draft and he should of become a free agent.

The whole thing is a money grabbing stunt by Yi's agent and former team.

No chance that Yi will be a dud, IMO. Will be useful.

You're right Isaac, I think he'll be very good, but I'd be happy if he busted (which won't happen).

(Mod: Flamebait.)

TR said...

"I'm unsure about the whole age/draft/free agency thing, but it sounds like your right Johnny, but how do experienced internationals make the NBA. I can't remember Heal, Bradtke or McKinnon ever nominating for the draft. I guess that's where the age factor kicks in. I'm not that up to date on the CBA."

The reason - when they automatically became draftable - no-one picked them... So thats why they were free to sign with whoever... Heal and Bratke were about the same age as Sammy now - teams the NBA's auto draft expired with no-one showing interest... Same goes for Sammy with his situ now... I am pretty sure on this (if someone can correct me i'd appreciate it... hate trotting out misinformation in good faith)...

Yeah that's right Johnny. Once internationals hit 22, they're 'automatically eligible' for that years draft, hence Newls not having to nominate this year. Then if they dont get picked in that draft, they become FA's.

Same thing goes with NCAA seniors.