Here's a really good article on the whole Yi situation. It paints a clearer picture of what's happening and sorts through a bunch of misconceptions. Hopefully it puts that stupid "ban on Chinese players" idea to rest, too. <div align="center">Who's pulling the strings in the Yi-Bucks mess?</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Here's the problem when it comes to Yi Jianlian, the No. 6 pick in this year's NBA draft: No one seems to know whom to be angry with. The Bucks drafted him, despite not having seen him work out and despite assurances from Yi's representatives that he would not play in Milwaukee. Now, there appears to be a standoff between Yi and the Bucks, with neither side giving an inch. Yi won't sign with the Bucks. The Bucks won't trade him. So you could be angry with the Bucks for taking a player who obviously does not want to play for your team. Or you could be angry with Yi for failing to acknowledge the many benefits of playing in Brew City and for the privilege of playing in the NBA at all. Or you could be angry with Yi's representatives for being so stubborn. Or you could be angry with that vague entity, the "Chinese government," cited by many media outlets as the source of the trouble with Yi. Here's the reality: Most of us in the media have no idea what we're talking about in this Yi-Bucks situation, which means that most fans don't, either. In fact, I am not sure the Bucks fully understand what (and who) they're dealing with here. I laughed out loud when I read that Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl wrote a letter to Yi, requesting to meet face-to-face. What Kohl has to understand is that the situation with Yi has very little to do with Yi himself. After conducting a handful of interviews with folks who are in the know on this situation, I can offer you five points to remember that should give a clearer picture of what is going on: </div> <div align="center">Source: SportingNews.com</div>
Yi has gone on the record as saying he would play for the Bucks, it is the agent trying to pull all the strings. I don't mind players saying where they want to go because in the end it is the team's fault for drafting someone who either personally or through representation said they don't want to play for them. The NBA forces these kids to either enter the draft or not play in the NBA so why can't players state who they want to work for?
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The NBA forces these kids to either enter the draft or not play in the NBA so why can't players state who they want to work for?</div> By that logic, why can't I walk into a corporation and demand to be given a certain job in a certain location? The NBA is well within their rights to tell him that he either has to play for the Bucks or go back to China.
^ Try not to be ignorant. Yi has wanted to play in the NBA for years, every player wants to because of the money and glamour it entails. ACcording to your logic, the rich would get richer and the poor would get poorer. What player wants to go to a rebuilding situation? Would it be fair if guys like Oden or Durant had demanded that they only be drafted by a SA or a Phoenix? Not to get racial here, but a lot of you are riding Yi's jock because of his nationality, and it's blinding you from the big picture: Yi, his handlers, the Chinese government or whoever it is whose making these bullshit demands are screwing over a small-market team for a greedy and silly reason.
If anything, I think people on here have been more critical of him due to his nationality and the cutlture therein than have supported him for it. The notion that Yi would be fine playing for the Bucks but his agent or whomever won't let him is, in my opinion, shortsighted. I know what I saw the night he was drafted, and I saw a very unhappy looking man, regardless of however it's attempted to be spun now.
<div class="quote_poster">TheFreshPrince Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I just heard on PTI that Yi was trade to Sac-town. Is this true?</div> Yi expressed that he would liked to be traded there, but no moves have been made yet. <div class="quote_poster">dotmotion Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Seattle should have drafted him with that 5th pick</div> The Sonics wouldn't look right drafting 2 power forwards but either way, Jeff Green was a great pick and you can't argue against that. The potential success for him and Kevin Durant is pretty high for the future.
<div class="quote_poster">DIRK4L1FE Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I think the agent just wants Yi to be in an environment where Yi can be comfortable. Yi is from China and can only speak limited English, so throwing him in a predominantly English speaking environment will be tough on him. They want to find a place where there are more Chinese people to help him merge into the American culture. Thats IMO though, could be totally off.</div> I'd disagree that being around mroe Chinese people will help him integrate into American culture. Take any of the Chinatowns around the world. When people of the same culture stay together, they tend to practise their same culture and not learn a new one.
