It is a warm and sunny June afternoon in Los Angeles when Yi Jianlian
shows up for a workout. There is little fanfare accompanying the arrival of
China's latest U.S. export, just a dutiful manager trailing him through the
double doors of L.A.'s Home Depot Center and a trainer patiently waiting
for him on the other side. Ever since China first approved Yi's entrance
into the NBA draft last November, people have wondered if Yi is the next
Yao Ming.
Following the 60-minute workout Yi, his new shirt drenched with sweat,
departs for the second stage of his audition: a debriefing with Kings
officials who use the time to interview the prized prospect who has yet to
be vetted by the American media. There, at a local restaurant, Yi will
answer a barrage of questions ranging from his hobbies to his
experiences with alcohol and marijuana. For China's next big thing, it's all
part of the process.
As the NBA draft approaches, Yi's potential success could signal the
opening of an Asian pipeline to the NBA that has been growing in talent
in recent years and eventually could becomes as fruitful as Europe and
South America. Should he succeed, NBA teams may be more inclined to
draft players out of the Pacific Rim.
"With the emphasis that is being put on basketball in China," says NBA
commissioner David Stern. "I think it is fair to assume that there will be
additional basketball talent in the Chinese population where 300 million
people are playing basketball and as a matter of government policy the
game is being promoted."
