Legendary Chinese basketball player, Yi Jianlian, took to social media to announce his retirement, bringing a close to a remarkable 21-year career and signaling the end of a golden era for Chinese basketball. The 38-year-old expressed pride in representing the Chinese national team and gratitude to his club and fans in a heartfelt statement.
Yi is the final player from the 12-member squad that participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to retire. This golden generation, which included renowned players such as Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi, secured an 8th place finish at the Beijing Games, a feat that has not been replicated in subsequent international competitions.
Yi was selected as the sixth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2007 NBA draft and later played for the New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards, and Dallas Mavericks. Despite his five seasons in the NBA, the majority of his career was spent with his hometown club, the Guangdong Southern Tigers, where he led the team to seven Chinese Basketball League championships. Yi also holds the records for most career double-doubles and is the all-time leading rebounder in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
The Guangdong club expressed their understanding and respect for Yi’s decision and announced plans for a grand retirement ceremony in his honor. Yi represented China in four Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016) and played in the FIBA World Championships in 2006 and 2010, as well as the 2019 World Cup.
As a member of the golden generation, the 14-time CBA all-star witnessed the rise and fall of Chinese basketball throughout his career. Beijing-based basketball commentator, Zhou He, noted that Yi had been the national team’s fulcrum for the past decade, and his decision to retire came after experiencing numerous peaks and valleys. Zhou lauded Yi’s self-discipline as a trait that younger players should emulate.
Yi’s retirement has sparked a debate about the future of Chinese basketball. During the 2019 Basketball World Cup, fans expressed disappointment over the lack of support from Yi’s teammates, which contributed to China’s failure to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. The recent underwhelming performance of the national team in the ongoing basketball world cup has further fueled this debate.
Wang Dazhao, another Beijing-based sports commentator, expressed doubt that any current player could fill the void left by Yi. He noted that it would take a considerable amount of time for Chinese basketball to recover from this slump and stressed the need for improvement in talent development mechanisms.
The news of Yi’s retirement has gone viral on Chinese social media platforms, with many fans and netizens expressing their sadness. Fu Minya, a devoted fan who has followed Yi’s career since 2004, shared her sorrow, “I cried when I heard the news. I will go to his retirement ceremony to bid Yi farewell.”
As one chapter closes, another begins, and while the retirement of Yi Jianlian marks the end of an era, it also opens up opportunities for a new generation of Chinese basketball players to rise and make their mark on the international stage.
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