Even though Yi Jianlian refused to work out for Milwaukee and publicly expressed his desire not to drafted by the Bucks, the Bucks went ahead and selected him with the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft. And now comes the shocking news that — GASP! — Yi won't play for the Bucks.
Guangdong Tigers owner Chen Haitao was quoted in Tuesday's Beijing News as saying Yi would "definitely not" play for the Bucks next season. Yi plays with the Guangdong team in the Chinese Basketball Association… "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. "Rather we want to find a team suitable for Yi's growth. That's the root of the problem."
Chen expressed concern that Yi would have trouble getting much playing time with the Bucks. Yi plays power forward, a position where the Bucks struggled with injuries last season and at times had undersized Ruben Patterson playing the position…. The Bucks have invited Yi, his family and Chen to Milwaukee to tour the city and visit the team's facilities.
My God. Usually you have to visit a battered women's shelter to see people this bad at reading people's emotions. No, it's cool, Milwaukee — Yi really loves you. You just have to try harder is all.
