Yi JianLian – The Next Yao Ming?
Warning! Warning!
Orland Magic center Dwight Howard is warning potential draftees coming out of China including Yi JianLin, a 20-year old, 2.12 meter (6'11") power forward from Shenzhen.
What's Howard think the new Chinese rookie has to worry about?
1. a first-round pick doesn't guarantee you anything in your career – yeah, and?
2. the rookie year is long (then why is it called playing?)
3. the size of the players faced every night is incredible
4. practing everyday
5. getting up every morning (don't we all do that?)
6. lifting weights (my notebook can be pretty heavy sometimes)
7. not being mentally tough enough
I don't know Dwight Howard from Adam, but I do know that the Chinese have a tremendous work ethic. Chances are that in time, Yi JianLin, will be giving advice to his American teammates on how to meet the challenges of the NBA.
What do you think?
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I agree that I think Yi will be pretty good. (I’m thinking a Chinese Tony Kukoc but more athletic.) But…there’s an ancient Chinese classical 3-character phrase that roughly translates as “the fate of someone who goes to the NBA and doesn’t listen to the advice of his teammates and coaches and instead pouts and whines and refuses to practice.”
I’m not sure if your site allows the use of characters so I’ll put it in pinyin: Wang Zhizhi
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