Yi Jianlian leaves professional basketball. After a career that has spanned 21 years, the veteran Chinese player has announced his retirement through a statement posted on his account on the Sina Weibo network. In this text, the one who was number 6 in the 2007 draft explains the reasons for his goodbye, which reaches the age of 35 and having become one of the most important players in the history of China, a country with which he has come to play up to four Olympic Games.
Regarding his time in the NBA, Yi Jianlian began his journey with the Milwaukee Bucks and later went through the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks. His best season came in his second year with the Nets, in which he averaged 12 points and 7.2 rebounds. He now says goodbye to the sport of the basket with these words:
«Time flies, in the blink of an eye, basketball has been with me for 21 years. After thinking it over carefully, today I decided to officially say goodbye to my basketball career.”
“Along the way, I want to sincerely thank my dearest family, my dearest leader Bole, every coach, teammate, opponent, sponsor, partner, and rival team. I would like to give a special thanks to the Chinese men’s basketball team, which is a sacred name to me. Every time I wear the national team jersey and play for my country, I can feel the great pride that my homeland gives me. I am also very grateful to the Guangdong Men’s Basketball Team for their years of coaching and support, which gave me the chance to represent my hometown to win so many honors and gave me the chance to go on a bigger stage.”
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«The farewell is not an end, but a new beginning. I will miss him very much and I will continue working with the aim of welcoming a new chapter »
“Goodbye, my favorite basketball – thank you for giving me this wonderful journey of 21 years, with blood, joy, regret, tears, reliable partners and respectable opponents. This has been an unforgettable and precious experience.”
(Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
2023-08-30 11:00:00
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