The NBA and YI

According to an ESPN report, Yi Jianlian's Chinese tem will not allow him to play for the Milwaukee Bucks:

Yi, taken by Milwaukee with the sixth selection in the NBA draft last month, would "definitely not" play for Milwaukee, Tuesday's Beijing News quoted Guangdong Tigers chief, Chen Haitao, as saying.

"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," he added.

Sure, because Yi's growth will be much better playing for Guandong in the CBA (the Chinese Basketball Association, not the tougher Continental Basketball Association).

I don't understand how his team has any say in the matter. When a European player wants to come to the States, he simply has to pay the buyout in his contract. Barcelona cannot determine where Juan Carlos Navarro plays next season. They simply get to collect his buyout. Why is it different with Chinese players?

If Chinese officials do not allow Yi to play for Milwaukee, I hope the NBA bars Yi from the league. Now, knowing how much the NBA has invested in China, I doubt even the might David Stern has the intestinal fortitude to stand-up to a nation of 1.2 billion.

But, does the NBA really need Yi? Sure, he's a good prospect, but he's not a superstar. He struggled in the Las Vegas Summer League. His National Team lost to the USA U-19 Team. Yao Ming's jersey is not the biggest seller in China; will Yi's be?

If the NBA forces a trade to appease the Chinese, I will lose a great deal of respect for the league and may have to cease writing about it, as I'm not sure I can care about such a product. So, we'll see who blinks first.

But, I can guarantee the Chinese that its Olympic prospects will not be aided by keeping Yi from playing in the NBA, as the Chinese Basketball Association is not high on the list of competitive basketball leagues around the globe.