By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Yi Jianlian returns to the NBA and for the first time in his career he will play for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“We are excited to bring a player of worldwide class like Yi”, stated the Lakers‘ general manager, Mitch Kupchak.
The Chinese forward/center has played 272 games (163 as a starter) in the NBA with an average of 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22 minutes in the game. He was selected in the 2007 draft by the Bucks as the No6 pick. Apart from Milwaukee, he has played for Nets, Wizards and Mavericks.
He is a national with the Chinese team and impressed in Rio’s Olympics, averaging 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 5 games. China didn’t make it far in the competition though.
The past few years, he played for Guangdong Southern Tigers, averaging 27,7 points last year.