NBA tracks down next Yao

Yi Jianlian8217;s cell-phone was singing. During a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where Yi, a spry 7-footer from China, was preparing for Thursday8217;s NBA draft, an RB song burst into the air.

Yi Jianlian8217;s cell-phone was singing. During a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where Yi, a spry 7-footer from China, was preparing for Thursday8217;s NBA draft, an R038;B song burst into the air.

8220;Tanya,8221; he said in English, when asked about his ring tone. 8220;I downloaded it from the Internet.8221;

And with that, Yi continued talking about the increasing popularity of basketball in China 8212; through an interpreter on a party line. Call it Generation Yi.

Listening to hip-hop, now wearing Seven jeans and Sean John shirts and growing up playing pickup basketball in Shenzhen, Yi stands as a symbol of discovery that is rippling through the country. He comes to the United States at a time when the NBA, its players, agents and multiple shoe companies are trying to stake their claim in China8217;s growing economy as the nation prepares for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Yi played on China8217;s 2004 Olympic team, which finished eighth in Athens. He also played five years with his pro team, the Guangdong Tigers, before Chinese basketball officials approved his entering the draft. 8220;This fellow has a great touch,8221; said Del Harris, the former Dallas assistant who coached China in Athens and caused controversy in the traditionalist culture by starting Yi as a rookie. 8220;He8217;s got a really good 17-18 feet shot. He runs really well, can jump and has good timing. His shot-blocking is excellent.8221;

While Yi8217;s physical, low-post game has been questioned, his athleticism as a power forward distinguishes him from the three previous Chinese imports, centres Wang Zhizhi, Mengke Bateer, and Yao Ming, Houston8217;s No 1 pick first overall in 2002.

The Bucks8217; general manager, Larry Harris, said Friday that his team was considering taking Yi with the sixth pick despite potential objections from Chinese basketball officials. They want Yi to play in a city with a large Chinese population and for him not to languish on the bench.

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For the NBA, the success of players like Yi is critical to the international growth of the game. The NBA estimates 300 million people play organised basketball in China. With 1.3 billion people and a growing middle class, NBA Commissioner David Stern wants to capitalise. He said that the NBA was discussing forming a league with the Chinese Basketball Association after the Beijing Olympics.

Xu Guangming contributed reporting from Shanghai.