Yi Jianlian is a top-notch existence in the country. It’s a pity that he didn’t make it well when he entered the NBA.

On June 28, in the long scroll of Chinese basketball history, Yi Jianlian's name was destined to be remembered in a bold way. This 2.13-meter-tall heir of the "Mobile Great Wall" has written the golden age of Chinese basketball with 19 years of career. From a 15-year-old young man who was a fledgling CBA in 2002 to an epic data of 12,781 points and 6,159 rebounds when he retired in 2023, Yi Jianlian's existence redefined the standard of domestic inside line - he is not only the ceiling of the talent of Chinese players after Yao Ming, but also interprets the model of professional players with self-discipline and persistence.

**Talented basketball wizard**

Yi Jianlian's physical condition is a rare template in the history of Chinese basketball. The official height is 2.13 meters but has an amazing arm span of 2.22 meters. The terrifying data of running and assisting height reaches 3.73 meters. Combined with the explosive power of 0.1 second start, these innate advantages made him selected by the Bucks with the sixth pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Li Chunjiang, who was the coach of Guangdong Hongyuan at the time, once commented: "All United's coordination and mobility are rare in a century among big men over 2.10 meters. " This talent was fully demonstrated in the life-and-death battle against the German team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics - the emergency stop jump shot that locked the victory in the last 28 seconds sent the Chinese men's basketball team to the quarterfinals, and also made him the second Chinese player after Yao Ming to start in the NBA debut.

**Repents and Revelations of the NBA Journey**

Although he averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in his first season in Milwaukee, Yi Jianlian's NBA career has never broken through the bottleneck. Cultural barriers have become the primary obstacle. He revealed in his autobiography: "I can't talk about hip-hop music and American humor that my teammates discussed after training." The frequent changes in tactical positioning made the problem worse - in five years, they went to four teams, from the Bucks' space-type fourth position to the Nets' back-to-core play to the Wizards' substitute blue-collar worker, the chaos in role positioning has led to it not finding a stable rhythm. The stunning performance of 31 points in a single game against the Bobcats in 2011 was as short as a glance. NBA legend Barkley once pointed out sharply: "He has an all-star body, but he can't learn the confrontational philosophy of American basketball. "

**The absolute ruler of the CBA dynasty**

, Yi Jianlian, who returned to the CBA, opened the era of true domination. In the 2012-2013 season, he led Guangdong Hongyuan to complete the eight championships. His terrifying data averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds per game in the finals confirmed his "foreign aid level" strength. Especially after the 2019 World Cup, when the Chinese men's basketball team fell into a trough, the 32-year-old still scored 37 points and 17 rebounds in a single game, and the "one-hand dunk" picture against Xinjiang became a classic. Former teammate Zhou Peng sighed: "Allian's training intensity scares young players, and it is normal to practice 500 shots after the game. " This professional attitude has created 12 milestone records in the history of CBA total rebounding king and double-double king.

**The lonely brave man in the cracks in the era**

Yi Jianlian's career has always been accompanied by the discussion of "being born at the wrong time". He is 7 years younger than Yao Ming, and is in an awkward period of the gap in Chinese basketball talent. In the 2009 Tianjin Asian Championship final, carrying the team alone but watching the Iranian team's carnival became a microcosm of its national team's career. Basketball commentator Yang Yi analyzed: "He should have been the perfect second in charge of the Yao Ming era, but was forced to become a leader in the post-Yao Ming era. " This sense of loneliness became stronger before the end of the 2019 World Cup against Nigeria - the 31-year-old veteran scored 27 points and 6 rebounds, but angrily slapped the floor when replaced, heartbroken countless fans.

**Modern template for technological evolution**

Yi Jianlian's ability to transform the competition is also commendable. After the Achilles tendon ruptured, the face frame style that relied on explosive power quickly transformed into an accurate mid- and long-distance shooter, with a three-point shooting percentage of up to 42% in the 2020-21 season. This ability to keep pace with the times allows him to contribute 20+10 per game at the age of 35. The NBA scout report once specifically marked: "His shooting hand shape is the most standard among international big men." Guangdong team general manager Zhu Fangyu revealed: "After the 2016 Rio Olympics, UAE specially hired American trainers to change the shooting speed. "

**The eternal value of spiritual totem**

When late at night on August 29, 2023, Yi Jianlian ended his career with a brief retirement statement, what Chinese basketball lost was not only a top player, but also a spiritual symbol. What he left behind is not only the 7 CBA championship trophys, but also the famous "breakfast club" training rule - strength training that is unmoved at 6 o'clock in the morning every day. Current Chinese men's basketball coach Joel Jevic commented: "Yi proves that Asian players can also extend their peak period through scientific training. "This professional quality affects the new generation of players, and Zhang Zhenlin said: "Lian Ge taught us that talent is just a ticket. "

From the young boy at the 2004 Athens Olympics to the tragic hero of the 2019 World Cup, Yi Jianlian has completed his solemn commitment to Chinese basketball in 19 years. Those assumptions about "if he had been born ten years earlier and those regrets about "if he had met better opportunities in the NBA" can't stand the ironclad facts - he has become the toughest backbone of Chinese basketball in the post-Yao Ming era. As basketball reporter Jia Lei said: "Allian's greatness is not how much worse he is than Yao Ming, but his courage to move forward alone in the rain when no one holds an umbrella. " This kind of courage may better define this last giant of Chinese basketball than any data.