Bucks boss remains smug on Yi release

The boss of NBA outfit the Milwaukee Bucks has all but ruled out a trip to China to resolve his franchise's dispute with Chinese star Yi Jianlian.

Bucks GM Larry Harris told a local newspaper he was standing firm in the Lake Michigan city after inviting the rising star, his family and mentors, all of whom would like to see 2007's sixth NBA draft pick play for a club with more ethnic Chinese fans, to Milwaukee.

"It remains a possibility, but it's nothing imminent," Harris told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel of his travel plans, ignoring the fact Yi is still officially contracted to the Guangdong Tigers.

"We're keeping communications open, and that has not changed.

"There's an open dialogue with Dan Fegan that continues."

The two parties have remained poker faced during the month-long deadlock after the Bucks drafted the 213cm youngster in June.

Harris and Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak met with Yi at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas early last month, where they delivered a letter of invitation from Bucks owner Herb Kohl.

Harris remained coy at news Chinese basketball boss Li Yuanwei intended to cross the Pacific to help mediate in the dispute.

"We have an open invitation for Yi, his family and Mr Chen to come to Milwaukee to see what we have to offer," Harris said, referring to Guangdong Tigers general manager and owner Chen Haitao.

"We're here to make it as comfortable and easy a transition from the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) to the NBA as possible.

"Having heard this about Mr Li, we certainly invite him as well. We would love for him to come."

If the Bucks remain resolute on not trading their important draft pick, he will be forced to sit out of basketball altogether ahead of the Beijing Olympics, a point making Milwaukee confident it has the upper hand.

Harris has refused to budge since Yi's party requested a trade immediately after the draft.

But the Bucks must bargain with both Guangdong and the CBA to secure Yi's release, which would allow the power forward to play in the NBA this season.

Even though Milwaukee has signed the high-flying forward Desmond Mason and point guard Mo Williams, the team has guaranteed Yi ample floor time in the power forward spot.

"I know the Bucks have signed some good players in the Summer," Li said.

"Competing with these guys will be helpful for Yi."

China's future star is currently competing with the national team at the Stankovic Cup in Macao, where he scored a team-high 19 points in the 68-63 loss to Angola on Tuesday night.

He scored 18 points to help the host team beat Venezuela 64-62 on Saturday in the tournament opener, but scored just eight points after spending most of his time on the bench because of fouls in China's earlier 80-76 loss to Slovenia.

National team head coach Jonas Kazlauskas said Yi's improvement was obvious.

"He has made some great some steps this summer physically," the coach said on Sunday. "He didn't get enough exercise in CBA over the past years, but the NBA Summer League games made him different.

"I know he only had 12.4 points in average in Las Vegas, but the stats don't tell everything. He is not afraid of physical contact anymore."

Tonight the team will face the D-League Ambassadors, a team representing the NBA Development League.

(China Daily 08/02/2007 page22)