ahsingjai
08-31-2005, 01:56 AM
Over a year ago. I made the prediction. And now I'm right bitch!
Yi Jianlian: Asia's Next Sensation
http://nbadraft.net/prevenas048.asp
By Nick Prevenas
8/2/05
http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian01.jpg http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian06.jpg http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian05.jpg http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian09.jpg
Over the past few seasons, NBA marketing officials have been losing sleep over lower American television ratings. In 2005, none of the league's three marquee teams (the Knicks, Lakers, and Celtics) made it past the first round of the playoffs. According to the Nielsen ratings, American audiences would rather spend their evenings watching America's Next Top Giggling Moron than the NBA Finals. I don't know if that's a shot at the NBA or at American television audiences.
On the bright side, the league doesn't have these public relations issues around the globe. Beginning with Arvydas Sabonis, Drazen Petrovic, and Vlade Divac, the NBA under David Stern has done a terrific job with overseas marketing. Current international stars like Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, and Peja Stojakovic have risen NBA interest in their respective homelands to a fevered pitch.
However, none of these stars has a bigger impact on international marketing than Yao Ming. TV ratings for every Yao contest draw record numbers in China. Whether it's a meaningless preseason game or Game Seven of the NBA Finals, every Yao highlight is tracked by his Chinese fan-base. He's arguably the most famous and most profitable basketball player in the world.
With that in mind, meet China's next basketball prodigy, Yi Jianlian.
Yi's parents, Yi Jingliu and mother Mai Meiling, had resisted enrolling their son in an athlete's school because they both knew firsthand (both were professional handball players) the difficulties one faces when trying to find employment if a career in athletics falls through. But Yi caught Coach Dai's (of the ShenZhen City Athletes School) eye during a pickup game and he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Yi began his tenure at the ShenZhen City Athletes School as an incredibly raw, yet talented prospect. He had never played organized basketball and was in lackluster physical shape. After a couple seasons under Coach Dai, he began honing his remarkable talent and started dominating his competition.
Since then, Yi's name has been a fixture in the international hoops scene. In 2002, Yi was the MVP of China's ABCD camp and was asked to participate in America's ABCD camp, where he posted a very strong showing.
In December 2002, Yi started at small forward for China's U-18 squad, posting a double-double in seven of the eight contests and wowing everyone in attendance. Later that month, Yi began his rookie season in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Guangdong team. He was awarded the 2002-2003 CBA Rookie of the Year award and was the runner-up in the slam dunk contest.
In 2003, Yi was featured in Time magazine. Later that fall, he inked a large contract with Nike to become one of their most visible Chinese endorsers. After dominating the City Tournament, Yi assumed a starting role for his Guangdong team. For the 2004-2005 season, he led his team to a 42-11 record while averaging 16.8 points (third-highest on the squad), 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 2 dunks in nearly 34 minutes a game.
Yi was a starter on China's 2004 Olympic squad, at the (listed) age of 17, and is expected to play a bigger role on the 2008 team. With Yao Ming entering his prime, and Beijing hosting the 2008 games, China is hoping to surround the big fella with a supporting cast which can earn a medal. Yi factors heavily into the plan.
Even though most American's will immediately compare him to Yao, his game couldn't be any different. At 7-feet-tall, very few basketball prospects (of any age, from any country) have his combination of quickness, agility, ball-handling skills, and athleticism. According to many international basketball scouts, his game compares favorably to Dirk Nowitzki's and Jermaine O'Neal's at the same age.
Speaking of age, that brings up a rather controversial issue surrounding Yi. Some records say he was born in 1987. Others say he was born in 1984. If Yi is, in fact, only 18, he's a tremendous prospect with more upside than Hubie Brown could ever hope to quantify. But since the CBA doesn't allow their players to get drafted until the age of 22, Yi wouldn't be draft eligible until 2009, when most of his upside will have evaporated. If he's 21, then his upside, while still impressive, isn't as mind-boggling as previously thought. But he would be eligible for the 2006 draft, where he would immediately become a top-5 (possibly even top-3) prospect.
Last year, before the Olympic Games began, a roster was released with his birth listed as 1984, which everyone has sort of suspected to be right. Later, it was announced that his birthyear was released incorrectly and that he was, in fact, born in 1987 It will be interesting to see how the Chinese Basketball Associaitation handles his birth year.
Once Yi becomes draft-eligible, his new team will have to negotiate a massive buyout with his CBA squad. When the Houston Rockets made Yao the #1 pick in the 2002 draft, the buyout figure was approximately $8 million and Yao must pay half of his NBA salary to the CBA and the Chinese government. In China, athletes are government-owned commodities. However, Yi's CBA squad (Guangdong) is reportedly far more lenient than the Shanghai Sharks when it comes to buyouts.
Whatever the case may be, Yi's marketing potential far outweighs his possible buyout cost. In China, he's already movie-star famous and is remarkably personable. There are reportedly dozens of webrings devoted solely to Yi. And unlike most foreign basketball players who rely on razor-sharp fundamentals, Yi is a high-flying, acrobatic dunker. In short, he's a marketer's dream.
Before we get too carried away, Yi's game is far from perfect. He still gets muscled around too much and he doesn't have any refined post skills. His lower-body strength is the biggest concern.
On the bright side, Yi has an undeniable fire for the game and doesn't back down from physical confrontations, as evidenced in a skirmish between the Chinese and Puerto Rican National Teams. After having his nose broken earlier in the contest, Yi didn't appreciate the continuous rough play. Punches were exchanged and Yi didn't shy away at all.
Even though he's ahead of the curve for his age (whatever it may be), he's still exceedingly raw by NBA standards. International basketball experts believe his talent will continue to stagnate unless he begins the next stage of his development with a top-notch NBA coaching staff.
Since the CBA is both a basketball league and a government agency, they control every aspect of Chinese basketball. The CBA is trying to maximize Yi's earning potential, which consequently maximizes the amount the CBA and the Chinese government can tax. These negotiating tactics are stunting the development of China's top prospects. These players aren't allowed to attend American universities on basketball scholarships because the CBA is afraid that they'll never return. As a result, many of them aren't receiving the necessary coaching or face the necessary competition to help them realize their talent. Yi's future success will be determined by how he handles these roadblocks.
Asian athletes ranging from baseball's Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui to the aforementioned Yao Ming have become hugely important marketing personalities due to their success in American professional sports. It's far too early to say whether Yi will achieve this level of internation superstardom, but the potential is definitely there.
No matter what happens, Yi's impact will reach far beyond a ball, a hoop, and 4,700 square feet of hardwood.
Yi Jianlian: Asia's Next Sensation
http://nbadraft.net/prevenas048.asp
By Nick Prevenas
8/2/05
http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian01.jpg http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian06.jpg http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian05.jpg http://nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/yijianlian09.jpg
Over the past few seasons, NBA marketing officials have been losing sleep over lower American television ratings. In 2005, none of the league's three marquee teams (the Knicks, Lakers, and Celtics) made it past the first round of the playoffs. According to the Nielsen ratings, American audiences would rather spend their evenings watching America's Next Top Giggling Moron than the NBA Finals. I don't know if that's a shot at the NBA or at American television audiences.
On the bright side, the league doesn't have these public relations issues around the globe. Beginning with Arvydas Sabonis, Drazen Petrovic, and Vlade Divac, the NBA under David Stern has done a terrific job with overseas marketing. Current international stars like Manu Ginobili, Dirk Nowitzki, and Peja Stojakovic have risen NBA interest in their respective homelands to a fevered pitch.
However, none of these stars has a bigger impact on international marketing than Yao Ming. TV ratings for every Yao contest draw record numbers in China. Whether it's a meaningless preseason game or Game Seven of the NBA Finals, every Yao highlight is tracked by his Chinese fan-base. He's arguably the most famous and most profitable basketball player in the world.
With that in mind, meet China's next basketball prodigy, Yi Jianlian.
Yi's parents, Yi Jingliu and mother Mai Meiling, had resisted enrolling their son in an athlete's school because they both knew firsthand (both were professional handball players) the difficulties one faces when trying to find employment if a career in athletics falls through. But Yi caught Coach Dai's (of the ShenZhen City Athletes School) eye during a pickup game and he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Yi began his tenure at the ShenZhen City Athletes School as an incredibly raw, yet talented prospect. He had never played organized basketball and was in lackluster physical shape. After a couple seasons under Coach Dai, he began honing his remarkable talent and started dominating his competition.
Since then, Yi's name has been a fixture in the international hoops scene. In 2002, Yi was the MVP of China's ABCD camp and was asked to participate in America's ABCD camp, where he posted a very strong showing.
In December 2002, Yi started at small forward for China's U-18 squad, posting a double-double in seven of the eight contests and wowing everyone in attendance. Later that month, Yi began his rookie season in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Guangdong team. He was awarded the 2002-2003 CBA Rookie of the Year award and was the runner-up in the slam dunk contest.
In 2003, Yi was featured in Time magazine. Later that fall, he inked a large contract with Nike to become one of their most visible Chinese endorsers. After dominating the City Tournament, Yi assumed a starting role for his Guangdong team. For the 2004-2005 season, he led his team to a 42-11 record while averaging 16.8 points (third-highest on the squad), 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 2 dunks in nearly 34 minutes a game.
Yi was a starter on China's 2004 Olympic squad, at the (listed) age of 17, and is expected to play a bigger role on the 2008 team. With Yao Ming entering his prime, and Beijing hosting the 2008 games, China is hoping to surround the big fella with a supporting cast which can earn a medal. Yi factors heavily into the plan.
Even though most American's will immediately compare him to Yao, his game couldn't be any different. At 7-feet-tall, very few basketball prospects (of any age, from any country) have his combination of quickness, agility, ball-handling skills, and athleticism. According to many international basketball scouts, his game compares favorably to Dirk Nowitzki's and Jermaine O'Neal's at the same age.
Speaking of age, that brings up a rather controversial issue surrounding Yi. Some records say he was born in 1987. Others say he was born in 1984. If Yi is, in fact, only 18, he's a tremendous prospect with more upside than Hubie Brown could ever hope to quantify. But since the CBA doesn't allow their players to get drafted until the age of 22, Yi wouldn't be draft eligible until 2009, when most of his upside will have evaporated. If he's 21, then his upside, while still impressive, isn't as mind-boggling as previously thought. But he would be eligible for the 2006 draft, where he would immediately become a top-5 (possibly even top-3) prospect.
Last year, before the Olympic Games began, a roster was released with his birth listed as 1984, which everyone has sort of suspected to be right. Later, it was announced that his birthyear was released incorrectly and that he was, in fact, born in 1987 It will be interesting to see how the Chinese Basketball Associaitation handles his birth year.
Once Yi becomes draft-eligible, his new team will have to negotiate a massive buyout with his CBA squad. When the Houston Rockets made Yao the #1 pick in the 2002 draft, the buyout figure was approximately $8 million and Yao must pay half of his NBA salary to the CBA and the Chinese government. In China, athletes are government-owned commodities. However, Yi's CBA squad (Guangdong) is reportedly far more lenient than the Shanghai Sharks when it comes to buyouts.
Whatever the case may be, Yi's marketing potential far outweighs his possible buyout cost. In China, he's already movie-star famous and is remarkably personable. There are reportedly dozens of webrings devoted solely to Yi. And unlike most foreign basketball players who rely on razor-sharp fundamentals, Yi is a high-flying, acrobatic dunker. In short, he's a marketer's dream.
Before we get too carried away, Yi's game is far from perfect. He still gets muscled around too much and he doesn't have any refined post skills. His lower-body strength is the biggest concern.
On the bright side, Yi has an undeniable fire for the game and doesn't back down from physical confrontations, as evidenced in a skirmish between the Chinese and Puerto Rican National Teams. After having his nose broken earlier in the contest, Yi didn't appreciate the continuous rough play. Punches were exchanged and Yi didn't shy away at all.
Even though he's ahead of the curve for his age (whatever it may be), he's still exceedingly raw by NBA standards. International basketball experts believe his talent will continue to stagnate unless he begins the next stage of his development with a top-notch NBA coaching staff.
Since the CBA is both a basketball league and a government agency, they control every aspect of Chinese basketball. The CBA is trying to maximize Yi's earning potential, which consequently maximizes the amount the CBA and the Chinese government can tax. These negotiating tactics are stunting the development of China's top prospects. These players aren't allowed to attend American universities on basketball scholarships because the CBA is afraid that they'll never return. As a result, many of them aren't receiving the necessary coaching or face the necessary competition to help them realize their talent. Yi's future success will be determined by how he handles these roadblocks.
Asian athletes ranging from baseball's Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui to the aforementioned Yao Ming have become hugely important marketing personalities due to their success in American professional sports. It's far too early to say whether Yi will achieve this level of internation superstardom, but the potential is definitely there.
No matter what happens, Yi's impact will reach far beyond a ball, a hoop, and 4,700 square feet of hardwood.