Chinese basketball legend Yi Jianlian announced his retirement

On the Weibo social network, the famous player Yi Jianlian announced that he would hang up his shoes at the age of 35, ending his professional basketball career.

"Time flies so fast; in the blink of an eye, basketball has been with me for 21 years," Yi wrote on social media. "After much deliberation, I have made the decision to officially end my basketball career."

"Reflecting on this journey, I am extremely grateful to my beloved family, my esteemed mentors, each of my coaches, teammates, opponents, sponsors as well as collaborators and staff. my manager".

"Farewell is not the end but a new beginning. I will cherish the past memories and keep moving forward, welcoming new chapters in my life. Goodbye, my beloved basketball. I".

Yi Jianlian is a true legend of Chinese basketball, having attended the CBA All-Star 12 times, won the CBA Finals MVP three times in a total of six national championships with the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

He is considered the second greatest star in the history of basketball, only after Yao Ming. Yi is also the longest-serving Chinese player with the NBA since the former Houston Rockets star.

Yi Jianlian's American journey began in 2007, when he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 6th NBA Draft. But after a promising start, he could not adapt to the harsh environment and landed with the New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards, and Dallas Mavericks before returning to his hometown of Guangdong. After that, he had a short time with the Lakers

Yi Jianlian's peak ended with an Achilles injury in the 2020 CBA finals. He took about a year for treatment, before retiring from his career.

With Yi Jianlian's statement, the entire "Golden Generation" squad of the Chinese men's basketball team participating in the 2008 Beijing Olympics have hung up their shoes..