(Ecns.cn) –NBA player Yi Jianlian has signed a one-season contract to play for Guangzhou Hongyuan in the upcoming Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season which starts in November, according to Guangdong Hongyuan's team manager Liu Hongjiang.
Liu revealed that there is an "opt-out clause" in Yi's deal, however. Once the current NBA lockout comes to an end, Yi can leave Guangdong Hongyuan if he accepts an invitation from an NBA team.
Liu said it is likely that Yi will play for Guangdong Hongyuan for one or two months and then return for the new NBA season. Because Yi is registered as internal assistant player but not a foreign player, he is not restrained by the CBA's ban on NBA players to opt-out of their respective contracts if there is a resolution to the current lockout.
Yi is believed to bring good luck to Guangdong Hongyuan. He spent five seasons with the team between 2002 and 2007, during which time the team won four CBA Championships. In the 2005-06 CBA season, Yi averaged 19.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, which earned him the title of Most Valuable Player at a very young age.
