Yi Jianlian's domestic basketball career ended in the disappointment of a playoff finals defeat, but China's hottest sporting talent is ready to put the past behind him and begin his NBA career.

Yi Jianlian goes for the ball against player of JIlin NBA Jilin during the CBA off-season match on Feb 4, 2007. [Xinhua]

The 19-year-old sensation, who won three champions rings in China, will leave for the United States tonight to attend a pre-Draft training camp in Los Angeles. With a high draft position all but certain he appears set to follow in the giant footsteps of Houston Rockets' All-star Center Yao Ming.

"I want to walk my own road," said Yi, a 19-year-old, 2.13 meter power forward who idolized Michael Jordan as a child. "The NBA is my dream place, so this is obviously the biggest challenge of my life. But I am not going to be the next Yao Ming or Wang Zhizhi. I want to do it my way."

His size attracted the attention of scouts¹ at a training camp in the US in 2002, and since then he has impressed with his dunking ability and shooting touch.

Eight NBA general managers and executives came to China to watch Yi's Guangdong Tigers take on Bayi Rockets in last month's CBA finals, and the NBA TV provided live coverage².

Winning the league title has become an auspicious³ way to say goodbye to the domestic league, so the 4-1 playoff loss was a blow for Yi.

In 2001, Wang held off a strong challenge from the Yao Ming-led Shanghai Sharks to give Bayi their sixth trophy⁴, before joining the Dallas Mavericks⁵ as the first Chinese player in the NBA. The following year a rising Yao dominated the playoffs, elevating himself to the first international top pick in the 2002 Draft.

"This was the biggest disappointment in my life as I failed to make my CBA memory perfect," Yi was quoted as saying in Basketball Pioneers newspaper. "I want to use my NBA career as compensation for the loss. I really hope to shrug⁶ it off as soon as possible."

Despite the Bayi defeat, Yi is still highly rated by US experts. Leading draft website NBADraft.net predicts the teenager will be picked in 11th position in a strong draft, while ESPN lists him in 6th.

The pressure on Yi will be intense, as media have already begun comparing him to superstars including Dallas Maverick's Dirk Nowitzki and Toronto's Chris Bosh due to the combination of his size, mobility⁷ and scoring.

But Yi is not letting the hype faze him.

"It doesn't really matter to me No 1 pick or last pick, the next Dirk or Kevin Garnett," he said. "I know I've got to fight from zero and win my place on my team. What I want most is more minutes from my coach, not being a first round pick. I will need some time to get used to the intensity⁸ of games in the NBA."

Off the court, however, he believes it will not take long to adapt to the American lifestyle. He spends his time surfing the Internet and is a self-confessed sneaker nut, and his iPod is crammed⁹ full of hip-hop the music of choice for NBA stars.

In addition, he is expected to save a lot of energy on business affairs after teaming up with Dan Fegan, a longtime NBA agent whose clients include Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Nene.

Back home, Yi is one of the biggest marketing¹⁰ icons¹¹ in the country and has appeared in numerous adverts¹².

"I don't think I'll have any trouble integrating into American society. I will attend some English classes, that's all," he said. "I feel quite comfortable as my parents will be with me in my rookie year there."

Unlike Yao, whose ability was doubted by many at the start, Yi is already earning the plaudits.

"I think he is 100 percent prepared for the NBA," CBA boss Li Yuanwei told China Daily. "Take a look at his numbers over four years and you'll see he has made a dramatic improvement.

"I'm fully¹³ confident he will find his way very soon in the United States."

"He has a much better chance than I did a few years ago," Wang Zhizhi told Titan Sports. "He is talented at both ends and he will have a chance to join the summer league and also the draft. That's really great news for him."

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