Kohl seeks meeting with Chinese star

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle]

Just imagine a short time from now.  Danny Ainge's phone rings.

"Hey, Danny, it's Herb Kohl."

"This if the fifth time you called me today, Herb.  The first time, I 
told you I wasn't trading Big Al for Yi.

"Second time, I said no to trading Telfair, though I might have said 
yes if you took his girl and her guns.  "

Your third call is up on YouTube, with the whole eight minutes of 
pleading that the Chinese won't let Yi play for you because there's 
fewer Chinese people in Wisconsin than there are veteran NBA players 
who want to play for Boston.

"I don't remember the fourth call, I was too busy showing everyone 
the caller ID and saying "Four times in one day!"

"C'mon Danny, people didn't laugh when you called proposing trades."

"No, they just roasted me in interviews as soon as the papers were 
signed.  I'm the Mormon, call New York to talk to the Moron. He'll 
trade anything for anyone.  Thomas was the only one who liked the 
deal Kevin McHale tried to do for Joe Smith."

"I'm stuck, Danny.  Yi won't even come here, it's been two weeks 
since he wouldn't even play against us in Vegas!  I'll do anything!"

"Reeeeeaaallly?   Annnnnnything?

"Ok, if you give us your next two lottery draft picks.  Plus you have 
to pay the contract extensions for Pierce, Allen, and Big Al.", and 
promote us to the national media, the NBAPA, and your tourism bureau.

"DANNY!!  I GOTTA get SOMEONE back to put on the court!"

"I suppose we can spare a Point Guard.  Mr. R. is all yours, if you 
take his contract."

"Done!  Thanks, Danny, I won't forget this.  Wow"  *click*

Herb Kohl smiled, thinking about getting Rajon Rondo.  That silly 
goose, Danny was such a sucker....

Meanwhile, Danny hit the speed dial on his phone.

beep-boop-beep.....ring.....ring...

"Wyc Grousbeck."

"Wyc?  Danny.  I got Yi.  As a bonus, I just traded Doc Rivers.  That 
reminds me, I better tell him to pack.

"Remember, don't announce me as coach until after a few days go by 
and someone leaks comments that coaches don't want to be here either."

No, it won't happen, but it's been a long season, and I needed to get 
that out of my system.

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>Kohl seeks meeting with Chinese star
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>Bucks owner aims to reach out to Yi
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>By CHARLES F. GARDNER
><mailto:cgardner at journalsentinel.com>cgardner at journalsentinel.com
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>Posted: July 1, 2007
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>Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl has written a letter to the team's 
>first-round draft pick, Yi Jianlian, requesting a meeting with the 
>7-foot power forward.
>
>Yi did not meet with Bucks officials or have the traditional 
>post-draft day news conference Friday. Instead he moved on from New 
>York to Dallas, where he played with the Chinese national team 
>against the U.S. Under-19 team Sunday night.
>
>Kohl, speaking at the state Democratic convention Saturday, said the 
>Bucks were "reaching out" to Yi.
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>"We're going to try to establish personal contact with him and his 
>family," Kohl said. "I wrote him a letter yesterday (Friday). I 
>requested a meeting with him and his family.
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>"Our basketball people, our general manager and coach, we're all in 
>the process of reaching out to try to establish a constructive 
>dialogue with him and his family and his representatives."
>
>Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said on draft night that his sons were 
>asking when Yi "was coming over for dinner."
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>Krystkowiak said he would do whatever he could to make Yi feel more 
>comfortable in Milwaukee.
>
>Yi's agents are seeking to force a trade by the Bucks and place him 
>on another NBA team. They had hoped he would be drafted by a team in 
>a city with a larger population of Asian-Americans.
>
>"Our agent team had meetings to study this case immediately after 
>the draft," Yi's Chinese agent, Zhao Gang, told SportsTicker. "Yi's 
>selection at six has proved his capabilities and his value.
>
>"However, we feel that the Bucks are not the best fit for Yi 
>Jianlian. Our team will make contact with other teams who have 
>watched Yi's training and games to see if there is any possibility of a trade."
>
>Bucks general manager Larry Harris has insisted he does not want to 
>trade Yi. The forward could return to his team in the Chinese 
>Basketball Association, the Guangdong Tigers, but the Bucks would 
>retain his NBA rights.
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>"Though the final result of the negotiations and communication are 
>uncertain, I can guarantee whatever the outcome is, it could not be 
>so bad that Yi will be back to play in the CBA," Liu HongJiang, an 
>official with the Guangdong team, said in the SportsTicker report.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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