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NBA player Yi says no to mixed marriage

By Yan Weijue (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-17 12:06

Three years into the NBA as well as the American life, Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian doesn't seem to have changed who he was in terms of his views on love and marriage, as he gives a point-blank "No" when asked about whether he would consider a mixed marriage.

"I'll definitely marry a Chinese girl," the low-profile star blushes at the question. "And it is not about aesthetic stuff, I am just not that open to a mixed marriage."

He also reveals that he has not been chased by any women during his long stay in America, adding that he is prepared for his encounter with the future Miss Right.

"Foreign girls are usually more passionate. And I will not push myself on it (marriage)," he says with a smile. "It is not like making a dress, which can be done overnight."

Or maybe lacking enough privacy is another factor for Yi, who got traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Washington Wizards this summer, which means a new life lies ahead. And he spent last month with the Chinese national basketball team for the World Basketball Championship in Turkey, where he showed improvement on both ends of the floor, averaging most rebounds per game. He also starred in a basketball film in Shanghai along with other NBA super stars for the last two weeks, right before he takes a plane back to the US today.