Yi Jianlian returned to China in 2012 after a lackluster five-year stint in the NBA, but he has kept in touch with his longtime mentor and veteran NBA coach Del Harris. Yi and Harris first met 12 years ago while Harris was coaching the Chinese national team.
On Tuesday, Yi signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. With Yi's impending return to the league, Harris, who led the Chinese team to an eighth-place finish at the 2004 Olympics as China's first-ever foreign-born head coach, is optimistic of Yi's future as a Laker under new head coach Luke Walton.