(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-04-18 10:16

Milwaukee Bucks forward Yi Jianlian (9) and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11), both from China, talk as they walk off the court following Houston's 91-83 win over the Bucks in NBA action in Milwaukee, Wisconsin February 2, 2008. [Agencies]

MILWAUKEE _ Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian hopes to take part in the Olympic torch relay when it comes to his home country next month, despite recent protests that have disrupted the procession in other countries.

"I've heard some news about that," Yi said through an interpreter Thursday, one day after completing his rookie season with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. "Right now, I'm not too worried about it. I still have full confidence that these kinds of protests are not going to influence the Beijing Olympics in any way."

Will he be asked to carry the torch?

"I hope so," Yi said, bypassing his interpreter to speak in English.

After an up-and-down rookie season with the Bucks, Yi said he was looking forward to the Olympics.

"I'm very excited," Yi said, through his interpreter. "Often, I catch myself thinking and imagining about the Olympics right now. And right now, to play and have the Olympics right at our front door and look and see across the stadium and it's all Chinese fans, this is something I'm really excited about."

Yi played in 66 games for Milwaukee, averaging 8.6 points. He wore down toward the end of the season, sitting out much of April with nagging injuries.

Yi, whose handlers initially said he wouldn't play for the Bucks after last year's draft, said his first season there turned out to be an "interesting experience" - especially with all that cold and snow.

"I felt that it was a really interesting experience," Yi said. "This is (my) first time living in America for so long. This is the first time being in a place with this much snow that's this cold." "I'm going to put a lot of hard work into playing," Yi said.

Bucks center Andrew Bogut, who will play for Australia in the games, said players from his country have been asked not to make politically charged statements.

"I don't like politicians and I don't like politics, so it's kind of tough to follow," Bogut said. "It's a tough subject to comment on in a way because everyone has their different opinions and people will judge you on what you say.

But it's a tough time for both sides of it. Hopefully nothing drastic will happen with these Olympic games."