He also played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks, the New Jersey Nets, the Washington Wizards, and the Dallas Mavericks.

[4] As a child, Yi's parents did not allow him to join a sports school, which is designed for children predicted to be future professional athletes.

[5] Hoping to sign Yi to an endorsement deal, Adidas invited him to attend the company's ABCD Camp in New Jersey in 2002, where he competed against all-American high school players.

[13][14] In 2006, a senior Chinese official admitted that past youth squads had included players above the permitted age.

[16][17] After returning to China in 2002, Yi signed a professional contract with Chinese Basketball Association side Guangdong Southern Tigers and averaged 3.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in his first season.

[7] Yi was not expected to enter the NBA draft until 2009 because the Chinese Basketball Association ruled that players are not allowed to leave for foreign leagues until they turned 22.

[24]Yi was named to Milwaukee's starting lineup by head coach Larry Krystkowiak in place of Charlie Villanueva to begin the 2007–08 season.

[29] He played his first home game in Milwaukee three days later and scored 16 points while grabbing eight rebounds in a 78–72 win over the Chicago Bulls.

"[31] On November 9, 2007, Yi played against Yao Ming for the first time when the Houston Rockets hosted Milwaukee in a 104–88 loss.

[32] Del Harris, the former head coach of the Chinese national basketball team, also described Yi as the "most athletic seven-footer in the NBA.

[36] On February 2, 2008, Yi faced Yao for the second time when Milwaukee played at home against Houston, which Krystkowiak dubbed the "Chinese Super Bowl.

[39] One of Milwaukee's assistant coaches, Brian James, later said that "the injuries he had bothered him more than people realized, and he couldn't play through them.

"[40] On June 26, 2008, Yi was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks along with Bobby Simmons to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Richard Jefferson.

Yi made his return from injury after the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in a loss to the Houston Rockets on February 17, 2009.

[54] During the 2011 NBA lockout, Yi signed a one-year contract to return to the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

[55][56] On January 6, 2012, Yi signed with the Dallas Mavericks to a one-year contract after starting the season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers.

On August 22, 2016, Yi signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, returning to the NBA for the first time since 2012.

He wrote on Sina Weibo: "Time flies; in the blink of an eye, basketball has been by my side for 21 years.

"[69] Yi's first major international experience came at the 2003 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in which he averaged 18.9 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

[18] He made his debut with the Chinese national basketball team during the 2004 Summer Olympics and averaged 6 points and 6 rebounds per game at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

[77] Yi was named the most valuable player of the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, averaging 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

[82] In October 2024, Yi Jianlian embroiled in a sex scandal involving the solicitation of a transgender woman, purportedly paying her US$1,500.

[83] A staff member from the Dongguan Municipal CPPCC confirmed they were aware of the scandal but could not verify its authenticity.