Yi Jianlian, the latest Great Chinese Hoops hope, was taken with the sixth pick in the NBA draft over the weekend. Does anyone else find it hilarious that he’s going to Milwaukee?

I was at a bar having a few beers with Chris and two Chinese Saturday night, and the topic of Yi Jianlian came up. It went something kinda like this (but in a mix of Chinese and English):

Me: Did you hear about Yi Jianlian?
Liu: Ya, 6th pick. Miami.
Chris: No Milwaukee.
Liu: Miami?
Me: No, the Bucks. [Making antlers with my hands above my head]
Chris: Ya, the Bucks. [Making antlers with his hands above his head]
Liu: The Bucks?! [Making antlers with his hands above his head]
People at nearby table: [Staring]

Over at Positive Solutions there’s a great post about some possible trade scenario’s for Yi. But personally, I think if you’re lucky enough to be drafted, you should respect the process and be thankful no matter where you go.

According to the NY Times:

Yi’s agent, Dan Fegan, was upset and indicated that Chinese basketball officials, who have the final word on releasing Yi, might block Yi from going to the N.B.A. Fegan said that perhaps a trade could be possible.

Anyhow, here’s a bit that CCTV did on Yi Jianlian and the draft. They include some commentary and speculation about a possible trade, as well as a hilarious bit near the end where they do a quick intro about exactly who the hell the Milwaukee Bucks are:

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