Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 4:32 pm  |  29 responses

Did Yi Jianlian Lie About His Age?

A Chinese document reported by Interbasket has evidence to suggest the Nets forward could be three years older than his reported age.

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  • http://where-basketball-b-longs.blogspot.com/ B. Long

    Why the hell can’t the Chinese get anyone’s age right? But then again why does it matter as far as Eazy-Yi is concerned?

  • http://www.myspace.com/hemantsbeats what

    Unfortunately, it’s not gonna make him three years better.

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    In related news, he’s covered in lead-based paint.

  • http://chodrawings.blogspot.com/2008/01/pen-and-ink-portraits-nba-basketball.html M Cho

    @Russ: I thought it was just his hands.

  • xia

    To Long:
    Who else did not get his/her age right? I am Chinese, I don’t like Yi’s lie either. but i really don’t think it’s a general case.

  • http://where-basketball-b-longs.blogspot.com/ B. Long

    Xia obviously didn’t read any of the links on the article or watch five minutes of the Olympics.

  • riggs

    its an international thing tbh

  • RayRayJr

    Not surprised. That’s China’s thing I guess…

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com Moose

    Cosign what. Lying isn’t nice (to put it a kinda kiddie way) but who cares how old you are if you can (or can’t) play hoops? If Money came back and was better than everybody, would anyone care that he’s 45? Anyways, I know that’s not the point. Lying shouldn’t happen about this stuff.

  • ciroqobama

    in related news Mt Mutumbo is actually 90

  • ciroqobama

    Mutombo*

  • Jeff Henderson

    Danny Almonte anyone?

  • JE

    I highly doubt he would have been drafted nearly as high as he was had GMs known he was 3 years older. The whole “room to grow” thing kind of diminishes at some point.

  • Anton

    He lied about his skills though to get all star votes

  • Jackie Moon

    He only wanted to be able to legally drink.

  • Jackie Moon

    Wait, that’s backwards.

  • Joel

    It has nothing to do with his entry into the NBA. The Chinese fudge their athletes’ ages to extend their availability for under age competitions. They cant do anything about sucking in senior competitions, but if they have over age players in youth tournaments they can appear to be stronger than they are.

    There were rumors that the girl who won a bunch of gymnastics gold medals in Beijing was a couple of years under age of eligibility.

    But in Yi’s case who cares… he is not much good however old he is.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    meh.

  • underdog

    Whatever. Dude sucks anyway. But, he’s gonna make the all-star team.

  • Mendel

    Well this came out I guess to tell us that hes is at the ripe old age of all star status

  • http://www.bbl.org.uk Josh D

    Well, i will never understand chinese basketball

  • wilz

    Joel…you kinda contradicted yourself there. It’s true that they do that, but in the case of the gymnast it’s the opposite. She’s YOUNGER than the others and still performing at their level…not older

  • underdog

    Yep wilz, but in gymnastics the olympians must be 16 years old in Olympic year. That’s a rule, since 1997. So in that case, it cheating too.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Jack

    Who cares he still sucks.

  • boogster

    i`m not going to support any nba team which has chinese player on their roster, including my favourite team lakers. why? because there are plenty of chinese supporting their country men, no matter how they perform on the court, except yao( all-star game is going to be bitch). this is going to make our beloved game a laughing stock.

  • mj>kobe

    this is so funny. y da f*** are all the chinese lyin about their age! first the olympics and now this. ps YI SUX!!!!

  • blackice87

    imagine a 19 year old playing 16 year olds….that 19 year old is going to look better than he actually is now isn’t he?

  • http://nba.com grillzboy224

    Didn’t we already have this before the draft, just having some websites show the age Yi claims to be, and some showing him being 3 years older?

  • http://www.another48minutes.blogspot.com Gerard Himself

    Just to be sure: no one knows Mutombo’s real age either, and don’t get me started on Greg Oden.

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