China media unhappy Yi off NBA ballot

AFP
November 16, 2007
BEIJING (AFP) - China's basketball press lamented Friday the absence of rookie Yi Jianlian from the 2008 NBA All Star ballot, reporting that the world's top basketball league may fear the voting power of Chinese fans.

Yi's name was absent from the ballot released Thursday in the United States, making it much more difficult for Chinese supporters of the Milwaukee Bucks power forward to vote for him to start in the annual All Star Game.

The 20-year-old rookie has impressed in his first month in the NBA, averaging 11 points and 6.9 rebounds a game and replacing Charlie Villanueva, who is on the ballot, as the Bucks starter.

ADVERTISEMENT


Yi's absence dominated the sports pages of many Chinese newspapers on Friday.

"The NBA does not dare to put Yi Jianlian on the ballot because the voting power of Chinese fans is too big," Titan Sports Weekly said in an editorial.

"If the NBA put Yi Jianlian on the ballot without careful consideration ... he would surely start for the East.

"The NBA fears that if a guy like Yi becomes an All Star and only scores two points in the game, they would lose the meaning of the All Star (game)."

The editorial referred to when Yao Ming won the fan vote in 2003 and shocked the basketball world by starting at centre for the NBA's West All Stars, beating out dominant big man and NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal.

Yao has been voted an All Star starter every year since, largely depending on his Chinese following -- who, like all NBA fans, can vote online and vote repeatedly.

NBA officials here have said Chinese fans are a significant factor in the All Star voting, but they have refused to say how many votes have come from the world's most populous nation.


hahahaha....if they put Yi, probably u will see the most vote ever on NBA history...not only from china probably from other asia country...
if LeBron get 50 millions vote than Yi probably will add one more zero over Lebron...hahahahha

GSW United wrote:China's basketball press lamented Friday the absence of rookie Yi Jianlian from the 2008 NBA All Star ballot, reporting that the world's top basketball league may fear the voting power of Chinese fans.

"The NBA does not dare to put Yi Jianlian on the ballot because the voting power of Chinese fans is too big," Titan Sports Weekly said in an editorial.

"If the NBA put Yi Jianlian on the ballot without careful consideration ... he would surely start for the East.

No shiit! Everyone knows that would happen and it is unfair as it is totally biased and Yi is not worthy of being allstar. This move I think is more than justified but a full explanation of this has to be given and a rule covering this instated for the future. There has to be some kind of performance based prerequisite for eligibility to be chosen for the allstar game

GSW United wrote:The 20-year-old rookie has impressed in his first month in the NBA, averaging 11 points and 6.9 rebounds a game and replacing Charlie Villanueva, who is on the ballot, as the Bucks starter.

I don't agree that Villa should be on the ballot and that is a disrespect to Yi and any other player that has performed better than any other player included on the ballot. This will not make more fans but deter them, as such a decision is obviously unfair

If I'm not wrong, the teams pick the guys that will be in the ballot, not the league.

Although, to be honest, I kinda hope Yi makes the all star as a starter, being the most voted player in the East. Hopefully that will force the league to reconsider that ridiculous internet vote that's screwing up the All Star selections.

It just goes to show they need to change it from the EAST vs WEST

To America vs the World!!!

Dirk, Yao, Yi, Bogut, Manu, Tony Parker, Adonal Foyle all have the opportunity to battle Americas Best Kidd, Kobe, LeBron, Baron, KG, Shaq ect

It would probably help America reclaim the Gold at Olympics and World Championships and plus it would be a bigger drawcard in terms of people watching it (Could outdo the superbowl in terms of people switching in worldwide :-P )

My Countrys Professional League does it. NBL in Australia and it is quite good seeing teammates battle won another... Imagine Tim Duncan blocking a Tony Parker penetration!!!

i agree if they put the world against USA..



USA

Jason KIdd
Lebron
Kobe
D.Howard/Shaq
Marion

World

S.Nash
Dirk/Tim Duncan
Yao/Gasol
Manu
Luol deng.


wow....i think the TV ratings probably would even better than Allstars it self.

In the NBL it used to be North v South pawno. Don't know what it is now but a few years ago it did change to aussies v american imports

That would be a good way to add some interest to the All Star game, although I kinda like the current system of east vd west. But that proposition would make the game a lot more competitive.

It'd be something like this for the rest of the world team, I guess:

PG.- Nash/Parker/Calderon
SG.- Ginobili/Ben Gordon
SF.- Deng/Kirilenko
PF.- Dirk/Gasol
C.- Yao/Okur/Beans

And other players like Stojakovic, Scola, Navarro, Barbosa, Bogut or Azubuike could also be there... It'd be a fun game, that's for sure.

TMC wrote:That would be a good way to add some interest to the All Star game, although I kinda like the current system of east vd west. But that proposition would make the game a lot more competitive.

It'd be something like this for the rest of the world team, I guess:

PG.- Nash/Parker/Calderon
SG.- Ginobili/Ben Gordon
SF.- Deng/Kirilenko
PF.- Dirk/Gasol
C.- Yao/Okur/Beans

And other players like Stojakovic, Scola, Navarro, Barbosa, Bogut or Azubuike could also be there... It'd be a fun game, that's for sure.

I said America fool!!! Not USA, Your Foyles, Najareos, Nash Ayerios (porta Rica Guard on Magic) would call under North America continent


PG.- Bellnelli/Parker/Calderon
SG.- Ginobili/Ben Gordon (Where's Ben Gordon from??)/Azubuike
SF.- Deng/Kirilenko
PF.- Dirk/Gasol
C.- Yao/Bogut/Okur/Beans <- you referring to Andris here are you mate?

pawnograffiti wrote:I said America fool!!! Not USA, Your Foyles, Najareos, Nash Ayerios (porta Rica Guard on Magic) would call under North America continent

Sorry to bring bad news, but that ain't gonna happen. It'd be USA against the World. There are ratings to keep in mind, you know. That game it's a lot easier to sell to USA fans.

pawnograffiti wrote:PG.- Bellnelli/Parker/Calderon
SG.- Ginobili/Ben Gordon (Where's Ben Gordon from??)/Azubuike
SF.- Deng/Kirilenko
PF.- Dirk/Gasol
C.- Yao/Bogut/Okur/Beans <- you referring to Andris here are you mate?

Both Gordon and Azubuike were born in London, and both are British (although I think Gordon has dual nationality).

And yeah, Beans is Biedrins.

migya wrote:In the NBL it used to be North v South pawno. Don't know what it is now but a few years ago it did change to aussies v american imports

Yeah man and its the best format! I can't wait to see Sam Mackinnon try and lock down Ebi Ere (in a allstar game) Good watching teammates go at it!

pawnograffiti wrote:

migya wrote:In the NBL it used to be North v South pawno. Don't know what it is now but a few years ago it did change to aussies v american imports

Yeah man and its the best format! I can't wait to see Sam Mackinnon try and lock down Ebi Ere (in a allstar game) Good watching teammates go at it!

I haven't followed the NBL in years

The all-star system is flawed. This is a prime example of why.

Fan voting is ridiculous. Fans don't know what the hell they're talking about half the time. It was straight STUPID when Grant Hill started for the East as a member of the Magic. 7th grade boys wearing Garnett jerseys and playing basketball during recess should have no say in who an NBA All-Star is.

32 wrote:The all-star system is flawed. This is a prime example of why.

Fan voting is ridiculous. Fans don't know what the hell they're talking about half the time. It was straight STUPID when Grant Hill started for the East as a member of the Magic. 7th grade boys wearing Garnett jerseys and playing basketball during recess should have no say in who an NBA All-Star is.

Agreed 100%. They should just have it be voted by the old school paper ballots at arenas. That way a billion people overseas trying to get their rookie another televised game won't dictate an entire sporting event. Yi has to earn it, just like everyone else.

The impact internet voting has had on allstar games makes me weary of the slope Diebold machines have us going down.

And as far as USA v. World goes, it would be cool for a year or so, but then have it go back to East v. West. Hockey tried it and it worked pretty well (although it was more of a Canada and Mike Modano vs. Team Russia at the time). It would be nice if they did it every four years, in year 2 between the Olympics.

Thunder wrote:Agreed 100%. They should just have it be voted by the old school paper ballots at arenas.

Actually, I'd like the coaches to pick all the players that go to the ASG. Fan voting doesn't seem right. Voting in the arenas is not as bad as internet voting, but still... fans are biased, while coaches can't be, as they are not allowed to vote for their own players. And I suppose coaches know a bit more about the game than the casual fan that may only know the name of the players of his team.

TMC wrote:

Thunder wrote:Agreed 100%. They should just have it be voted by the old school paper ballots at arenas.

Actually, I'd like the coaches to pick all the players that go to the ASG. Fan voting doesn't seem right. Voting in the arenas is not as bad as internet voting, but still... fans are biased, while coaches can't be, as they are not allowed to vote for their own players. And I suppose coaches know a bit more about the game than the casual fan that may only know the name of the players of his team.

I know what you are saying but having fans vote but not for players from their favourite team would be alright also. It is difficult, the nba wants the fans to be a part of things, and so they should as that is what has made the nba so popular for so many years, but that does not lead to a fair system in choosing allstars. The coaches though can be way off as well and most recently they were when they selected the four Pistons players to go to the allstar game two years ago