Tell the world, one and all: The buck stops in Hong Kong. Well, sort of. The newest Buck stopped this week in Hong Kong. However, attempts to tell the world were somewhat muted.
When China's towering Yi Jianlian, who was drafted sixth overall this year by the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, decided to finally sign with the team after a protracted and very public holdout, the contract was inked this week in Hong Kong.
On hand was all the top Bucks brass, including the team owner, as well as all the relevant parties from Yi's China team, the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the China Basketball Association (CBA). Not on hand, though, was the majority of the Hong Kong media, who were turned away by officials from the Tigers at the press conference held for the mainland media at the swanky and stately Peninsula Hotel.
If you know how the NBA operates, you know they quite often give you too much information. So rest assured they were as much in the dark as anyone. Sort of. Commissioner David Stern issued a statement after the signing stating that: 'This is another great example of co-operation between the CBA and the NBA.'
Yes, and it's another great example of the lack of co-operation between a Chinese sporting body and a relatively independent media.
Arguably the biggest signing in Chinese sports since Yao Ming inked a contract with the Houston Rockets in 2002 was announced at a press conference in the media capital of Asia, where basically any media members who had the temerity to ask a question were banned.