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11.02.2009

nba commentator refers to yi jianlian as "the chinaman"


Wait, did I just hear that right? In this NBA recap of Friday night's game between the Orlando Magic and the New Jersey Nets, one of the commentators refers to Yi Jianlian as "the Chinaman." (At about the 0:50 mark.)

From the way he says it, it's pretty clear he has no idea that the term is considered a racial slur. Still, it's completely unnecessary. Not cool. Can we all just encourage one another to stop using the damn word? See it here.

UPDATE: The "chinaman" audio has been removed from the clip, and NBA TV analyst Rick Kamla and Turner Sports have apologized "to anyone offended by the remark": NBA TV Analyst Calls Yi Jianlian a 'Chinaman,' Later Apologizes. As you could've guessed, they're saying Kamla "was not aware of the connotations of the word, and meant nothing malicious or offensive by it."