BrooklynBound
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"Although Yi is officially listed as being born in 1987,[24] there have been several allegations that his date of birth was intentionally falsified so that he would be able to play longer in junior competitions. However, Yi has refused to comment on his age.[26][27]
Yi is not the first Chinese player to come under scrutiny, as former NBA player Wang Zhizhi has been listed as being born in both 1977 and 1979.[28][29] In 2004, Yi was listed as being born in 1984 in China's Four Nation Tournament,[30] although Chinese officials said that it was probably a typographical error.[31] Two years later, Fran Blinebury of The Houston Chronicle reported that Yi told Shane Battier he was 24 in an exhibition game before the 2006 FIBA World Championship,[32] although the story was refuted by both Yi and Battier.[33][34] However, in November 2006, a senior CBA official admitted that past youth squads had indeed included players above the permitted age.[35]
In 2007, a Chinese government registration site was made public by hackers, and Yi's date of birth was shown as being in 1984.[36] American center Jason Dixon, who had been Yi's teammate during Yi's entire career in Guangdong, said to Chad Ford in June of 2007 that Yi was "21 or 22...It's pretty common over [in China] to change ages".[37] A report tracing Yi's earlier history noted that Yi had been a middle school student when he joined Shenzhen Youth Sports School in May of 1999.[38]"
Yi is not the first Chinese player to come under scrutiny, as former NBA player Wang Zhizhi has been listed as being born in both 1977 and 1979.[28][29] In 2004, Yi was listed as being born in 1984 in China's Four Nation Tournament,[30] although Chinese officials said that it was probably a typographical error.[31] Two years later, Fran Blinebury of The Houston Chronicle reported that Yi told Shane Battier he was 24 in an exhibition game before the 2006 FIBA World Championship,[32] although the story was refuted by both Yi and Battier.[33][34] However, in November 2006, a senior CBA official admitted that past youth squads had indeed included players above the permitted age.[35]
In 2007, a Chinese government registration site was made public by hackers, and Yi's date of birth was shown as being in 1984.[36] American center Jason Dixon, who had been Yi's teammate during Yi's entire career in Guangdong, said to Chad Ford in June of 2007 that Yi was "21 or 22...It's pretty common over [in China] to change ages".[37] A report tracing Yi's earlier history noted that Yi had been a middle school student when he joined Shenzhen Youth Sports School in May of 1999.[38]"
