Yi Jianlian, the 6th pick in the NBA draft has been making news for his reluctance to play for the team that drafted him, the Milwaukee Bucks. Buried in this article http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/births/2007/jul/13/566644764.html in the Las Vegas Sun, however, it’s mentioned that both of his parents played Handball full time in China. Unfortunately, according to the article they were forcibly required to play by the state.

Commentary: One would think that playing Handball for a living in China might not be a bad compared to some other jobs there. Of course, the article doesn’t mention the specifics of what happened. Perhaps they were forced to leave their families at a relatively young age.