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October 9, 2008
Counting on a 7-Footer to Reach New Fans
The New York Times
by Jonathan Abrams
Amid a bustling Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, Ken Niu is among the many only-when-it-is-convenient basketball fans. He catches a game when he can, but is not necessarily disappointed when he cannot.
Niu is a target for the Nets, the type of observer who just may be lured to East Rutherford, N.J., for the first time by the presence of Yi Jianlian, a 7-foot forward from Guangdong Province in southern China entering his second N.B.A. season.
...Yi’s name recognition runs high, and people in Chinatown said they would go watch him, if time and funds allow it, but would not necessarily go out of their way to cross the Hudson River.
...“We think we have a story to tell to the Chinese-American community, which we didn’t have before, but it’s not one that we want to go out there and exploit,” [Nets Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Brett] Yormark said. “We don’t think that’s the appropriate way. We’ve got to earn it.”
[Emphasis added]
NoLandGrab: Of course, no one associated with the Nets would ever exploit ethnicity or race to help accomplish their goals.
Posted by eric at October 9, 2008 11:14 AM