On June 20, the planned interview with former basketball star Yi Jianlian on the sports channel of China Central Television (CCTV) was unexpectedly canceled, sparking attention among internet users.
According to Dahe Daily, the program schedule on CCTV sports channel indicated that an exclusive interview with Yi Jianlian as part of the 30th-anniversary series of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League was set to air on the program “Basketball Park” at 6:35 pm on June 20. However, although “Basketball Park” aired as scheduled that evening, it did not feature the anticipated interview with Yi Jianlian but rather focused on other basketball-related content.
Several basketball media personnel confirmed on social media that night: “It is understood that the originally scheduled interview with Yi Jianlian for tonight will not be aired, and it is unknown if there will be any future arrangements.”
This situation has sparked much discussion among internet users, with many fans speculating that the last-minute cancellation of Yi Jianlian’s interview by CCTV may be related to the “Yi Jianlian incident” that occurred in October last year.
On October 17 last year, netizens exposed allegations of Yi Jianlian being involved in solicitation of prostitutes and leaked his nude photos and identification documents, causing a public uproar. Several brands he endorsed subsequently pulled his endorsements. Following this, Yi Jianlian disappeared from the public eye, ceasing social media updates and suspending all public activities.
It wasn’t until March 14 this year that Yi Jianlian reappeared, attending the fourth meeting of the Eighth Council of the Song Qingling Foundation. Subsequently, he gradually attempted to re-enter the public eye, participating in the “TCL Yi Jianlian 3×3 Basketball Tournament” event in Shenzhen at the beginning of June.
The news of CCTV arranging an interview with Yi Jianlian was seen by many internet users as an important step for Yi Jianlian to return to the public eye. After the program preview was released, online discussions about Yi Jianlian once again became heated, with opinions divided between criticism and support.
On the 21st, the topic of “CCTV Cancels Yi Jianlian Interview” soared to the top of the trending list on Weibo. However, up to now, CCTV has not provided an official explanation, and Yi Jianlian and his team have remained silent on the matter.
Prior reports:
Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian exposed for solicitation of prostitutes, multiple brands withdrew endorsements.