Celtics select a wizard in the Disney character draft

SBNation couldn’t resist the fun (read: SEO) of Disney and decided to do a creative writing project where each site manager selected a Disney character for their team (no Star Wars or Marvel characters were allowed). That was pretty much the only rules and you could interpret the assignment however you wanted.

Here’s how the draft shook out (in random order).

1. Brew Hoop - Robin Hood
2. The Dream Shake - Jiminy Cricket
3. The Bird Writes - Simba
4. SLC Dunk - Maui
5. Hot Hot Hoops - Beast
6. Bullets Forever - Mickey Mouse
7. Silver Screen and Roll - Aladdin Genie
8. Sactown Royalty - Hercules
9. Bright Side Of The Sun - Tarzan
10. NetsDaily - Moana
11. Welcome to Loud City James P. Sullivan
12. Orlando Pinstriped Post - Peter Pan
13. Pounding The Rock - EVE (a.k.a. Eva)
14. Raptors HQ - Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
15. Clips Nation - Elastigirl
16. Denver Stiffs - Mr. Incredible
17. Blazer’s Edge - Mufasa
18. Grizzly Bear Blues - Elsa
19. Liberty Ballers - Air Bud
20. CelticsBlog - Yen Sid
21. Mavs Moneyball - Kronk
22. Indy Cornrows - Trusty

So the question you might be asking yourself is “...who???” Lemme explain.

Remember in the movie Fantasia? Mickey is a sorcerer’s apprentice and gets into all kinds of hijinks when he borrows the wizard’s magic hat? Yen Sid is the wizard. So why him and not some more popular figure? Well, like any good drafter I did my research.

There are few Disney characters out there with the magical powers of this wizard. In fact, based on a thorough internet search of about 5 minutes, I concluded that Yen Sid is right up there with the Genie and Maleficent as the most powerful characters in the Disney cannon.

Want some more fun facts? Of course you do. Here’s some stuff from the Disney wiki:

According to the filmmakers, Yen Sid was apparently modeled after Walt Disney right down to signature facial features recognizable by the animators. Yen Sid’s name, which is not given in the film itself, was given to him by the animators. It is “Disney” spelled backward which pays tribute to Walt Disney, himself.

I mean, what could be more Disney than a character patterned off of Walt himself? Need more? I got ya.

Being rather mysterious, not too much is known about Yen Sid. He is wise, practical, and most often seen with a serious tone in such a way that it often quashes Mickey’s playful nature into obedience. Most who encounter Yen Sid often can be bound to be intimidated by his appearance but underneath his fierce look, lies a heart of gold. Surprisingly, he is very forgiving and actually has a sense of humor. He is more than aware of Mickey’s mischief and willing to deal with this; putting it aside to teach his apprentice. Underneath his harsh exterior is a man who strongly believes in his apprentices, no matter what mischief they may get into.

Umm, that’s basically Kevin Garnett with a white beard. He also vaguely reminds me of Dumbledore and Gandalf.

And that’s why Yen Sid is my pick.