Where do I start when it comes to talking about Jeremy Lin?
Maybe I can start with him graduating from Harvard and finishing his full 4 years at college, which today has become a rare thing among most players coming into the NBA.
Or maybe I can talk about him going un-drafted to the Golden State Warriors and getting very few minutes of playing time only to get cut and shipped to the Houston Rockets. Once in Houston he would get cut again and wind up as a back up for an injured bench player on the Knick’s roster, basically making him a 3rd string point guard. Which like in Golden State, would not have got him much playing time.
However you start your Jeremy Lin story, it kicks off with the Knicks being desperate. They had lost All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudamire for the next few games and coach Mike D’antoni was rumored to be days away from being fired with an 8-15 record, far from the high expectations coming into the season.
So with that, the Knicks played one of the only point guards they had left on the team, Jeremy Lin, and he went on to win 4 games in a row scoring 25, 28, 29 and finally 38 points with a total of 32 assists.
Many might ask “Why should I care?”
Now I could go into a long winded opinion which might bore some and otherwise seem like much of what many of you may have already read elsewhere about Lin. So instead, I will simply lay down the facts and show you why you can’t seem to get away from hearing about Jeremy Lin and why the attention is deserved.
1) Since starting Jeremy Lin, the Knicks have tied their longest winning streak this year at 4. Which is impressive considering it was done without 2 of biggest stars in the NBA, Amar’e and Carmelo. He has a chance to beat the Knick’ss season winning streak record tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
2) Although he has only started 4 games this season, he is averaging 30 points per game. Which is more than any other rookie this season. But to be fair and unbiased, the listed number one scoring rookie is the Cleveland Cavliers’ #1 2011 draft pick, Kyrie Irving with 18 points per game and who has 23 games under his belt. However, if Lin continues playing like he has, he will easily beat out Kyrie for the top spot.
3) With the ever growing trend of cheering for the underdog or at least the “against all odds” team or player, no one in the NBA right now fits this mold better than Jeremy Lin. Although many, such as myself have always said Lin was a great player long before the hype, his overall sudden appearance on the scene only helps people’s curiosity about him grow, make people want to learn more about him the Knicks, cheer for him and hopefully inspire casual fans to watch more basketball.
4) Some might argue that “Hey! He beat the Wizards (5-22) and the Nets (8-20)! Big deal!”
But he also beat the Utah Jazz (13-12) and the Lakers (15-12). Some may call him the NBA’s Tim Tebow based on his quick rise to fame, what some consider luck and his religious beliefs, but the biggest difference is I don’t believe he is winning by luck.
5) As the NBA continues its push to becoming one of the most internationally recognized and accessible sports in the world, to have an American born player of Taiwanese heritage perform as well as he has on one of the largest stages in the world, Madison Square Garden in New York City, definitely goes a long way to making this a great story. It’s also important to remember that there have been very few players of Asian decent in the NBA’s history. Beyond Japan’s first NBA player Yuta Tabuse, who in his short time in the NBA made headlines more for his presence than points while in Dallas, Denver and Phoenix, the most famous player of Asian decent is without a doubt China’s Yao Ming. And had it not been for injury problems and the small market that is the Houston Rockets, we would have got and still be getting our fair share of Yao Ming highlights and headlines.
It’s important to remember that Jeremy Lin’s Taiwanese heritage should not be the sole reason for his rise to shame nor should it be ignored. Just as any player such as Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola did for Argentina, Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum did for France, Danillo Gallinari and Andrea Bargnani did for Italy, they allow us as fans and future players know there is always a place for us in the NBA regardless of where you are from and that you can succeed regardless of racial stereotypes or lowered expectations based on where you come from. Jeremy Lin proves again, this time for North American Asians just as Yao Ming did for China, that the only thing that matters is talent. Play well and you will get what you deserve, a chance to play and prove yourself to the world.
