In basketball, it’s an unusual sight to see an Asian-American player on the court. It’s more extraordinary to see one on an NBA team, dominating and racking up stats on a nightly basis. However, this is the amazing storyline of one player who has come into the spotlight: Jeremy Lin. Lin was like many other NBA players, unknown and fighting his way for at least a spot on the team. But due to multiple injuries that put the New York Knicks into doubt for playoff contention, Lin has suddenly risen as a fan-favorite and star player.
Jeremy Lin’s road to the NBA started with his high school and college career. In his senior year in 2005-2006, Lin helped Palo Alto High School to an astounding 32-1 record, and also led the school to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II state title by shocking nationally ranked Mater Dei, 51-47. He applied to Cal, Stanford, UCLA, and all the Ivy League schools, but was only guaranteed a spot on the basketball team by Harvard and Brown. In addition, Ivy League schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, further darkening Lin’s basketball career. Joe Lacob, incoming Warriors’ owner and Stanford booster, said Stanford’s failure to recruit Lin “was really stupid. The kid was right across the street. If you can’t recognize that, you’ve got a problem.” In his senior year, Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks, and was a unanimous selection for All-Ivy League First Team.
After Lin graduated from Harvard, eight teams had invited him to pre-draft workouts. However, he didn’t gain too much interest, and went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. Later, he received offers from four different teams, eventually signing a two-year deal with his hometown Golden State Warriors. Lin made the opening day roster for the 2010-2011 regular season, but barely received any playing time and was assigned three times during the season to the Warriors’ D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. Though he was called up multiple times and received an increase in minutes, he was nevertheless waived on the first day of training camp after the 2011 NBA Lockout.
On December 12, 2011, Lin was claimed off waivers by the Houston Rockets. Despite the glimpse of hope, he was again waived on December 24. But this time, Lin would find his way into the starting lineup of a team that was struggling with key injuries: The New York Knicks. The Knicks claimed him off waivers on December 27, adding him for depth to their bench due to the multiple injuries on their team. Lin said he was “competing for a backup spot, and people see me as the 12th to 15th guy on the roster. It’s a numbers game.” With the coach’s job and team’s success in jeopardy, he was determined make use of the minutes that he received and stay with the team. In his first breakout game of the season against the New Jersey Nets, Lin provided a spark off the bench with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, leading the team to a 99-92 victory. Two nights later, he started his first career game against the Utah Jazz, leading the Knicks with 28 points and 8 assists to 99-88 victory. Two nights after that game, he again blistered the Washington Wizards with 23 points and 8 assists, again helping the New York Knicks to a 107-93 victory. With the media and skeptics starting to doubt his potential in the long run, Lin provided the most shocking and unexpected display in his third start. In a game against a heavily-favored Los Angeles Lakers squad on national TV, Lin had a remarkable performance with 38 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and several clutch plays down the stretch. He outdueled NBA star Kobe Bryant, who afterward said “I think it’s a great story. I think it’s a testament to perseverance and hard work. Good example for kids everywhere.” This was the night where Jeremy Lin proved he’s no one-week wonder, that he’s got a real NBA career ahead of him.
With the completely unexpected breakout week, the Harvard graduate has become the NBA’s newest playmaking sensation. He’s quickly become a fan favorite, both home and away, and has earned more than 60,000 Twitter followers in just five days. He has received countless nicknames and funny phrases doing with his name, from “Doing the Lin-possible” to “All we do is Lin” to “Lin-sanity”. Jeremy Lin shirts, masks, and jerseys are being bought at an incredible rate by fans all over the country, who sometimes even cheer louder for Lin than they do for their home team superstars. “You don’t see many guys play like that, even in their 30th opportunity or in their whole career,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “What he’s doing is amazing. He’s answered a lot of questions.” One main part of Lin that has boosted his rise to stardom is his humble and devote Christian attitude. He has surprised many reporters with his humble answers to their questions, earning another nickname, “Humble Hero of Harvard” by always giving credit to his teammates for backing him up. John Han, sophomore at Eastside Christian High School, said “He’s really a great example for students like me. I came from Korea this past year, and am trying my best to improve my English as well as do well in school sports. When I read of Jeremy Lin’s story, I was completely amazed and motivated by what he’s done through his effort.” Through his breakout display, people all over the country are waiting to see what Lin can continue to do. Many are still doubting his ability, but as teammate Tyson Chandler said, “He’s not a fluke. This is real.”
