The former Palo Alto High School star and Harvard graduate always dreamt of the opportunity to play alongside basketball’s elites in the NBA. Being a Taiwanese-American young man and having played basketball at a University where the sport is simply a foot note compared with education Lin has overcome many odds throughout his life to get to where he is today.
Today, Lin is shining brighter than any one on this planet in arguably the biggest stage in professional sports, Madison Square Garden in the country’s biggest media market New York City.
The local high school star who went undrafted after graduating from Harvard in 2010, signed with his hometown team he grew up rooting for the Golden State Warriors. However, after failing to be given the opportunity to display his abilities Lin was released during training camp in December. Shortly after he was signed by the Houston Rockets and released again.
Hanging on by a thread to continue playing in the NBA Lin was signed by the New York Knicks to a non-guaranteed contract as he sat on the end of the bench, playing mop up minutes for more than a month. Finally after injuries and poor play from Knicks point guards Toney Douglas, Baron Davis, and Mike Bibby, Lin was given a chance to show the team what he can do. Lin had about a week to do so as if he did not he would be released so the team would not have to pay the remaining amount of money on his contract until season’s end.
Saying Lin made the best of the opportunity would be a heavy understatement. Taking over at point guard for one of the NBA’s marquee franchises Lin has defied all odds leading the team to six straight wins after starting the season 8-15 and headed toward the draft lottery rather than the playoffs. Lin is averaging nearly 27 points per game in this six game stretch including a career-high 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday night on National T.V.
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| Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin has captured the basketball world and more with his spectacular play. |
Lin has drawn in the casual NBA fan and given people many reasons to root for and support him; he is the ultimate underdog story, he is truly humble and carries himself with class. He is of an ethnic background that is near non-existent in the league and has given the Asian-American community an icon in a major American sport. He defies all odds, inspires people, and proves that hard work will lead to success.
The NBA has been seeking a star and character like this for years; in a league that is known to have many egos, poor attitudes and reputations; Lin is helping change the image, he is bringing a fresh face to the game and capturing the attention of fans from all over the world.
It was just two weeks ago that he was sleeping on a couch at his brother’s apartment in New York City afraid to sign a lease on his own apartment for he was unsure if he would be on the team in a week. He even stayed on teammate Landry Fields (Stanford graduate) couch one night as his brother had people over. Today, Lin purchased his own apartment and is the biggest, most electrifying and captivating topic in the world of sports and most particularly in New York City, a city that does not hand out praise with ease.
Who on planet Earth would’ve thought on a team with three bona fide stars small forward Carmelo Anthony, power forward Amare Stoudemire, and center Tyson Chandler that the skinny Asian-American player at the end of the bench from Harvard and on the verge of being released from the roster would turn a team’s season around and in eye-opening fashion?
No one, not even Lin and that is what makes this not just the greatest story in sports today but in a long-time and gives this story depending on how Lin continues to play an opportunity to be one of the all-time greats.
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