Jeremy Lin, the focus of the “Linsanity” phenomenon in the NBA and affectionately called “Little How” (豪小子) – from his Chinese name, which he spells Lin Shu-How (林書豪) – has always refused to be defeated by setbacks and frustrations. Steadfast of heart, embracing his love for basketball and showing all how persistence can lead to dreams coming true, his story has been inspirational, and he has become a superb role model for other athletes. The Lin legend began in 2010, when he came off the bench to lead the NBA’s New York Knicks to seven straight wins. Lin, born in the U.S. to Taiwanese parents, had been an outstanding student at Harvard. He soon became the subject of the “Linsanity” tidal wave, a phenomenon still much talked about. Six years have passed since, and the young man who wears no. 7 on his back has been traded and transferred to a number of teams and faced lows and setbacks. Meeting these challenges head on and maturing in the process, he now actively shares his passion for basketball and the lessons he has learned with others, especially disadvantaged children.
Bumpy Road to the NBA –
Then the Linsanity Whirlwind
Recalling that he and basketball seemed fated to be together, Lin remembers how his sports-loving father introduced him to the game at the age of five. In junior high school, he was his team’s point guard, and in high school he was team captain, leading Palo Alto High School to the California state championship. He then went on to Harvard, with a major in economics and minor in sociology. Under the patient instruction of his varsity coaches, he worked on improving his speed, jumping ability, passing, ball control, and other skills. Demonstrating calm, cool intelligence on the court, he became a superlative allround player.
After graduating from university, Lin’s road to the NBA was not smooth. He was not selected in the 2010 NBA draft; feeling depressed, he and his family went out and bought 150 spicy chicken wings, drowning their frustration in a bout of binge eating. His chance came while playing for the Dallas Mavericks’ team in the NBA Summer league, putting in stellar performances and catching the eye of both the media and scouts. Lin chose to play with his hometown team, the San Francisco Bay Area’s Golden State Warriors, and chose “7” as his jersey number, i.e., God’s divine number. He became the first American player of Taiwanese descent in the NBA. Lin’s opportunities in his first season in the star-studded league were few; he only came off the bench in 29 games, averaging 9.8 minutes of playing time, and found that because of his constant fear of being released from the team that his love of playing had disappeared. He had reached a low point, and before the beginning of his second season he was waived by the Warriors and then by the Houston Rockets, before landing with the New York Knicks.
Lin’s burst into the big time came on February 4th, 2012, when he exploded off the bench with a whirlwind offensive performance, achieving a record- setting 25 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in 35 minutes, bringing the Knicks from behind to defeat the New Jersey Nets. On February 6th, he started for the first time in his career, and in 45 minutes netted 28 points and 8 assists, becoming the man of the match for the Knicks in defeating the Jazz. In following games, Lin time and again turned in highlight-reel plays, scoring ever more points and achieving new personal highs. He won Player of the Week honors, the Linsanity craze exploded, and at the end of that year TIME magazine declared him one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
A Taiwan Bond – Includes Love of Night-Market Snacking
What his fans see in Lin is much more than just superb skills. They see how he exudes warmth, sincerity, and kindness, as well as other positive attributes. A devout Christian, each time prior to taking the floor he makes time to pray. His roots here – his parents are from Taiwan – give the island a special place in Lin’s heart, and each year he visits to take part in basketball camps and fan meetings, happy to spend time with his followers and passionate about cultivating new basketball blood. He brings his warm spirit to charity work, this year taking part in Public Dream Day (公益圓夢日) charity activities, organizing a basketball camp, and having fun with his young students.
His itinerary was packed full when he visited Taipei in June this year. He made an appearance at the Adidas 101 basketball court, where he went head to head with his younger brother, Joseph Lin (林書緯), who plays in Taiwan’s Super Basketball League (超級籃球聯賽), and then got together with 2,000 fans at the National Taiwan University Sports Center (台大體育館). Afterwards, energy and enthusiasm unabated, he appeared at the open-air courts on the campus for some three on three with the school’s students, causing great excitement and commotion.
Lin praises Taipei’s great food. “What I like best is night-market snacking ,” he says. “Things like pig’s blood cake and mango ice – I really love them.” Though he has a huge appetite, he’s a professional athlete, and this time had to listen to his trainers’ advice as the new season will soon be starting. He managed to control himself, but says it was a great pity.
Encouraging Universiade
Athletes – Training to Play Better Defense
Now playing for his sixth team, Lin admits that it was only last year with the Hornets that he was truly able to feel happy playing the game. “Each of the teams I’ve played on has had its own orientation and learning system,” he says, “and you can clearly feel if your coaches or teammates like you or not.” For him, what is most important now is playing for the love of the game. “On graduating from Harvard, I felt I could conquer the world, and make all my dreams come true,” he says. “But it took me six years to finally find happiness in the NBA. During this period, I faced many difficulties, and behind my success often felt empty. However, the challenges and tempering have made me a better player.”
Looking at the upcoming 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, Lin is eager to share his experiences in preparing for competition. He highly recommends that Taiwan’s basketball players strengthen their defensive capability. “Many of the NBA’s elite players work hard on their defensive fundamentals during the off-season,” he says. Starting a few years ago, beyond each week’s regimen of basic drills and weightlifting, he too began adding to his defensive-training menu. Proper training on defense, he believes, can help overcome the inherent limitations of the Chinese physique, and players will experience significant improvement. This year, during training while in Taiwan, Lin’s high-school assistant coach Brandynn Williams noted that Lin is well-known for his uncanny sixth sense, able to predict his opponent’s moves and shot decisions, saying this stems directly from the solid work he puts into improving his defensive skills.
Beyond one’s skills, Lin says another key is to stay relaxed while playing, enabling maximum composure in the heat of competition. Using his own experience as example, he says that the more nervous you get before an exam, the more nervous you’ll be during the exam itself. You won’t be able to think clearly, and won’t do well. He reminds the young athletes set to take part in the Universiade that trying to change fundamentals in just a short time is both difficult and high-risk, and the slightest mistake will negatively impact performance during competition. He believes that since athletes already have ample training, they should learn to relax properly before competition. “Having faith in yourself” is a must and in his sport means enjoying the game of basketball!
Lin loves the warm hospitality of the people in his parents’ homeland, and although in total he has not spent that much time in Taiwan, he has seriously considered moving here after his NBA retirement. However, he is now in his prime years as an athlete, and has many more dreams to pursue. Back in New York, this time on the roster of the Brooklyn Nets, he will continue to seek out new challenges and scale new heights. Someone once asked him how to choose between dreams and reality; without hesitation, he replied: “Make your dreams come true!” To his mind, one’s dreams cannot be seen as being too far out of reach. If you just have faith in yourself, you can make them happen. Learn to relax and accept things, while embracing happiness. Lin’s basketball dreams are still to be fully written, and the whole world is cheering for his renaissance.
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