It’s called Linmania, and it seems that Jeremy Lin’s skill with an NBA basketball is becoming as successful as Chinese products sold in America, with dominance as the motto.
During a recent YouTube video, this New York Nicks and 2010 Harvard graduate talked openly about being a proud Asian American, and a Chinese and Taiwanese descent. “It’s humbling, a privilege, and an honor. I’m really proud of being Chinese, I’m really proud of my parents being from Taiwan. I just thank God for the opportunity.” In turn, fellow NBA players and fans are now talking about Lin as the heir apparent to legendary Michael Jordan. And, for a guard, Lin is also a good rebounder like his hero Michael Jordan. It was back in late 2011, that things changed for Lin when he left the Houston Rockets and moved to New York to play with the Knicks. More recently, on Feb. 4, Lin had 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists -- all career-highs -- in a 99-92 Knicks victory over the New Jersey Nets. After that game Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni pointed to Lin’s skillful point-guard mentality and "a rhyme and a reason for what he is doing out there.”
Lin takes Kobe out, wins high praise
To prove that he’s not just another flash on the basketball court, Lin played another impressive game on Feb. 10 when he scored a new career-high 38 points with seven assists. Lin’s mighty effort help lead the Knicks to a 92-85 victory over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, earning Eastern Conference “Player of the Week” honors.
Lin, 23, is 6 foot 3 inches in height but seems much taller out on the basketball court when he “seems to rule the baskets” said one fan during a recent TV interview. In turn, what’s been dubbed “Linmania” is spreading both nationwide and internationally with even Kobe Bryant singing Lin’s praises.
After Lin scored 38 points in the Knicks vs Lakers game on Feb. 10, Bryant told TV reporters that he’s very impressed with how Lin plays the game. "Players playing that well don't usually come out of nowhere. It seems like they come out of nowhere, but if you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning. It probably just went unnoticed,” said Bryant.
Lin now top NBA player
The NBA world doesn’t know what to make of Lin. “Call it a novelty, call it a gimmick, call it a fad, call it whatever you want. Whatever it is, it's not going away anytime soon, and thank goodness it's not, because it's a heck of a lot of fun to watch,” explained Fox Sports in a Feb. 16 report.
At the same time, a Fox Sports TV report explained how this "once unknown benchwarmer -- one whom Madison Square Garden security regularly mistook for a trainer -- added another chapter to his storybook journey Wednesday night, putting on a passing clinic, dishing out 13 assists to go with 10 points in 26 minutes during the Knicks’ 100-85 win over the visiting Sacramento Kings.”
In turn, the Fox Sports report noted how Lin looks “like a man who finally has found his niche. And as his legend continues to grow, the thought that Lin could transform the Knicks into a contender in May and June — a proposition that was once utterly laughable — seems more and more believable.”
Lin smart on and off the court
At the same time, sports critics said New York was a team without direction, “but Lin stepped in and quietly, efficiently played the role of compass.” Now, states Fox Sports, “the Knicks have won seven straight games. That success — behind their glue guy, Lin — has brought with it a sense of confidence and a much-needed lightheartedness that was missing in the locker room.”
"We were losing games, and we could have started pointing fingers, and we could have said it was the coach's fault — which, by the way, it wasn't — and we could have split up," Lin said. "But everyone came together . . . and guys started buying in more and more, and it's unbelievable right now. The camaraderie on this team is just ridiculous.
"It's just such a joy to be around them every day. You show up to the practice facility, and it's all smiles across the board,” added Lin. “That's the beauty of team sports, and that's the beauty of basketball."
Image source of Jeremy Lin at a press conference. Photo courtesy Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Lin
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