I have found myself getting caught up in the “Linsanity” along with a lot of other sports fans over New York Nicks’ surprise star, Jeremy Lin. I can’t help it. His story is just too delicious to ignore. I have always been one who roots for the underdog. I love to see the athlete, team, or politician that is not supposed to win – win. That comes natural to me, since I have always considered myself to be an underdog.
Jeremy Lin was certainly not supposed to be doing what he is doing now. Harvard is not supposed to turn out NBA stars. Although he was one of the top players in the Ivy League, it was … well … just the Ivy League, which has never been close to a great basketball power. When Lin graduated from Harvard in 2010, he was not drafted by any NBA team.
He was eventually signed as a free agent last season by the Golden State Warriors, but was ultimately cut from the team without getting much chance to play. He was picked up by New York this season and seemed headed for the same fate there, before the team started incurring a lot a injuries.
That’s when he finally got his chance to play, and oh how he has made the most of it! The Nicks, who seemed headed for another losing season, have been winning ever since. Lin even out-dueled Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant in a recent game. It is almost unheard of for an undrafted free agent to be able to do what Lin has done so far.
Most future NBA superstars are identified early in life, sometimes by the time they reach junior high school. The majority of them go on to college stardom, culminating in a first-round selection in the NBA draft. Many of them exit college after their freshman or sophomore years to get an early start on their NBA careers, with teams at the bottom of the league eagerly awaiting their arrival. Some, such as the aforementioned Bryant, enter the NBA straight out of high school.
But no one sneaks up on the NBA like Jeremy Lin did – at least not until now. And he is such a breath of fresh air, compared to many of today’s egotistical, self-centered sports stars, which the NBA seems to have more than its share of. Most of those guys have been pampered and catered to from the time they became NBA prospects while in their teens.
Since the arrival of Jeremy Lin, professional basketball has become interesting again. This is reminiscent of the time when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were still around. I hope Lin has a long and prosperous career. Let the “Linsanity” continue! Have you become “Linsane” yet?
Comments