NBA Thoughts – Jeremy Lin Gives Jeremy’s A Good Name
Thoughts of Jeremy Lin’s rise from the couch to the spotlight and why I’m proud to be a Jeremy.
I can relate to Jeremy Lin. At least the Jeremy Lin of a month or so ago that was stuck on the couch wondering what the hell he was doing with his life. Otherwise, besides the fact that we share the same first name and last initial, I can’t really relate to Jeremy Lin at all.
He’s now being talked about every 30 seconds on Sportscenter while I’m still stuck on the couch wondering what the hell I’m doing with my life.
Here’s the positive though: Lin is proof that hard work and not being afraid really does pay off if your goal is to be overcover by every talking head in the sports media.
Everyone says, “anything is possible if you work hard enough.” The people who normally say that though have been blessed with the psychical tools that allow them to succeed in their field of choice. When LeBron James says, “anything is possible with hard work” it’s tough to take him serious considering that LeBron was built like a 27-year-old athlete in his prime when he was only 18 and his high school games were being televised on ESPN. I know LeBron worked hard and the last thing I want is for him to read this and think I’m blaming him for the death of John F. Kennedy.
*Note: That’s a lie, I’d love if LeBron read this, but I hope he’s got better things to do.
Lin went to Harvard where he played basketball in front of no one and probably got less coverage on ESPN than the NHL. Then he bounced around a couple of NBA teams and spent time in the D-League. He biggest claim to fame was an awesome YoubTube video where told people how to get into Harvard. While it did nothing for his NBA career, it did show a sense of personality and charm.
On the court though, the only thing he got attention for was his ethnicity as teams planned to hold “ASIAN AMERICAN NIGHT!” whenever his team was in town. No, really, this was going to happen.
Then the New York Knicks traded away their entire team for a player who didn’t fit Mike D’Antoni’s system predicated on having a smart point guard willing to push the pace. They thought they solution to their problems would be Baron Davis, but they didn’t realize that Baron Davis hadn’t made a smart decision in years and the only thing he pushed was donuts into his mouth.
Along came Lin.
How D’Antoni didn’t see this earlier is beyond me. Who is smarter and more willing to push the pace than a 23-year-old kid from Harvard who has nothing to lose when he’s on the court? D’Antoni’s system should be nothing but point guards from Ivy League schools. He’d never have to worry about his job again.
Now Lin is the talk of the nation. LINsanity, LINderella, LINvincible, Super LINtendo, ect…. He’s been compared to Tim Tebow by people who are lazy with their comparisons and don’t see that they’re nothing alike except in how much they’re talked about.
What I like most about Lin is that he’s embracing the moment and he’s not scared. Last night against the Toronto Raptors, with the game tied near the end of regulation, he waved off his teammates and stuck a jumper from the top of the arc. This kid has played 6 games and was waving off veterans and All-Stars so he could take the last shot. He finally has an opportunity and he’s making the most of it. For all we know, he could be a flash in the pan who has only benefitted from D’Antoni’s system and once he’s played more than six games, teams will figure out his tendencies and be able to stop him. But that’s not stoping him from making the most of what he has now.
I applaud Jeremy Lin. He’s making all Jeremy’s look good with the way he’s handled himself in New York and how he’s gone from fringe basketball player to NBA star. I hope to follow in Lin’s footsteps. I hope that tomorrow I’m no longer sitting on my couch and I’m writing for Grantland and people are talking about Wham Bam Thank You LAMB.
