Jeremy Lin can definitely play basketball. The Knicks know, the world knows, and the Warriors and Rockets are finding out the hard way.
As Linsanity grows, people are quick to find comparisons though some aren’t very accurate. Currently, Lin is drawing comparisons to Broncos QB Tim Tebow because he’s a sensation, he “wins”, and he is an open Christian.
Tebow was a phenomenal high school football player that went on to win a Heisman Trophy and a Championship at Florida. Tebow eventually ended up in Denver as a 1st round draft pick. Lin walked on to Harvard’s basketball team after failing to receive a D-1 scholarship. Jeremy Lin would also go undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, but got a chance to play from the bench with the Golden State Warriors.
Fast forward two years later amidst Linsanity and we’re forced to ask ourselves, what makes the Jeremy Lin story so incredible? Honestly …
It’s really a perfect storm for Lin.
* He’s succeeding in one of the NBA’s biggest markets.
* He’s an undrafted player who has injected life into a reeling Knicks team
* He’s Asian-American.
“6’3, 200lbs, above-average court vision, can get to the rim and create opportunities.” — A black point guard with those attributes wouldn’t bounce from team to team without getting multiple chance to prove himself.
Simply put, Lin is excelling at the game’s most athletic position debunking the common stereotypes that are attached to Asian-Americans. That sounds a lot like Packers WR Jordy Nelson, who has stated last year that a lot of his success comes from being white.
This past season, Jordy Nelson has 1,263 receiving yards for the Packers and has formed a potent duo with QB Aaron Rodgers. Ordinarily in the NFL, we are used to seeing Caucasian players dominate at positions like quarterback and center. However, a few eyebrows are raised when a white receiver blows by a DB and dominates them the way a guy like Calvin Johnson or Randy Moss would.
Have we seen something like this in the NBA before? No. And it may be a while before another player comes along with the appeal of Jeremy Lin. But while Linsanity is here, let’s enjoy it and most importantly keep everything in perspective.