To say that Jeremy Lin’s road to and through the NBA has been a bumpy ride would be an understatement. Facing stereotypes and racism during his collegiate career while playing under the radar at Harvard University, he somehow emerged from the pack and was able to land himself into the league that millions could only dream of.
After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, he was picked up by the Dallas Mavericks’ summer league team where he impressed many players, coaches, and scouts. As he demonstrated his solid fundamentals and his relentless hustle on the court, Lin caught the eye of his hometown team Golden State Warriors and was shortly signed after the summer league wrapped up.
While it may have been the perfect dream scenario to be playing for his hometown team, Lin never received much playing time. Even though he was extremely efficient when given minutes, he couldn’t find stable playing time and was eventually sent down to the NBDL (National Basketball Development League). Playing for the Reno Bighorns, he showed that he could excel when given minutes averaging 20.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game. His stint in the D-League was short-lived after the Warriors called him back to the NBA. Sadly, things never changed for the better as he saw little to no minutes night after night all the way to the end of the season.
Recently, Lin and his legion of fans received some bad news after finding out he had been released by the Warriors after only one season of play. This news shocked, saddened, and upset the Asian American community along with many of Lin’s fans across the world. However, less than a week of being on waivers, the Houston Rockets snagged up Lin and added him to a roster that seems to be full of guards already. Although we are excited to see Lin still in the league, it won’t mean much if he doesn’t receive playing time. With a strong and established Chinese fan base thanks to Yao Ming’s prior presence, Lin should be welcomed with open arms right away. But is this just another marketing ploy to sell jerseys and a few extra tickets? Or will this be the opportunity Jeremy Lin has been looking for? Let us know what you think.
**UPDATE**: Jeremy Lin’s time in Houston was short-lived as he was recently waived by the Rockets and then quickly got picked up by the New York Knicks. Lin made his debut with his new team against his old team the Golden State Warriors in a losing effort. It’s safe to say the Knicks will be keeping Jeremy on their squad and we hope that he’s given an opportunity to shine while playing alongside Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Good luck Jeremy Lin, Jackfroot has your back!
