Okay, Jeremy Lin is the Tim Tebow (ouch, hands burning on this Raiders fan for typing that ******* name!) of the NBA. Fine. Cool. Few teams in this league needed a boost like what he has given more than the New York Knicks. You know the history since the 70s, so I won't rehash it here. He is a great story, and he is exciting. One wonders, would this be as big of a deal, IF he wasn't Taiwanese-American (meaning Asian), and/or IF he wasn't with the Knicks and the extra large spotlight that even the smallest (sports) story gets, good or bad and/or IF he didn't graduate from Harvard (yes, THAT Harvard!)? The true answer to all three is no.
This story wouldn't be as big in DC or in LA or in Chicago or Charlotte. Okay, maybe in post-LeBron Cleveland. Maybe. Most other places would not care that Lin is Asian. I don't. Most places would be possibly surprised that he went to Harvard, which says "smart guy, but can he really ball with the big boys?". How many Ivy league athletes make it to the top ATHLETIC leagues? Not many more than who make it from the service academies (who all have a mandatory military commitment to do before they can even think about pro sports and they know this. Ask David Robinson or Roger Staubach about that!). But when they do, look out! And the two men I just mentioned from the Naval Academy? They are in the Hall of Fame in his sport. Look it up!
Now, I am not saying Jeremy Lin will be a future Hall of Famer. No way to know yet. But a kid who excelled in the classroom AND on the court at a Ivy League school, which is NO SMALL feat in a league where on the best students get into the school and the league's schools give NO athletic scholarships at all, I think he is pretty damn special. Just remember, he is only started about a dozen games. This is his 2nd year in the NBA. Let's see how the second half goes. Let's see if Lin can help the Knicks into the playoffs and if so, help them do something other than one-and-done. If he becomes a footnote, too bad. If he does something big, good for him! Either way, he has the brains and the right attitude to kick butt at whatever he is doing. That is what a college education is supposed to help cultivate. Enhancing one's athletic skills to the part that one makes it to the top league in his sport as well? Well, that is a nice bonus. Understand, kids?
This story wouldn't be as big in DC or in LA or in Chicago or Charlotte. Okay, maybe in post-LeBron Cleveland. Maybe. Most other places would not care that Lin is Asian. I don't. Most places would be possibly surprised that he went to Harvard, which says "smart guy, but can he really ball with the big boys?". How many Ivy league athletes make it to the top ATHLETIC leagues? Not many more than who make it from the service academies (who all have a mandatory military commitment to do before they can even think about pro sports and they know this. Ask David Robinson or Roger Staubach about that!). But when they do, look out! And the two men I just mentioned from the Naval Academy? They are in the Hall of Fame in his sport. Look it up!
Now, I am not saying Jeremy Lin will be a future Hall of Famer. No way to know yet. But a kid who excelled in the classroom AND on the court at a Ivy League school, which is NO SMALL feat in a league where on the best students get into the school and the league's schools give NO athletic scholarships at all, I think he is pretty damn special. Just remember, he is only started about a dozen games. This is his 2nd year in the NBA. Let's see how the second half goes. Let's see if Lin can help the Knicks into the playoffs and if so, help them do something other than one-and-done. If he becomes a footnote, too bad. If he does something big, good for him! Either way, he has the brains and the right attitude to kick butt at whatever he is doing. That is what a college education is supposed to help cultivate. Enhancing one's athletic skills to the part that one makes it to the top league in his sport as well? Well, that is a nice bonus. Understand, kids?
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