Pictures of Jeremy Lin after winning the high school state championship, blocking projected NBA draft pick Jerome Dyson of UConn, and going up for a shot against Boston College
Check out these awesome videos of Lin's 30 point performance against UConn this year, highlighted by a dunk and a block.
Article in Sports Illustrated about Lin and Harvard basketball.
Someone's blog devoted to Jeremy Lin
More important than that staggering statistic, Jeremy Lin has increasingly become a role model for me. I remember when I was about 12 or 13 and I think in 6th grade at the time, inviting myself over to my friend Jack Witte's house to watch Jeremy Lin play in the high school state championships. (our tv didn't get the channel) He was the best player on the underdog Paly team that upset nationally ranked power house Mater Dei. Lin played aggressively against such an intimidating opponent and attacked the basket without fear.
I'm bummed that I only saw him play once, but my brief interactions with him made me look up to him even more so than his incredible play on the court. I went to Palo Alto Basketball School, now Diepenbrock basketball school, for a few summers and a lot of the players there helped out and coached the "teams" that all of the campers were divided into. Everyone knew he was really good and all the campers looked up to him and I got to be on his team. He was really friendly and cool, but the best part about that experience was playing well and seeing him get all excited when we would beat the team his friend, and Paly basketball teammate coached. Even though he cared more about his team being better than his friend's, it still made me feel like this great high school basketball player thought that I was really good.
I'll never know if it's true, but his indirect confidence in my game was among the most meaningful votes of confidence I have ever gotten. More so than when your coach compliments you, or your parents because you aren't sure if they really mean it. They have an obligation to compliment you. But when someone who's older, talented and you respect immensely gives you that sort of a compliment it means a lot.
But what about Jeremy Lin sets him apart from other talented high school and college basketball players? There're lots of players that are probably as good or better, but he's so good in a sport where only a tiny tiny portion of the players are Asian-American. I don't have particular ambitions to be in the NBA, sure, it'd be awesome, but let's be realistic here. But it's really cool that someone who's also Asian-American, that I have met a few times, and is a local guy, is succeeding at such a high level of basketball. And when there are some many negative stereotypes about Asians playing basketball, it makes his prowess that much sweeter and inspiring.
Okay, enough gushing, what exactly makes Lin so damn good?
His most impressive stat is that last year Lin was the only player in the entire nation to be in the top-10 in his conference in every major statistical category. Jeremy Lin's averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 1.3 blocks per game this year. 4.5 rebounds and over a block per game, from a guard? That sort of versatility is ridiculous!
Don't think he can handle big time competition? How about dropping 30 points with 9 rebounds and 2 huge dunks over UConn, who beat then undefeated Texas this year. He also has led the Crimson to upset wins over Boston College the last two years, with a combined 52 points. Lin also hit a game winning 40-foot buzzer beater this year to beat William & Mary in triple overtime.
It has been over ten years since a player from an Ivy league school was a finalist for the Wooden award, given to the nation's most outstanding collegiate basketball player. And this is the first time an Ivy league player has been nominated for the Cousy award for the nation's top point guard.
Not convinced of the talent of 6'3" 200 pound Jeremy Lin? Well make sure to watch SportsCenter this Saturday night for highlights of the Harvard-Cornell game. Harvard is challenging the two time defending Ivy league champions Cornell for its first conference title ever. The 4 pm Pacific time battle is one of the most hyped Ivy league games in a decade, and both teams were projected to make the NCAA tournament.
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