De-dunking the myth
By Dan Duggan | Friday, November 20, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | College Basketball
Photo
Photo by Matthew West
Jeremy Lin has heard every Asian stereotype and joke, and that’s just from his teammates.
As one of only a handful of Asian Americans playing Division 1 basketball - and easily the most accomplished - Lin takes the ribbing from his Harvard teammates in stride. During road games, the senior guard has heard just about every taunt imaginable and he’s mostly been able to laugh them off.
But there was one time, in a road game last season, when the crowd crossed the line and Lin lost his cool.
“The only one that’s really gotten to me is when I was called a (racial epithet),” Lin said.
Upset by the slur, Lin had one of his worst games of the season.
Lin’s parents met after they emigrated from Taiwan to the U.S. They both attended Purdue University and eventually settled in Palo Alto, Calif.
Lin grew up idolizing Michael Jordan, copying the superstar’s moves in his backyard. When he began playing organized basketball, Lin encountered preconceptions about his ability based on his ethnicity.
“That first happened when I was growing up,” Lin said. “It happened a lot in AAU tournaments when we were going to other places and everyone on the other team always wanted to guard me.”
Lin learned to channel the disrespect from opponents in a positive way.
“That’s something that I’ve kind of embraced,” Lin said. “I play with a chip on my shoulder because of that. At this point, I’ve embraced it and I enjoy it and I expect it.”
Teammate Oliver McNally has been impressed with the way Lin handles the slights.
“He has been hated on and discriminated against in the basketball world for his entire life, all the way up until he got here,” McNally said. “(If) you’re black or you’re white, you don’t really deal with a whole lot of racial stuff during games in this day and age. But he experiences it every big game. It’s pretty cool that he really feeds off that.”
Lin has consistently excelled in big games, capping his high school career by leading Palo Alto High over powerhouse Mater Dei in the California Div. 2 state championship game. Facing a team with future ACC and Pac-10 players, Lin scored 17 points and hit a late 3-pointer to secure a 51-47 upset.
The game finished a season that saw Lin named the Northern California Div. 2 player of the year. It would seem colleges would be lining up to land a player with such credentials, but Lin didn’t receive a single Div. 1 scholarship offer.
“I can’t believe that,” said McNally, who is also from Northern California and first saw Lin play in the state championship game. “That I really attribute to him being Asian, to be honest.”
Lin thinks his size - he was 6-foot-2, 170 pounds as a senior - scared off some schools, but he acknowledges there were other factors working against him.
“I think the Asian American stereotype was definitely there,” Lin said, “but at the same time, it wasn’t the whole story.”
Whatever the reason, the bigger programs that passed on Lin certainly regret the decision. Now 6-foot-3 and a solid 200 pounds, Lin has blossomed into a star for the Crimson.
“I’m glad that I’m here at Harvard,” Lin said. “I couldn’t ask for a better situation basketball-wise. It was a blessing in disguise for me.”
Last season, Lin was the only player in the country to rank in the top 10 in his conference in every statistical category.
The highlight of the season came on Jan. 7, when Lin had 27 points, eight assists and six steals to lead the Crimson to an 82-70 upset at Boston College.
Lin hasn’t missed a beat during Harvard’s 2-0 start to this season, averaging 21.5 points and eight assists.
Lin’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer from just inside half court gave Harvard an 87-85 triple-overtime win over William & Mary on Sunday. The shot was the No. 3 play of the day on SportsCenter, but Lin was unfazed.
“The shot was really lucky, obviously. I just kind of threw it up there and it went in,” Lin said, before directing the conversation to the play of his teammates.
Lin is uncomfortable with the spotlight that comes with his accomplishments. When he saw that his photo was featured on the cover of this year’s media guide, Lin went to his coaches and asked if it could be changed to include the rest of the team’s seniors.
“I think it’s quite obvious if you just look at numbers and stats, you would probably recognize his importance,” coach Tommy Amaker said. “But even beyond that, he’s incredibly humble, he’s a great teammate, he’s the hardest worker. He embodies all the things that you want in a young man, not just a good basketball player.”
Lin has big goals for the future. He’ll sit down with Amaker after the season and weigh his options, but there’s no question Lin is talented enough to play professionally at some level. When his playing days are done, Lin plans on becoming a pastor and working in an urban community.
But all of that can wait a few months. Lin’s immediate focus is on leading Harvard to its first Ivy League title, which will be a tall task with Cornell returning most of its core from last year’s Ivy League champion team.
“They have a great program going over there and they’ve won the league two years in a row,” Lin said. “They’re on the right step in terms of becoming a powerhouse and we would love to take them down.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/basketball/view.bg?articleid=1213295
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