Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Jeremy Lin Personally Invited to Play in Yao Ming’s Charity Game
By Marcus Thompson
Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 7:59 pm in Uncategorized.
Wanna know how big time Jeremy Lin is?
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is having his annual Charity basketball game in Taipei on Wednesday. All-World center Dwight Howard is playing. So is rookie point guard sensation Brandon Jennings. And NBA’s Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks.
But with a lineup like that already set, Yao Ming felt the need to pick up the phone and call Lin personally to invite him to play. Lin accepted and is leaving tonight. Not bad for a guy who would be doing well to get 10 minutes a game as a rookie.
LIN: “I’m extremly excited and honored to have been personally invited by Yao Ming to participate in his charity game. I can’t wait to meet him and be a part of this special event.”
Lin — the first Asian-American on the Warriors since Raymond Townsend in ‘78 — hasn’t been to Taiwan since he was in the 7th grade. His parents are both natives of Taiwan. So, no doubt, the native son will have some serious support at Taipei Arena on Wednesday. The only other rookie on Yao’s celebrity squad is Luke Babbitt, who was drafted No. 16 overall and traded to Portland.
Yao’s team will play against the Shanghai Sharks Chinese National Team. The game is for the Yao Ming Foundation, which is helping re-build schools in provinces of China devastated by earthquake.
Bill Duffy, Yao Ming’s agent: “Yao Ming is proud of how Jeremy has positioned himself to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. In addition to his desire to help the Children in Taiwan, who are in need, he also wanted all of the citizens of Taiwan to celebrate the accomplishments of Jeremy.”
This event is the latest in what has been a whirlwind of a month for Lin. After going undrafted in late-June, he became a NBA summer league star and signed with his childhood team, which has set off media storm. There are talks of shoe deals, billboards in the Bay Area, and fans ready to deem him a starter.
Despite it all the chaos, Lin seems to be enjoying it. Check out this post on his Twitter page (JLin7):
“Going to Taiwan for Yao’s charity game. Funny txt msg from a friend: “Congrats on signing! U and David Lee. That’s 2 asians on the same team.”
By Marcus Thompson
Monday, July 26th, 2010 at 7:59 pm in Uncategorized.
Wanna know how big time Jeremy Lin is?
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is having his annual Charity basketball game in Taipei on Wednesday. All-World center Dwight Howard is playing. So is rookie point guard sensation Brandon Jennings. And NBA’s Most Improved Player Aaron Brooks.
But with a lineup like that already set, Yao Ming felt the need to pick up the phone and call Lin personally to invite him to play. Lin accepted and is leaving tonight. Not bad for a guy who would be doing well to get 10 minutes a game as a rookie.
LIN: “I’m extremly excited and honored to have been personally invited by Yao Ming to participate in his charity game. I can’t wait to meet him and be a part of this special event.”
Lin — the first Asian-American on the Warriors since Raymond Townsend in ‘78 — hasn’t been to Taiwan since he was in the 7th grade. His parents are both natives of Taiwan. So, no doubt, the native son will have some serious support at Taipei Arena on Wednesday. The only other rookie on Yao’s celebrity squad is Luke Babbitt, who was drafted No. 16 overall and traded to Portland.
Yao’s team will play against the Shanghai Sharks Chinese National Team. The game is for the Yao Ming Foundation, which is helping re-build schools in provinces of China devastated by earthquake.
Bill Duffy, Yao Ming’s agent: “Yao Ming is proud of how Jeremy has positioned himself to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. In addition to his desire to help the Children in Taiwan, who are in need, he also wanted all of the citizens of Taiwan to celebrate the accomplishments of Jeremy.”
This event is the latest in what has been a whirlwind of a month for Lin. After going undrafted in late-June, he became a NBA summer league star and signed with his childhood team, which has set off media storm. There are talks of shoe deals, billboards in the Bay Area, and fans ready to deem him a starter.
Despite it all the chaos, Lin seems to be enjoying it. Check out this post on his Twitter page (JLin7):
“Going to Taiwan for Yao’s charity game. Funny txt msg from a friend: “Congrats on signing! U and David Lee. That’s 2 asians on the same team.”
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Golden State Warriors sign ex-Palo Alto High star Jeremy Lin
The Warrior's newest player, Jeremy Lin spins a ball for the media on... ( ALEX WASHBURN )Golden State Warriors sign ex-Palo Alto High star Jeremy Lin
By Marcus Thompson II
The Warriors officially landed a player who is turning out to be a cult figure.
Guard Jeremy Lin, a Bay Area native who played at Harvard, signed a two-year deal with the Warriors on Wednesday afternoon. A press conference was held Wednesday to introduce Lin following his signing.
"Obviously playing in the NBA would have been a dream come true, but this is really a dream come true," said Lin. "This is the team I grew up cheering for and this is the one team I really, really wanted to play for."
Lin, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound combo guard who was undrafted out of Harvard, played for the Dallas Mavericks summer league and piqued the interest of several teams with his play. But the former Palo Alto High School star chose the Warriors, his favorite team growing up.
Lin's deal is partially guaranteed this year, and the Warriors hold a team option for the second season.
The Warriors needed a point guard after trading C.J. Watson to the Chicago Bulls. Lin is going to get his chance to fill that void. The Warriors could still go out and get a veteran point guard. That would allow time for Lin — who has the game of a shooting guard but needs to play point at the pro level — to develop without pressure.
Lin would become the first Asian born in the United States to play in the NBA since San Jose's Rex Walters, the current University of San Francisco coach.
Golden State also has guard Monta Ellis and Charlie Bell as
options at point guard to spell starter Stephen Curry
Palo Alto native Jeremy Lin draws much attention at Warriors news conference
By Marcus Thompson II
mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 07/21/2010 09:40:34 PM PDT
Updated: 07/21/2010 09:58:55 PM PDT
Rookie guard Jeremy Lin signed his two-year deal with the Warriors on Wednesday, and the moment ink touched paper, he perhaps became the most popular player on the roster.
"I don't think I've ever been a part of something like this before," Lin, a Palo Alto native, said from the players' lounge at the Warriors' downtown facility in Oakland. "This is unbelievable. Words can't really express my feelings right now and how happy I am and how grateful I am. This is crazy."
General manager Larry Riley said the serious talks began in earnest Monday. He was won over by Lin's play for the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team in Las Vegas.
"Boy, he had a nice summer league," Riley said. "He was pretty good most of the time. I wouldn't base it on one game."
Lin-sanity has hit the Bay Area since word of his signing with the Warriors broke Tuesday.
That an undrafted rookie out of Harvard with a partially guaranteed contract had an introductory news conference is odd enough on its own. But Lin drew more media members than the draft or the news conference introducing the No. 6 overall pick, Ekpe Udoh, illustrating Lin's pull in the Bay Area.
But that wasn't the only reason the 6-foot-3 Lin signed with the Warriors. According to multiple sources, he got offers from Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. He even got a counteroffer that possibly topped the Warriors' deal.
In the end, Lin couldn't pass up the chance to play for his
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favorite team growing up. Plus, he has been assured he will have a chance to compete for playing time.
The first order of business for Lin is to develop a more consistent jumper and adapt to the NBA 3-point range. Riley said he also wants to see Lin develop his defense.
Still, Riley said Lin will get every opportunity to earn the 10 or so minutes available behind starting point guard Stephen Curry. He wasn't just brought on to be the 15th man.
Riley, who still has three open roster spots, might add another guard. He said he wants some experience on the bench, but he also wanted the 21-year-old Lin. Even if the Warriors had been able to keep Watson, the veteran point guard they traded to Chicago, Riley said he would have signed Lin.
"From my point of view, I'm ready to go," Lin said. "I feel like I'm ready to play, and I feel like my game is very suitable for the NBA style, because I'm a slasher and there's a lot of pick-and-rolls."
As a senior at Harvard, Lin was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the nation's top point guard. He averaged 16.4 points and 4.6 assists per game.
In 2006, Lin led Palo Alto High to a victory over powerhouse Mater Dei for the state championship.
WHAT JEREMY LIN SAID
The Warriors" newest player, answered questions at the team"s practice facility Wednesday.
On his game:
New Warrior Jeremy Lin draws the cameras, says he’s ready to play
New Warrior Jeremy Lin draws the cameras, says he’s ready to play
Posted by Tim Kawakami on July 21st, 2010 at 3:24 pm | Categorized as NBA, Warriors
There were more cameras and reporters and the whole shebang for Jeremy Lin’s introduction at the Warriors’ facility today than at any Warriors event since… umm… probably Media Day last October.
And if I subtract any event that did not include free food, then I’d say this was the biggest gathering of assorted media since Don Nelson’s hiring in August 2006.
There were probably five times more media representatives at W’s HQ today than were on draft night, when they picked 6th overall.
Pretty powerful showing for an undrafted point guard from Harvard. But obviously, Lin’’s from Palo Alto High, and he’s also Asian-American, in a market that is rumored to have a few Asian-Americans walking around and buying tickets and clicking on stories and blogging and etc.
Overall, Lin was poised, confident, and, as usual, not particularly in love with speaking as a role model for the Asian-American culture–which, believe me, I understand.
He just wants to play ball.
He also made it clear that he expects to earn a rotation role right away, backing up Stephen Curry.
I don’t know about that–especially with Lin’s shaky jumper–but just standing next to him, I can tell you that he’s certainly big enough and rangy enough to cover a lot of ground.
If he can play the angles, and muscle past the quicker guys on the dribble… Lin has a shot at this. I wouldn’t expect him to be the Warriors’ back-up point guard right away, but I’m not ruling out some kind of role this season.
I also think it’s clear that,even if this wasn’t directly ordered by the incoming owners, it was done with Larry Riley believing it was what Joe Lacob and Peter Guber wanted.
That the Warriors didn’t offer a summer league spot to Lin… and weren’t in on him until a few days ago… and then suddenly offered him a 2-year, partially guaranteed deal days after the sale was announced…
Well, that has NEW OWNERS MAKING A SPLASH stamped all over it. (With the added benefit of not costing very much.)
I didn’t tape Lin’s session with the TV cameras, but there were some highlights form it…
* He made it clear that he thinks he can make an impact right away.
“From my point of view, I’m ready to go,” Lin said. “I’m ready to play. I’m thankful the Warriors are giving me that opportunity.”
* He thinks the best model for the way his game could develop is Phoenix 6th man Goran Dragic, especially the way Dragic attacks the rim in the pick-and-roll.
“Neither of us is a freak athlete, but we’re both effective and know how to play the game,” Lin said.
Dragic is a crafty, daredevil player who happens to back-up Steve Nash, whom some people believe is Curry’s greatest role model.
That is a smart comparison. By a smart guy.
* How does he describe his game? “I’m a playmaker,” Lin said. “I’m always attacking the rim and have somewhat of a reckless style. I try to be everywhere at once.”
* Said that his performance matched against John Wall in the summer league was definitely the event that raised his NBA stock. Lin scored 13 points, attacked the rim, and held his own against the No. 1 pick throughout the game.
And said he was thankful to the Mavericks for putting him on their summer league team.
“I knew all along I could play with (NBA players),” Lin said. “I’m thankful to Donnie Nelson. He was the only one who gave me a chance to get on a summer league roster.”
Now here’s the transcript from the print-media gaggle…
—JEREMY LIN, some questions and answered edited for length/
-Q: I know you’ve had some media attention, but when you get a group like this, does it sort of amaze you?
-LIN: I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of something like this before. This is unbelievable. Words can’t really express my feelings right now and how happy I am and how grateful I am. This is crazy.
-Q: Why didn’t you play for the Warriors’ summer league team?
-LIN: They didn’t… they were already full.
-Q: When was the Warriors’ first contact with you about signing?
-LIN: I heard from my agent yesterday around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. We hadn’t made a decision yet. I hadn’t really heard anything about that because I told my agent I didn’t want to hear anything until it was final.
He told me they had been talking for a few days.
-Q: So the Warriors hadn’t been on you for that long…
-LIN: No, no. I think it was all within the last week.
-Q: How aware were you of other teams being interested?
-LIN: There was a lot of stuff on the internet and I was reading that for the first time…
-Q: What have the Warriors told you about your possible role? Have they said you’re competing for a back-up spot?
-LIN: I think they want me to come in and compete, yeah, for a back-up position. I think there’s a need for guards right now.
-Q: Minutes right away?
-LIN: It just depends on how I develop, how I perform. It could be… it’s all based on my performance. It’s tough to say right now without me having been through any training camp or anything.
-Q: Do you feel like you’re ready to play point guard in the NBA?
-LIN: I feel like I’m ready to play and I feel like my game is very suitable for the NBA style, because I’m a slasher and there’s a lot of pick-and-rolls.
-Q: What was your approach to playing against Wall in the summer league?
-LIN: My approach to that game was no different than any other game. It was just to play basketball and to stay true to my game and what I do best and not to go outside of myself.
-Q: Do you think you can keep up with NBA point guards defensively, especially the smaller, quicker ones?
-LIN: Yeah, I think being 6-4 with shoes and a pretty decent wingspan, I think I’ll be all right.
-Q: Was Dallas involved trying to sign you?
-LIN: Yeah.
-Q: How tough a call was that for you to not pick Dallas knowing that Donnie was the one who gave you the shot?
-LIN: Donnie took care of me. He really took care of me. He really, really did. I’m not just saying that. And I’m really thankful to him. I actually am going to call him right after this.
It was tough, obviously, because I was there for 10 days before the summer league training. And I had met with Donnie in Portsmouth back in March or April. That was a tough decision.
I’m very thankful. But at the same time, I couldn’t pass on this opportunity.
-Q: Because this is home, or because there’s a possible role here… or all of that?
-LIN: Just everything. All of the factors combined, this was the best situation for me.
-Q: When you say Donnie took care of you…
-LIN: He let me go out there a week early. He invited me to his lake house for July 4th festivities. He scheduled some media stuff for me. He went out of his way to take care of me.
-Q: Did you go to the lake house?
-LIN: Yeah I went… It was me, Omar Samhan (and a few other players).
-Q: You think Donnie Nelson saw something in you?
-LIN: He has a different type of vision than most people do. I think he saw something inside of me or my game at Portsmouth that he fell in love with. He’s been saying consistently that he thought I need some time to develop before I was NBA-ready, but he saw potential in me. So I’m very thankful to him for that.
-Q: Who have you talked to with the Warriors’ organization?
-LIN: Today, just the people who are here right now. And I talked to Larry Riley on the phone last night.
-Q: Some people don’t like or don’t do so well playing at home because there’s so much pressure and attention. Maybe there’s more pressure for you here and expecting things right away?
-LIN: I’m not really worried about that right now. I’m just going to play my game and see where that takes me. And I’m not worried about filling shoes or meeting other people’s expectations. That’s never how I’ve approached the game.
-Q: Was there a thought that you’d go to the D-League this year?
-LIN: During the process? Yeah, during the process you think about all the potential options. Overseas, D-League, NBA… There were times when that crossed my mind absolutely.
-Q: And now, are you thinking no way for the D-League or is that still maybe a possibility?
-LIN: It’s always a possibility if you don’t play well. It’s always a possibility that you could get cut, waived, if you dont play well.
But that’s not the attitude that I’m going to come into training camp with. I’m going to come in to ready to compete, ready to fight for my time, for my spot on the team.
-Q: You’ve said going back to high school that you think of yourself as a basketball player more than as an “Asian-American player.” But because you’re here and the fan base has so many Asian-Americans, do you understand how much impact you’ll have?
-LIN: I don’t think I fully understand it yet, but I think I will later on. I’m getting a glimpse of it right now.
-Q: There are some stories that mention some slurs that you had to endure when you played at Harvard. How bad was that?
-LIN: It was bad the first couple times. But I just learned to block it out. It taught me a lot. It just made me a better player, just mentally stronger.
-Q: Did it stop?
-LIN: Uhh, no.
-Q: Do you expect it to continue at the pro level?
-LIN: Yeah.
-Q: The Warriors have just been sold, as I’m sure you know. What do you think about that and that you might be the first personnel move that involved the new owners?
-LIN: Well, I’m very thankful to the new ownership for giving me this opportunity. I know that this wouldn’t have happened without their approval.
In my opinion, I think they’re doing a great job.
-Q: Have you talked to either of them?
-LIN: I haven’t personally talked to them, but my agent has and I’ve heard stuff that they’ve said to my agent.
-Q: It’s possible that they asked for this…
-LIN: It’s possible. That’s something that you’d probably have to ask my agent.
-Q: What part of your game do you need to work on?
-LIN: My jumpshot. Just developing a consistent jumpshot out to the three-point line. That’s what I’m going to focus on the most up until training camp.
-Q: Toby Gerhart ran into some stereotypes about being a white running back. Have you run into any of those things or talked to people about it?
-LIN: I actually roomed with Omar Samhan from St. Mary’s. He was on Dallas with me. And we have very, very similar stories. Not really recruited out of high school and went on to have a pretty good college career and now we’re back in that underdog role.
So I got to talk to him a lot and he’s been real supportive. It’s nice to have someone to relate to.
-Q: How about the Ivy League stereotypes?
-LIN: I feel like an Asian from Harvard… if you think about that, you’re not going to think, ‘Oh, a player in the NBA.’ I understand that. That’s just the way it is.
There haven’t been that many Asian-Americans. There haven’t been that many Ivy Leaguers. So… I understand that. But I’m hoping I’m breaking the stereotypes.
-Q: What was the situation when you were coming out of high school with the local schools?
-LIN: They were… the Pac-10 schools wanted me to walk-on. The Ivy League schools, Harvard and Brown, were the two ones that really wanted me to go there and play for them. I was deciding mainly between those two conferences.
I didn’t really want to walk-on. I wanted to go somewhere the team wanted me. Not somewhere I’d have to go and potentially not have a spot on the team.
-Q: Before you played Wall, who was the most pointed guard you’d gone up against?
-LIN: I played Tywon Lawson in high school in AAU and also at Portsmouth. He’s always been a handful.
-Q: Do you mind if I ask what your GPA at Harvard was?
-LIN: My GPA was not a 4.2. That’s been the rumor. It’s not even possible. My friends have been absolutely killing me about that. I had a 3.1 at Harvard.
Posted by Tim Kawakami on July 21st, 2010 at 3:24 pm | Categorized as NBA, Warriors
There were more cameras and reporters and the whole shebang for Jeremy Lin’s introduction at the Warriors’ facility today than at any Warriors event since… umm… probably Media Day last October.
And if I subtract any event that did not include free food, then I’d say this was the biggest gathering of assorted media since Don Nelson’s hiring in August 2006.
There were probably five times more media representatives at W’s HQ today than were on draft night, when they picked 6th overall.
Pretty powerful showing for an undrafted point guard from Harvard. But obviously, Lin’’s from Palo Alto High, and he’s also Asian-American, in a market that is rumored to have a few Asian-Americans walking around and buying tickets and clicking on stories and blogging and etc.
Overall, Lin was poised, confident, and, as usual, not particularly in love with speaking as a role model for the Asian-American culture–which, believe me, I understand.
He just wants to play ball.
He also made it clear that he expects to earn a rotation role right away, backing up Stephen Curry.
I don’t know about that–especially with Lin’s shaky jumper–but just standing next to him, I can tell you that he’s certainly big enough and rangy enough to cover a lot of ground.
If he can play the angles, and muscle past the quicker guys on the dribble… Lin has a shot at this. I wouldn’t expect him to be the Warriors’ back-up point guard right away, but I’m not ruling out some kind of role this season.
I also think it’s clear that,even if this wasn’t directly ordered by the incoming owners, it was done with Larry Riley believing it was what Joe Lacob and Peter Guber wanted.
That the Warriors didn’t offer a summer league spot to Lin… and weren’t in on him until a few days ago… and then suddenly offered him a 2-year, partially guaranteed deal days after the sale was announced…
Well, that has NEW OWNERS MAKING A SPLASH stamped all over it. (With the added benefit of not costing very much.)
I didn’t tape Lin’s session with the TV cameras, but there were some highlights form it…
* He made it clear that he thinks he can make an impact right away.
“From my point of view, I’m ready to go,” Lin said. “I’m ready to play. I’m thankful the Warriors are giving me that opportunity.”
* He thinks the best model for the way his game could develop is Phoenix 6th man Goran Dragic, especially the way Dragic attacks the rim in the pick-and-roll.
“Neither of us is a freak athlete, but we’re both effective and know how to play the game,” Lin said.
Dragic is a crafty, daredevil player who happens to back-up Steve Nash, whom some people believe is Curry’s greatest role model.
That is a smart comparison. By a smart guy.
* How does he describe his game? “I’m a playmaker,” Lin said. “I’m always attacking the rim and have somewhat of a reckless style. I try to be everywhere at once.”
* Said that his performance matched against John Wall in the summer league was definitely the event that raised his NBA stock. Lin scored 13 points, attacked the rim, and held his own against the No. 1 pick throughout the game.
And said he was thankful to the Mavericks for putting him on their summer league team.
“I knew all along I could play with (NBA players),” Lin said. “I’m thankful to Donnie Nelson. He was the only one who gave me a chance to get on a summer league roster.”
Now here’s the transcript from the print-media gaggle…
—JEREMY LIN, some questions and answered edited for length/
-Q: I know you’ve had some media attention, but when you get a group like this, does it sort of amaze you?
-LIN: I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of something like this before. This is unbelievable. Words can’t really express my feelings right now and how happy I am and how grateful I am. This is crazy.
-Q: Why didn’t you play for the Warriors’ summer league team?
-LIN: They didn’t… they were already full.
-Q: When was the Warriors’ first contact with you about signing?
-LIN: I heard from my agent yesterday around 4 or 5 in the afternoon. We hadn’t made a decision yet. I hadn’t really heard anything about that because I told my agent I didn’t want to hear anything until it was final.
He told me they had been talking for a few days.
-Q: So the Warriors hadn’t been on you for that long…
-LIN: No, no. I think it was all within the last week.
-Q: How aware were you of other teams being interested?
-LIN: There was a lot of stuff on the internet and I was reading that for the first time…
-Q: What have the Warriors told you about your possible role? Have they said you’re competing for a back-up spot?
-LIN: I think they want me to come in and compete, yeah, for a back-up position. I think there’s a need for guards right now.
-Q: Minutes right away?
-LIN: It just depends on how I develop, how I perform. It could be… it’s all based on my performance. It’s tough to say right now without me having been through any training camp or anything.
-Q: Do you feel like you’re ready to play point guard in the NBA?
-LIN: I feel like I’m ready to play and I feel like my game is very suitable for the NBA style, because I’m a slasher and there’s a lot of pick-and-rolls.
-Q: What was your approach to playing against Wall in the summer league?
-LIN: My approach to that game was no different than any other game. It was just to play basketball and to stay true to my game and what I do best and not to go outside of myself.
-Q: Do you think you can keep up with NBA point guards defensively, especially the smaller, quicker ones?
-LIN: Yeah, I think being 6-4 with shoes and a pretty decent wingspan, I think I’ll be all right.
-Q: Was Dallas involved trying to sign you?
-LIN: Yeah.
-Q: How tough a call was that for you to not pick Dallas knowing that Donnie was the one who gave you the shot?
-LIN: Donnie took care of me. He really took care of me. He really, really did. I’m not just saying that. And I’m really thankful to him. I actually am going to call him right after this.
It was tough, obviously, because I was there for 10 days before the summer league training. And I had met with Donnie in Portsmouth back in March or April. That was a tough decision.
I’m very thankful. But at the same time, I couldn’t pass on this opportunity.
-Q: Because this is home, or because there’s a possible role here… or all of that?
-LIN: Just everything. All of the factors combined, this was the best situation for me.
-Q: When you say Donnie took care of you…
-LIN: He let me go out there a week early. He invited me to his lake house for July 4th festivities. He scheduled some media stuff for me. He went out of his way to take care of me.
-Q: Did you go to the lake house?
-LIN: Yeah I went… It was me, Omar Samhan (and a few other players).
-Q: You think Donnie Nelson saw something in you?
-LIN: He has a different type of vision than most people do. I think he saw something inside of me or my game at Portsmouth that he fell in love with. He’s been saying consistently that he thought I need some time to develop before I was NBA-ready, but he saw potential in me. So I’m very thankful to him for that.
-Q: Who have you talked to with the Warriors’ organization?
-LIN: Today, just the people who are here right now. And I talked to Larry Riley on the phone last night.
-Q: Some people don’t like or don’t do so well playing at home because there’s so much pressure and attention. Maybe there’s more pressure for you here and expecting things right away?
-LIN: I’m not really worried about that right now. I’m just going to play my game and see where that takes me. And I’m not worried about filling shoes or meeting other people’s expectations. That’s never how I’ve approached the game.
-Q: Was there a thought that you’d go to the D-League this year?
-LIN: During the process? Yeah, during the process you think about all the potential options. Overseas, D-League, NBA… There were times when that crossed my mind absolutely.
-Q: And now, are you thinking no way for the D-League or is that still maybe a possibility?
-LIN: It’s always a possibility if you don’t play well. It’s always a possibility that you could get cut, waived, if you dont play well.
But that’s not the attitude that I’m going to come into training camp with. I’m going to come in to ready to compete, ready to fight for my time, for my spot on the team.
-Q: You’ve said going back to high school that you think of yourself as a basketball player more than as an “Asian-American player.” But because you’re here and the fan base has so many Asian-Americans, do you understand how much impact you’ll have?
-LIN: I don’t think I fully understand it yet, but I think I will later on. I’m getting a glimpse of it right now.
-Q: There are some stories that mention some slurs that you had to endure when you played at Harvard. How bad was that?
-LIN: It was bad the first couple times. But I just learned to block it out. It taught me a lot. It just made me a better player, just mentally stronger.
-Q: Did it stop?
-LIN: Uhh, no.
-Q: Do you expect it to continue at the pro level?
-LIN: Yeah.
-Q: The Warriors have just been sold, as I’m sure you know. What do you think about that and that you might be the first personnel move that involved the new owners?
-LIN: Well, I’m very thankful to the new ownership for giving me this opportunity. I know that this wouldn’t have happened without their approval.
In my opinion, I think they’re doing a great job.
-Q: Have you talked to either of them?
-LIN: I haven’t personally talked to them, but my agent has and I’ve heard stuff that they’ve said to my agent.
-Q: It’s possible that they asked for this…
-LIN: It’s possible. That’s something that you’d probably have to ask my agent.
-Q: What part of your game do you need to work on?
-LIN: My jumpshot. Just developing a consistent jumpshot out to the three-point line. That’s what I’m going to focus on the most up until training camp.
-Q: Toby Gerhart ran into some stereotypes about being a white running back. Have you run into any of those things or talked to people about it?
-LIN: I actually roomed with Omar Samhan from St. Mary’s. He was on Dallas with me. And we have very, very similar stories. Not really recruited out of high school and went on to have a pretty good college career and now we’re back in that underdog role.
So I got to talk to him a lot and he’s been real supportive. It’s nice to have someone to relate to.
-Q: How about the Ivy League stereotypes?
-LIN: I feel like an Asian from Harvard… if you think about that, you’re not going to think, ‘Oh, a player in the NBA.’ I understand that. That’s just the way it is.
There haven’t been that many Asian-Americans. There haven’t been that many Ivy Leaguers. So… I understand that. But I’m hoping I’m breaking the stereotypes.
-Q: What was the situation when you were coming out of high school with the local schools?
-LIN: They were… the Pac-10 schools wanted me to walk-on. The Ivy League schools, Harvard and Brown, were the two ones that really wanted me to go there and play for them. I was deciding mainly between those two conferences.
I didn’t really want to walk-on. I wanted to go somewhere the team wanted me. Not somewhere I’d have to go and potentially not have a spot on the team.
-Q: Before you played Wall, who was the most pointed guard you’d gone up against?
-LIN: I played Tywon Lawson in high school in AAU and also at Portsmouth. He’s always been a handful.
-Q: Do you mind if I ask what your GPA at Harvard was?
-LIN: My GPA was not a 4.2. That’s been the rumor. It’s not even possible. My friends have been absolutely killing me about that. I had a 3.1 at Harvard.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Palo Alto native Jeremy Lin is on the verge of signing a two-year deal with the Warriors.
Milwaukee Bucks' Larry Sanders reaches in for a steal against Dallas Mavericks' Jeremy Lin during an NBA Summer League basketball game in Las Vegas on Monday, July 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch) Golden State Warriors to sign ex-Palo Alto High star Jeremy Lin
By Marcus Thompson II
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 07/20/2010 08:39:36 PM PDT
Updated: 07/20/2010 08:39:37 PM PDT
Palo Alto native Jeremy Lin is on the verge of signing a two-year deal with the Warriors.
Lin, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard, was undrafted out of Harvard, but he played for the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team and piqued the interest of several teams. Lin's deal would be partially guaranteed this year, and the Warriors would hold a team option for the second season.
Lin has the game of a shooting guard, but probably needs to play point guard in the NBA. The Warriors need a point guard after trading C.J. Watson to the Chicago Bulls.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Jeremy Lin on the Verge of Joining the Dallas Mavericks
Jeremy Lin on the Verge of Joining the Dallas Mavericks
from 8Asians.com by John
Back in June, Harvard graduate and basketball player and Palo Alto, California native Jeremy Lin didn’t make the NBA during the draft. But he did get invited to play for the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA’s summer league. Well, Lin is starting to turn heads. In his 4th summer league game last week where the Dallas Mavericks took on the Washington Wizards, Lin went toe-to-toe with the #1 NBA draft pick this year, John Wall, and more than held his own. I’ve been seeing this video online posted everywhere – you can really hear the crowd supporting him after some pretty awesome attacks to the basket as well as the commentary lauding Lin’s performance. ESPN Dallas is reporting that due to Lin’s performance, he might be signed soon:
Lin is on the verge of signing an NBA contract, and it could be with the Mavericks, who view him as an intriguing developmental point guard and a strong candidate to run the club’s new D-League affiliate that begins play this fall in Frisco. “We’re in discussions as we speak,” Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Friday afternoon. “We are extremely interested in him as a young player.” Suddenly, the player deemed too flawed in most major areas to survive in the NBA is in contract discussions with three teams, according to league sources. The Los Angeles Lakers are believed to be one, with an Eastern Conference team the other.
(Note: Frisco is NOT San Francisco but Frisco, Texas located30 miles outside of Dallas.) ESPN radio has a terrific interview with Lin the day after his performance while another blogger has a great video interview with him right after the game. With his performance, you can imagine that Lin is getting a lot more press, like this NBA.com piece where I learned that the basketball player was no dumb jock at Harvard:
The most important accolades he left Harvard with were a 4.2 GPA and a degree in Economics. In his what seems like his non-existent spare time, Lin also was editor of the school newspaper and interned for a California senator.
On a 4.0 grade point scale, a 4.3 is an A+, which means Lin must have gotten a lot of straight A’s. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it, even if you take into account grade inflation. Maybe Lin will start a new stereotype: the Model Minority Athlete ?!? We’re already “blessed” with an Asian American Jersey Shore.
from 8Asians.com by John
Back in June, Harvard graduate and basketball player and Palo Alto, California native Jeremy Lin didn’t make the NBA during the draft. But he did get invited to play for the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA’s summer league. Well, Lin is starting to turn heads. In his 4th summer league game last week where the Dallas Mavericks took on the Washington Wizards, Lin went toe-to-toe with the #1 NBA draft pick this year, John Wall, and more than held his own. I’ve been seeing this video online posted everywhere – you can really hear the crowd supporting him after some pretty awesome attacks to the basket as well as the commentary lauding Lin’s performance. ESPN Dallas is reporting that due to Lin’s performance, he might be signed soon:
Lin is on the verge of signing an NBA contract, and it could be with the Mavericks, who view him as an intriguing developmental point guard and a strong candidate to run the club’s new D-League affiliate that begins play this fall in Frisco. “We’re in discussions as we speak,” Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Friday afternoon. “We are extremely interested in him as a young player.” Suddenly, the player deemed too flawed in most major areas to survive in the NBA is in contract discussions with three teams, according to league sources. The Los Angeles Lakers are believed to be one, with an Eastern Conference team the other.
(Note: Frisco is NOT San Francisco but Frisco, Texas located30 miles outside of Dallas.) ESPN radio has a terrific interview with Lin the day after his performance while another blogger has a great video interview with him right after the game. With his performance, you can imagine that Lin is getting a lot more press, like this NBA.com piece where I learned that the basketball player was no dumb jock at Harvard:
The most important accolades he left Harvard with were a 4.2 GPA and a degree in Economics. In his what seems like his non-existent spare time, Lin also was editor of the school newspaper and interned for a California senator.
On a 4.0 grade point scale, a 4.3 is an A+, which means Lin must have gotten a lot of straight A’s. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it, even if you take into account grade inflation. Maybe Lin will start a new stereotype: the Model Minority Athlete ?!? We’re already “blessed” with an Asian American Jersey Shore.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
POSTGAME NOTES: A blown call, a bloated bullpen and Brandon Belt
This is from extra baggs at the SJ mercury click on the link for full article
By Alex Pavlovic
To some notes, quotes and observations from the series finale:
— Right as I started typing this they showed the replays again on the monitors up here. Missed. Call. Ishikawa was stunned after what was a very weird ninth inning for him. Here’s his take on the call:
“To feel like I was so sure the game was over was satisfying but then my heart sunk when I saw him raise his arm for the out. It was tough. I felt like I made it but Phil and I have different opinions. There was no explanation, he just called me out. For me to be so sure about it was tough.”
Ishikawa said he tried to stay out of the drama between Cuzzi and the Mets earlier in his at-bat, did say that “there was a lot of yelling going on.” By the way, let’s hope today gets Ishikawa a few more starts. He’s more than earned them.
POSTGAME NOTES: A blown call, a bloated bullpen and Brandon Belt
By Alex Pavlovic
To some notes, quotes and observations from the series finale:
— Right as I started typing this they showed the replays again on the monitors up here. Missed. Call. Ishikawa was stunned after what was a very weird ninth inning for him. Here’s his take on the call:
“To feel like I was so sure the game was over was satisfying but then my heart sunk when I saw him raise his arm for the out. It was tough. I felt like I made it but Phil and I have different opinions. There was no explanation, he just called me out. For me to be so sure about it was tough.”
Ishikawa said he tried to stay out of the drama between Cuzzi and the Mets earlier in his at-bat, did say that “there was a lot of yelling going on.” By the way, let’s hope today gets Ishikawa a few more starts. He’s more than earned them.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
postgame-notes-it-all-comes-flooding-back-to-ishikawa-
POSTGAME NOTES: It all comes flooding back to Ishikawa,
Posted by Andrew Baggarly on July 3rd, 2010 at 10:14 pm | Categorized as Uncategorized
Travis Ishikawa had all kinds of help in the minutes before he took the field Saturday night.
Infield coach Ron Wotus thoughtfully pointed out where Ishikawa could find first base. Ishikawa playfully pretended like he was going to take the field with the Rockies in the top of the first.
It’s good that Ishikawa can keep a good sense of humor after not starting a game since May 19. He’d gone 40 consecutive games collecting splinters on the bench.
And his first start came against all-world pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. And he hit a grand slam.
Baseball’s an amazing game, isn’t it?
Bruce Bochy told hitting coach Hensley Meulens Friday night that Ishikawa would be playing, but apparently, the message didn’t get relayed to the player.
“I came in doing my normal routine,” Ishikawa said. “I caught some Frisbees with the strength coach. I was on my way to do 20 minutes on the treadmill when I saw the lineup. Every day I come in ready to start. And if I don’t, I do what I do to get ready.”
How frustrating has it been?
“Well, you guys haven’t seen me throw or break anything in the clubhouse yet,” said the mild-mannered Ishikawa, smiling. “I knew coming into the year after Aubrey (Huff) signed that this would be what it’s like. I really wanted to work on it. No matter what role they put me in, I wanted to be the best at it.”
Ishikawa hadn’t forgotten where first base was at. And when the time came, he rounded those bases in the right order, too.
“That grand slam is what won it for us,” said Bochy, “even though (the Rockies) came back.”
Ishikawa will be in the lineup tomorrow, Bochy said. And he’ll get more starts now that Buster Posey will be getting regular time behind the plate.
Posted by Andrew Baggarly on July 3rd, 2010 at 10:14 pm | Categorized as Uncategorized
Travis Ishikawa had all kinds of help in the minutes before he took the field Saturday night.
Infield coach Ron Wotus thoughtfully pointed out where Ishikawa could find first base. Ishikawa playfully pretended like he was going to take the field with the Rockies in the top of the first.
It’s good that Ishikawa can keep a good sense of humor after not starting a game since May 19. He’d gone 40 consecutive games collecting splinters on the bench.
And his first start came against all-world pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. And he hit a grand slam.
Baseball’s an amazing game, isn’t it?
Bruce Bochy told hitting coach Hensley Meulens Friday night that Ishikawa would be playing, but apparently, the message didn’t get relayed to the player.
“I came in doing my normal routine,” Ishikawa said. “I caught some Frisbees with the strength coach. I was on my way to do 20 minutes on the treadmill when I saw the lineup. Every day I come in ready to start. And if I don’t, I do what I do to get ready.”
How frustrating has it been?
“Well, you guys haven’t seen me throw or break anything in the clubhouse yet,” said the mild-mannered Ishikawa, smiling. “I knew coming into the year after Aubrey (Huff) signed that this would be what it’s like. I really wanted to work on it. No matter what role they put me in, I wanted to be the best at it.”
Ishikawa hadn’t forgotten where first base was at. And when the time came, he rounded those bases in the right order, too.
“That grand slam is what won it for us,” said Bochy, “even though (the Rockies) came back.”
Ishikawa will be in the lineup tomorrow, Bochy said. And he’ll get more starts now that Buster Posey will be getting regular time behind the plate.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
3 Views of a next-generation GM
Ian Thomsen>INSIDE THE NBA
• Freakonomics. To understand how Thunder general manager Sam Presti has steadily assembled a low-cost, high-upside roster that is the envy of other small-market teams, give credit to two factors that are out of reach for most franchises. First is the presence of Kevin Durant, who arrived as the No. 2 pick in 2007 and is fast developing the talents and leadership skills of a league MVP. Second is the discipline of Presti, who continues to develop -- and most importantly, stick with -- a long-term plan to develop young players according to the team-first demands of the Thunder program while keeping costs low. It's fine for franchises to envy OKC now, but how many owners would have the foresight and patience to adhere to the plan a couple of years ago when the Thunder were struggling?
The third factor, which may be available to other teams: Assistant GM Rich Cho, the Swiss army knife of the Thunder's front office. Cho is a lawyer and capologist who also knows a player when he sees one. "He's so smart with numbers and negotiations and the cap," said Hawks GM Rick Sund, who worked with Cho with the old Sonics in Seattle, "and he's an attorney and he's brilliant in finance and he's a good people person."
Most fans (and many NBA owners) have never heard of Cho, but people in the league view him as a prototype for the next NBA era, an executive who draws on a number of backgrounds to come up with solutions. "Rich is incredibly talented," said Presti. "He has great versatility in his approach and skills and is someone that consistently thinks of the long-term interest of the organization."
• The law. Former Sonics president Wally Walker used to employ Cho in both the basketball and business offices in Seattle, where Cho would work on sponsorships and other business deals in addition to helping Walker and Sund structure their basketball payroll. When Presti took over, he focused Cho entirely on basketball and has turned him into a scout as well as a numbers-crunching salary-cap expert.
Someday, Cho will be a GM or team president in the NBA, and as such he'll be able to draw on his experience in the business office while not needing to hire legal counsel or a capologist -- he'll fill both roles himself. "The combination of all of those things gives him a really good future," said Sund. "Going back over my career of 30 some years in the NBA, I wish I'd picked up a law or business degree along with my understanding of basketball. I've been in basketball all my life, but the different dimensions Rich has -- I wish I had them."
• The analysis. Cho is not the only executive who applies an unusual point of view to assembling NBA talent. Nuggets VP Mark Warkentien and Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman -- both reportedly on the short list of candidates to take over as GM of the Suns -- are both highly regarded as outside-the-box thinkers. Rockets GM Daryl Morey uses data analysis in an unprecedented way with the help of his VP Sam Hinkie, a brilliant number-cruncher who previously worked in private equity and venture capital. Nets VP Bobby Marks is another promising capologist.
Crucial to all of these planners is their ability to translate a player's strengths and weaknesses into a salary. What is the player's value in the current market? The Thunder's success has depended on making the difficult decisions of knowing when to spend on certain players -- like the three-year, $15.6 million deal they gave to center Nenad Krstic -- and when to walk away from others who aren't worth big money. "I always felt I was a half-step ahead with Rich," said Sund. "When I was with Seattle he'd already developed a software package of evaluating every player in the league, it was all done by numbers and all I had to do was type in the name or the value. Plus he's one of those lucky guys who has a photographic memory -- he can remember everything that happened from when you were trying to do a trade four years earlier or when you were looking at a guy in the draft."
"This game has become a numbers game," said Hawks director of pro personnel/college scouting Steve Rosenberry, who worked with Cho in Seattle. "It's easier to assess the talent than it is to assess to attach a number to that talent. You can inherit a bad contract and you can trade for one, but you damn sure don't want to give one."
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/07/02/free.agency/1.html#ixzz0sdLwDeUQ
• Freakonomics. To understand how Thunder general manager Sam Presti has steadily assembled a low-cost, high-upside roster that is the envy of other small-market teams, give credit to two factors that are out of reach for most franchises. First is the presence of Kevin Durant, who arrived as the No. 2 pick in 2007 and is fast developing the talents and leadership skills of a league MVP. Second is the discipline of Presti, who continues to develop -- and most importantly, stick with -- a long-term plan to develop young players according to the team-first demands of the Thunder program while keeping costs low. It's fine for franchises to envy OKC now, but how many owners would have the foresight and patience to adhere to the plan a couple of years ago when the Thunder were struggling?
The third factor, which may be available to other teams: Assistant GM Rich Cho, the Swiss army knife of the Thunder's front office. Cho is a lawyer and capologist who also knows a player when he sees one. "He's so smart with numbers and negotiations and the cap," said Hawks GM Rick Sund, who worked with Cho with the old Sonics in Seattle, "and he's an attorney and he's brilliant in finance and he's a good people person."
Most fans (and many NBA owners) have never heard of Cho, but people in the league view him as a prototype for the next NBA era, an executive who draws on a number of backgrounds to come up with solutions. "Rich is incredibly talented," said Presti. "He has great versatility in his approach and skills and is someone that consistently thinks of the long-term interest of the organization."
• The law. Former Sonics president Wally Walker used to employ Cho in both the basketball and business offices in Seattle, where Cho would work on sponsorships and other business deals in addition to helping Walker and Sund structure their basketball payroll. When Presti took over, he focused Cho entirely on basketball and has turned him into a scout as well as a numbers-crunching salary-cap expert.
Someday, Cho will be a GM or team president in the NBA, and as such he'll be able to draw on his experience in the business office while not needing to hire legal counsel or a capologist -- he'll fill both roles himself. "The combination of all of those things gives him a really good future," said Sund. "Going back over my career of 30 some years in the NBA, I wish I'd picked up a law or business degree along with my understanding of basketball. I've been in basketball all my life, but the different dimensions Rich has -- I wish I had them."
• The analysis. Cho is not the only executive who applies an unusual point of view to assembling NBA talent. Nuggets VP Mark Warkentien and Bucks assistant GM Jeff Weltman -- both reportedly on the short list of candidates to take over as GM of the Suns -- are both highly regarded as outside-the-box thinkers. Rockets GM Daryl Morey uses data analysis in an unprecedented way with the help of his VP Sam Hinkie, a brilliant number-cruncher who previously worked in private equity and venture capital. Nets VP Bobby Marks is another promising capologist.
Crucial to all of these planners is their ability to translate a player's strengths and weaknesses into a salary. What is the player's value in the current market? The Thunder's success has depended on making the difficult decisions of knowing when to spend on certain players -- like the three-year, $15.6 million deal they gave to center Nenad Krstic -- and when to walk away from others who aren't worth big money. "I always felt I was a half-step ahead with Rich," said Sund. "When I was with Seattle he'd already developed a software package of evaluating every player in the league, it was all done by numbers and all I had to do was type in the name or the value. Plus he's one of those lucky guys who has a photographic memory -- he can remember everything that happened from when you were trying to do a trade four years earlier or when you were looking at a guy in the draft."
"This game has become a numbers game," said Hawks director of pro personnel/college scouting Steve Rosenberry, who worked with Cho in Seattle. "It's easier to assess the talent than it is to assess to attach a number to that talent. You can inherit a bad contract and you can trade for one, but you damn sure don't want to give one."
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/07/02/free.agency/1.html#ixzz0sdLwDeUQ
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