Let it shine but not showing off

Photo credit of http://www.flickr.com/photos/31168269@N06/6907110911/sizes/m/
Historically, very few Asians have made it on the NBA scene let alone are recognized as a world-wide idol.   Yao-Ming was probably the first Chinese to break the bamboo curtain, and play for-the Houston Rockets.   He was a giant at 7’6” who played among giants. He was born into a very poor family, and raised by the Chinese government to be a national basketball hero, and hopefully achieve world-wide fame for China.
However, the story of Jeremy Lin is truly one of the most interesting sports sagas for he made it into the NBA in the past couple of years.  He was the first Asian American to break into a starting role.  Yao-Ming came into the NBA though the front door as a Chinese star, and after years of negotiations with the Chinese government. Jeremy, however, snuck in through the back door and no one knew of his abilities.  He was the first American of Taiwanese descent to play in the league.  He was born of Taiwanese parents, who immigrated from Taiwan to United States in the mid-1970s.   He started playing basketball with his father and his brothers when he was little, and this has became one of his biggest interests.  He kept playing basketball as a reprieve from studying hard during his high school years..
     It was about eight years ago in July of 2005 when Bill Holden, the Harvard assistant coach, noticed that Lin was 6 feet 3 inches tall; thin as a pencil; and carried a 4.2 grade point.   Jeremy not only had the physical attributes of a good shooting guard, but his grade point average made him very valuable for he fitted Harvard's high academic standards.  Holden was initially unimpressed with Lin's on-court abilities, so he told Lin's high school basketball coach, Peter Diepenbrock, that Lin was a "Division III player".  Later that week, however, Holden saw Lin playing in a much more competitive game.  He noticed Jeremy driving to the basket on every opportunity with the "instincts of a killer,"   It was then that Jeremy Lin caught Bill Holden’s eye and he became a top priority for him.
       Due to the heavy focus on a child’s education by Asian parents, Jeremy's mom was often criticized by her friends for letting Jeremy play so much basketball,  However, she only allowed him to play the game he enjoyed  if he kept all of his grades up and went to church.  Over the years, Jeremy learned to really focus; strove to do his best in everything; and asked Christ to guide his life’s ambitions, goals, and vocation.  He was known for that Taiwanese kid who “could really shoot the ball,” but also had such a deep faith in God that he wanted to become a preacher.
Through the teaching of his Dad, Mom, Bill Holden, etc., Jeremy Lin became an All Pacific Coast guard in high school,  a First Team Ivy League basketball player at Harvard, and an NBA rocket offensive standout.  In his second year, Jeremy was pushed into a starting role as a shooting guard for the New York Knicks.  He replaced an All-Pro franchisee  player who destroyed his ACL.  In his first game, he shot over 50% and scored 17 points.  Within a week, he was scoring in 20s.  In his third week, he was consistently scoring in the 30s.  In February of 2012, Jeremy scored a  career-high 38 points and had seven assists leading the Knicks in a 92–85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. He even outscored the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who had 34 points.  No one in the history of the NBA had ever had a faster raise to the top or a higher scoring average.  He not only becme the idol of the New York Knick fans, but “the” No. 1 Asian basketball player in the world.
I chose Jeremy Lin because I am a big fan of his.   First, his parents immigrated from Taiwan, which is where I came from.  I can sort of relate to him just because of his ancestry and likes and dislikes.  In some ways, he is someone just like me—a normal Taiwanese kid who has to do well in school, and follow his parents teaching.  Second, he is a fantastic basketball player who follows his interests, strives to excel and develop himself.  Third, he has a deep personal faith with God.  He is such a good example for all teenagers and a real idol to follow. He always gives thanks to God after every games.  He also loves to spread the gospel to people around him.  Fourth, he never changes his personality; and he is always  humble.  Fifth, Jeremy became a star much quicker than Yao-Ming, and made a bigger impact on his professional  team.
I hope people will learn something from this blog as the blog posts something new every time.  This blog will give the reader a  look at basketball through Asian eyes; show the different aspects of Jeremy Lin; and discover some interesting facts about his life and goals. I hope everyone enjoys my blog, and shares good ideas together!