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| Jeremy Lin & Mr. Will-W. - February 2012 |
In-town for a game against the Toronto Raptors, there is no name hotter in the NBA right this moment than the New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin. Getting to meet the 23-year-old in-person holds great significance to me, as he is the first-ever American NBA Player to be of Chinese descent. Myself being a Chinese person raised aboard and having lived the immigrant experience, can appreciate the subtleties of overcoming unsaid obstacles and Lin gives me reason to cheer. The Harvard Graduate who despite remaining undrafted out of College, eventually he struck a deal with the Golden State Warriors.
After a bit of a shuffle, Lin subsequently was claimed off waivers by the New York Knicks late December 2011. Originally, he was intended primarily as a Backup on the Team. He has however, gone on quickly to exceed all expectations, playing a pivotal role in the Knicks' current five-game winning streak, placing them in-contention for a play-off spot in the Eastern Conference.
On February 10, 2012, Lin wowed the World, scoring a new career-high of 38 points with seven assists, acting as a main catalyst to the Knicks' win over the Los Angeles Lakers. To put this into perspective further, he outshone seasoned (and controversial) Veteran Kobe Bryant, who managed to score 34 points that night. Some predicted Lin's success; many were surprised. All however can agree that Linsanity is at an all-time high, with all eyes on the 6'3 Chinese-American from Palo Alto, California and the Asian Community couldn't be more proud.
Although most of his other Teammates paid little mind to Fans waiting in the freezing cold outside their luxury Hotel, Lin enforced strictly a one-Autograph-per-person rule, still taking a minute to show his appreciation. After a bit of gentle coaxing, I managed even to convince him to pose for a quick Snap and for that I am appreciative, knowing now the difference between approaching a Basketball Player and a Movie Star. It's rather different.
Upon performing a quick market value check on Lin's Autograph afterward, I see some retailers pricing it upwards of $400 US, explaining Lin's weariness towards being overly-generous.
Lin is on Twitter. Join-in on the Linsanity here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)
