Now you may not be a fan of basketball...or sports in general...however, we would be doing you a disservice if we didn't send out this alert: Jeremy Lin is the future of basketball.
"Linsanity!" If you get an opportunity to sit in on a Knicks match up this season at Madison Square, you may be subject to sudden outbursts of that very phrase. The 23-year old, Jeremy Lin is currently serving the dreaded and pressure filled starting point guard role of the 2011-2012 New York Knickerbockers. This Harvard, yes, THAT Harvard, University graduate didn't attend on an athletic scholarship...nor was he drafted to the NBA. That's right. Traditionally, this would be the good ol', blue collar, American work story. You know, the "Hard work and dedication pays off" -story, your grandparents love to tell. Only, this would most likely be the first of Asain-American origin. Following his four-year collegiate career, he was a unanimous first-team Ivy League selection. Lin was also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard and for the John R. Wooden Award as the national player of the year.
As Jeremy would go on to ink his first deal with his hometown, Golden State Warriors after a Donnie Nelson invitation to the Dallas Mavericks Las Vegas Summer League roster, in five Summer League games, while playing both guard positions, Lin averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 18.6 minutes per game and shot a team leading 54.5% from the floor. His performance was enough to not only garner offers from the Mavericks, L.A. Lakers, an undisclosed Eastern Conference club in addition to the Warriors, but to also a three-year guaranteed contract with Nike for him to watch his jersey hit shelves before he stepped foot on a live NBA court.
During the 2010-2011 season, Lin was assigned to the Warriors' D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns three times total. Each time, he was later recalled by the Warriors. During his final D-League stint, he competed in the NBA D-League Showcase and was named to the All-NBA D-League Showcase First Team on January 14, 2011. There he helped lead the Bighorns to a 2-0 record while averaging 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 steals. The NBA GMs noticed and the trade offers began to roll into the Warriors front office. With a firm belief that Lin was an "inexpensive, developing" asset, Golden State held tight. At least until December 9, 2011. Which is when the Warriors waived the young guard in an attempt to free up salary cap space to acquire L.A. Clippers Center, DeAndre Jordan. #Fail. Jordan would renew with the Clippers and Lin was set to rake in an $800,000 salary that would have become fully guaranteed on February 10, 2012.
On December 12, 2011, Lin was claimed off of waivers by the Houston Rockets and waived again one day before the start of the 2011–12 lockout season on December 24, 2011, in an effort to free up space to acquire Center Samuel Dalembert.On December 27th, The New York Knicks would claim Lin off of waivers after an injury to rookie guard Iman Shumpert on opening day against conference rivals, the Boston Celtics. On January 17, 2012, Lin was once again assigned to the D-League, this time the Erie BayHawks. On January 20, he recorded his first professional triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in the BayHawks' 122–113 victory over the Maine Red Claws. Lin was recalled by the Knicks on January 23, 2012. LOL. The rest is history.
SCREAM @ ME!!!
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