***Flashback to last Saturday***
Background: It’s my dad’s birthday, and I let my mom know that I got them tickets to see The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra. After giving her the particulars (show starts at 8, tickets are under my name, etc), the conversation segued to a surprising place.
Mom: “So, Melo’s coming back soon, huh?”
Champ: “Huh?”
Mom: “Melo.”
Champ: “Mom, what are you talking about?”
Mom: “Carmelo Anthony. He’s supposed to be coming back soon. Do you think he’s going to be able to fit in with Jeremy Lin?”
Now, my mom never played sports herself, but she has a general understanding of the rules of each of the major sports, and she knows who the stars (and each of the Steelers) are. Basically, she isn’t one of those people who’d say something like “Oooh, nice dunk!” while watching a football game. I mean, when you have a son and a husband who are diehard sports junkies, I guess you can’t help but become a fan as well.
With that being said, I realized exactly how much hype and attention New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin has received when I saw that it managed to turn my mom into Stephen A. Smith. A woman who, just a few months ago, asked me to demonstrate for her exactly what “pick and roll” means is now asking me if “Melo” is going to ruin the Knicks’ chemistry and if he’s just a bad fit for D’Antoni’s offense.
Now, in the past couple weeks I’ve had various people ask for my take on Linsanity. I didn’t really want to write about it though, because, well, everyone else is, and I just couldn’t think of an interesting and unique angle I could take.
But, after thinking about it for a few days, there are actually a few things I haven’t heard anyone say about him yet. Not to say that they haven’t been said. I just haven’t personally seen or read them.
Here’s five of them.
1. The person who has the most to lose with Linsanity? Either Derrick Rose or Dwyane Wade.
Although the NFL is the undisputed king among professional sports in America, once you leave North American soil, the NBA is the American sports league that travels the best. China is a perfect example of this, as the NBA is the most popular sports league in the world’s biggest country.
Where do Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose fit into all of this? Well, when the NBA decided to allow fans to vote for All-Star starters online, Chinese fans took advantage of this, stuffing the ballot boxes so that Yao Ming and his Houston Rockets teammate, Tracy McGrady, were starters for the West every year. Since Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady happened to be the Western Conference’s best players at their respective positions (center and small forward) at that time, it was no big deal.
But, while it’s too late for Lin to be voted in as a starter in this year’s All-Star game, there’s absolutely no chance in hell that he won’t be picked as a starter next year. And, since he’s starting, either D. Wade or Derrick Rose won’t be. In fact, even if he starts sucking, you could probably pencil Lin in as an All-Star starter for the next four or five years.
Hmm. In a league where star players are obsessed with their legacies — and “How many All-Star games did he start when he was in his prime?” is a question people ask when trying to determine a player’s legacy — I wonder how guards clearly better than Lin are going to feel when realizing he’s going to be starting ahead of them for years to come.
2. This could not have happened anywhere other than New York City.
People have argued that the Linsanity craze wouldn’t have happened if he happened to be in a city like Milwaukee or Memphis or Cleveland or Detroit. I agree, but for different reasons. I don’t think he’d be playing as well as he has been if he was in one of those cities.
It’s been repeated ad nauseum that the Knicks were a perfect fit for him. Perfect coach for him to play for, perfect offense for him to run, perfect group of teammates for him to play with, and even a perfect time for him to play (His start coincidentally happened when Carmelo Anthony sat out a few games due to injury. If Melo never gets injured, Linsanity never happens)
But, as much as each of those things have helped him succeed, him being in New York F*cking City matters even more. Lin is clearly a guy who feeds off the crowd’s energy when he’s playing. Not to say that he doesn’t have genuine confidence, but the type of fearlessness (and occasional recklessness) he plays with gets a boost when you have 20,000 raucous people anticipating your every move. Madison Square Garden is the only NBA arena where 1. he’d get that type of environment and 2. the fans are knowledgeable enough to know that he needs it.
It’s obviously carried over. He has played well on the road since he became a starter. But, I just don’t think he’d have built the type of confidence to do this in Toronto if he didn’t get his initial boost in New York…and I’m sure he wouldn’t have had Raptors fans cheering for him.
3. 2011-2012 has seen a resurgence of “natural-born basketball playing” point guards.
While they’re all great basketball players, you can argue that Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall are athletes first. (You can also argue that John Wall is far, far, far, far, far away from being a great NBA player, but that’s another discussion for another day) Each of those guys are so athletic that they would have been great at any sport, and each of them, even MVP Rose, are still learning how to play point guard.
Yet, as Rose and Westbrook have made many assume that you need to be an amazing athlete to be a top-notch point guard today, with Jeremy Lin, Kyrie Irving (who I told y’all about two years ago), and Ricky Rubio, you have a trio of new to the NBA point guards; natural born basketball players who are succeeding despite not being world-class athletes. Of the three, Irving is (obviously) my favorite — a 19 year old (!!!) who literally has no offensive weaknesses — but I see pieces of each of them in each of their games, and this excites me as a basketball fan.
4. Jeremy Lin is handsome. This matters.
As any sociologist will tell you, we’re hardwired to give attractive people certain advantages we don’t extend as easily to others. We assume they’re smarter, stronger, more confident, and more worthy of our trust and support. It’s no accident that most NFL quarterbacks would be considered attractive men even if they weren’t football players. In many cases, they were groomed to be quarterbacks at a young age in large part because they “looked the part” and coaches assumed they’d have the charisma and confidence to lead the rest of the team.
Why am I bringing this up? Well, there are many parallels between Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow. Both have experienced unexpected success, both captivated the nation, and both will tell you that their success is in large part due to their Christian faith. And, just how I’d argue that Tebow wouldn’t have been as popular if he looked like, I don’t know, John C. Reilly, (In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that if Tim Tebow looked like John C. Reilly, he wouldn’t have been Tim Tebow: Star Quarterback at all), the fact that Jeremy Lin looks like he could be an American Apparel model has given Linsanity a boost that may not have occurred if he was plainer looking.
5. It’s been interesting watching people try to find parallels for Lin’s unexpected ascent. But, everyone seems to be missing the most obvious choice.
He’s been compared to Tim Tebow, Flip Murray, Billy Ray Bates, Fernando Venezuela, Tiger Woods, Yao Ming, and pretty much any other athlete who either 1. came out of nowhere to play at an all-star level for an extended period of time, 2. succeeded at a sport despite not having the racial makeup and background of the people who usually succeeded at that sport, or 3. became a national craze.
But, there’s a (seemingly) obvious name I haven’t heard yet, a person who managed to captivate the nation in a historic fashion despite having a funny name, an unusual background, and a chorus of haters who maintain that his success is only due to his race.
Hmm. Who could I possibly be talking about? I’ll give you one hint: They went to the same school.
That’s enough Linsanity for me. People of VSB, what are you thoughts on the Jeremy Lin phenomenon? Do you think he’ll be a short-lived flash in the pan, or do you see his success continuing?
—Damon Young (aka “The Champ”)
I heart Jeremy Lin and that guy can hoop…forget all the skeptics…yes he’s a little rough around the edges and def. needs some fine tuning but after a few more games and more practice. And some correction with his defense and turn overs, he’s going to be linstoppable! yes I made that word up lol
sounds like you’re lin love
No joke about an hour ago, my mother called and said “Who is that oriental kid that’s been killing Kobe?” Mind you the only thing she knows about the NBA was from back when the Blazers were champions or anything that is negative towards Kobe Bryant. lol
*Lmao*, I didn’t know people still used “oriental.”
RIGHT?!?!?! lol
Like a rug though…?
Mind you the only thing she knows about the NBA was from back when the Blazers were champions or anything that is negative towards Kobe Bryant.
My mom’s NBA knowledge ends around 1985. Any time Sir Charles, Magic, Patrick Ewing, etc gets some screen time, my mom is like “He’s STILL playing??” No mom, hence the suit and the broadcasting studio
We use Oriental in the UK . If you called him Asian in the UK, we’d think you’re referring to people of South Asia descent i.e. India etc. Otherwise you would just call his country – China, Vietnam etc.
“…or anything that is negative towards Kobe Bryant”
sounds like i’d like your mom
“oriental,” lol. mom dukes is mad old school
but yeah, this craze has been permeating the whole world …
To elaborate on #4 – I noticed that even though Tim Tebow has been waving his virginity flag, people are quick to try to link him to some model, female athlete, etc (side note: why is Kim Kardashian re-taping segments of Keeping up with Khlamydia to include her having weekly Bible study in order to attract Tebow? I just…) But Jeremy Lin seems to fall into that sexless Asian guy stereotype. No one’s said he’s good looking or, ‘now that you’re famous, you should try to holla at…’
“(side note: why is Kim Kardashian re-taping segments of Keeping up with Khlamydia to include her having weekly Bible study in order to attract Tebow? I just…) ” LMAO !!
ROTFL @ Keeping up with Khlamydia! Wow…got my prescription pad ready to dispense 1000mg of azithromycin for anyone who needs it
Her suddenly Christian tweets are killing me and I don’t even follow the yamp. lol
OH , but you are mistaken
http://bossip.com/545752/caption-this-groupie-thirst-is-real39204/
No one’s said he’s good looking or, ‘now that you’re famous, you should try to holla at…’
see, ive heard (and seen) differently. perhaps just the bougie black girls, er, women in my social circle are obsessed with asian men
it’ll be interesting is the black girl asian man thing becomes a “thing.” we haven’t really seen it since kim fields …
… but i could see it happening since all the hype over the past five years has been the notion that the least marriageable groups are black chicks and asian guys.
… but i could see it happening since all the hype over the past five years has been the notion that the least marriageable groups are black chicks and asian guys.
see? linsanity does have tangible benefits and sh*t
omg I actually remember when Kim Fields was with an Asian man.
Why, Champ, do you find ways to lump me into the bougie black girl category? I’ve never saw a reason to refuse equal opportunity dating to Asian guys. Let’s just say, when I moved from Mississippi to San Francisco, a whole new world of men opened up. (In an innocent way… Not a ho-ish way.)
LOL….do you remember the article that went viral a couple of years ago, that mentioned that since a large amount of Black men are in jail and the good ones are dating white Women, that the solution is for Black women to date Asian men. So the fact that “your bougie friends are interested in Asian men is not a surprise at all”
*I tried searching to the actual article but couldn’t find it*
Great article!!!
REALLY?! I’m just so shocked to hear that – you hardly ever see or talk of that dynamic in London…if we’re mixing up, it tends to be with white guys.
yeah, i truly hope he has folks around him who can warn him about the groupie types. i’d hate for him to walk into his seemingly safe hotel room on the road one day and get pounced on by some naked chick that his biology won’t be able to resist. create barriers, jeremy! groupies are very clever and NO GOOD. lol.
i soooo hope he doesn’t get caught up like so many dumb NBA players who don’t learn from the mistakes of others and can’t resist the urges of a singular body part. they think their sexual exploits are impressive when in reality even gerbils have sex. smh.
Apparently, Uncle Luke recently said that once Lin gets to Miami for tonight’s game, Trina et. al. are going to put it on him on South Beach and he’ll lose his mind.
I heart your comments. They are always on point.
Keeping up with Khlamydia? ahahahahahahaha!
Are you insane????
maybe???
#5 “He can really ball” without being followed by “for an Asian/Harvard guy/undrafted player”
lol, i’ve already heard that
Jeremy Lin is the epitome of the perfect storm. All those things you mentioned, combined with being 6’3 as a point guard allow him to show people just how little separates the stars from the barely on the roster guys. Opportunity as well as situation. He could’ve just as easily been a d-league player as we speak, but the PERFECT opportunity arose for him and he took FULL advantage of it. I’m happy for him. He’s hard to hate, Tebow on the other hand is just hard to be indifferent about smh
All those things you mentioned, combined with being 6’3 as a point guard allow him to show people just how little separates the stars from the barely on the roster guys
eh. i wouldnt say that. the stars are in a completely different stratosphere. Lin, while definitely a legit NBA player, isn’t a star.
@ The Champ, I’m not saying he’s a star, but he’s got the potential. I should rephrase, the SUPERstars (like Durant, Lebron, Wade) are in a different stratosphere, but you can’t tell me ninjas like ” Gasol, Bosh, Paul Pierce, Jameer Nelson, Joe Johnson” are THAT much better than the average players in the league. It usually comes down to something small like either A) 2 inches in height B) the right situation/offense C) confidence and the green light from their coach or D) a patented go to move. I agree that the superstars are in a different stratosphere though. The rest of the league doesn’t consists of players that aren’t that much better than each other though. He’s not the only player to come from nowehere, be overlooked by most teams, that’s capable of dropping 30 if necessary. If Norris Cole (who was selected 28th) was on a team that didn’t include 2 mega stars and an all star, I’m pretty sure he would be doing it more often.
I should have known you would have found a way to work this Kryie Irving into this discussion. And let’s give him credit, he is doing well for a 19 year old.
Just a point of reference, that same John Wall you spoke of averaged almost twice as many assists and steals his Rookie season as Kyrie is now, while scoring a comparable amount of points.
irving is doing well for a 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, or 24 year old. wall did (and still does) average more assists and steals, but so far as hasn’t really proved to consistently impact games in a positive way. irving was doing that after his second week.
(btw, i haven’t given up on wall yet. but, his game just has a ton of holes right now)
Thanks for mentioning all the holes in John Wall’s game. He definitely has the ability, but he would have been a better player with more time in college. There’s not enough polish there for my tastes, and if he doesn’t work, he’s going to be another Stephon Marbury: a number-hanger that never gets his teams anywhere.
He’s doing alright for someone touted as “the most complete high school point guard I’ve ever seen”.
I can’t remember if it was you or not, but I do recall someone else mentioning he was the most pure collegiate point guard they had ever seen. Having watched the likes of Kenny Anderson and Chris Paul and yeah… even fellow Duke alum Jason Williams, I wondered how such a statement could be made.
“Having watched the likes of Kenny Anderson and Chris Paul and yeah… even fellow Duke alum Jason Williams, I wondered how such a statement could be made.”
“pure” maybe not, but i’d argue that he was a more “complete” product coming out of school than any of those guys
My thing with Irving is he’s one of those players who’s good at everything and great at nothing. As far as elite or potentially elite players at his position are concerned, he doesn’t have the exceptional 3 ball of Steve Nash, not as fast a Rondo, explosive as Westbrook, doesn’t finish at the rim like Rose and doesn’t pass or control the whole floor like Paul. Each one of the elite pg’s in the leage is good at everything and then also great at something. (Only exception is Rondo who, for some reason seems to think having a jump shot is unnecessary.)
So I guess I agree that he’s a really complete ball player and has been since high school, but I’m also saying I think it’s very possible that he’ll never be that much better than he is right now.
Far as Wall is concerned, he’s gotta develop a handle. He has absolutely no shake to him, which is crazy. For a point guard drafted at #1 overall, it’s surprising how difficult it is for him to break guys down off the dribble.
And finally, Jeremy Lin. I actually think Lin and Irving are very much comparable players. The only thing Lin doesn’t have is pedigree. With is father being 5’6 and his mother 5’3 he doesn’t have the familial athletic history most athletes have, having gone to Harvard he doesn’t have the collegiate pedigree scouts expect and being asian he doesn’t have the cultural pedigree we’ve come to expect. But if you just look at his game, he like Irving is a guy who’s good at everything, great at nothing. I see him eventually improving his jumpshot, particularly from 3 range and I see him being a little better in terms of turning the ball over, but outside of that, this is probably as good as it gets and as a knicks fan, I’m fine with that. I think he’ll be an above average point guard in the league for a long while.
Yeah, I actually agree with pretty much all Most just said. Irving and Lin are good at all, great at nothing, and that type of complete game with no real identity or super strength will normally lead to people overlooking or underrating you because nothing about your game stands out, but because of everything else involved with the Lin story, people are able to appreciate the value of a complete player this one time.
Yeah, man, a few of your Irving points are pretty off. It’s true that he’s not an athlete in the rose/westbrook/wall class, but he already has shown a few stand out skills for his position
1. He’s one of the best shooting point guards to enter the league…ever. Right now he’s shooting 48% from the field, 41% from 3, and 86% from the line. Basically, he’s 19 and already putting up Nash-like shooting numbers.
2. He might have the best “combo handle” in the league right now. Crossovers, spins, in and outs — you name it, and he f*cks people up with it. Despite not being super explosive, he gets past people because he puts them on skates.
3. He also might be the best “below the rim” finisher in the league. Some of the layups he consistently makes most people wouldn’t even try in a game of horse
Case in point: This is last week against the Heat. I’ve watched probably 25 Cavs games this year, and he makes shots like this on a regular basis. They just never show up on Sportscenter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LoIKRSG65M
“But, with Jeremy Lin, Kyrie Irving (who I told y’all about two years ago), and Ricky Rubio, you have a trio of new to the NBA point guards; natural born basketball players who are succeeding despite not being world-class athletes.”
so no mention of Brandon knight!? sir i challenge you to a duel….
*pimp slaps the champ across the bottom lip with leather glove*
GO PISTONS!
so no mention of Brandon knight!
nope
” Hmm. Who could I possibly be talking about? I’ll give you one hint: They went to the same school. ”
lol, you’re the first one I’ve heard compare him to Barack Obama. Good parallel. Creative to take it to a figure outside of sports. His story reminds me of Victor Cruz, his hype reminds me of Tebow, his game is a cross between Nash and Deron Williams, and the way his stats cover up his turnovers reminds me of Cam Newton. I feel where you’re coming from on point guards that are basketball players first. I’m just glad to see the return of the point guard. It needs to be almost as important to teams as the QB is to an NFL team. (Clearly a former point guard is speaking here lol) It’ll never be as valuable as a QB, but I’m glad that the Lakers lack of a pg (or any semblance of defense) got them swept last year. I feel the same way about NFL teams with mediocre or bad defenses winning super bowls. It just doesn’t sit well with me lol
Btw Champ (or anybody with a valid opinion) who’s your top 5 in order as far as NBA point guards go?
1. Chris Paul
2. Russell Westbrook
3. Derrick Rose
4. Rajon Rondo
5. Deron Williams
I understand if everyone else has differing ratings for anyone 2-5, but if you can’t see that Chris Paul is head and shoulders above the rest then…
Chris Paul is pretty much unstoppable right now… I mean, he literally dominates whoever tries to guard him. He can score anytime he wants, he can dime any time he wants… it’s like a video game out there when he’s playing.
I agree but he is just so…….injury prone (and this is coming from a CP3 fan)
“I agree but he is just so…….injury prone (and this is coming from a CP3 fan)”
reluctantly nodding head
Better durability would be good, but while he is healthy, he simply cannot be guarded.
1. Chris Paul
2. Deron Williams
3. Steve Nash
4. Jose Calderon
5. Ricky Rubio
Its never good when your point is looking for his shots first.
“Btw Champ (or anybody with a valid opinion) who’s your top 5 in order as far as NBA point guards go?”
Paul
Rose/Westbrook
Williams
Rondo
(Right outside the top five are Nash, Parker, and Irving)
You’d have Irving before Jennings (Brandon)? Really? And Rubio doesn’t even get a mention? LOL, damn how bad do you need to be right about Kyrie? You just gon’ force him in to the top 10?
If I was Cleveland I’d still draft him 1st too (everyone needs a solid point guard) and I expect that he’ll get even better (particularly in assists) but I don’t think he is nearly as good (at this point in his career) as you seem to need him to be. I think he’ll get there (if they surround him with better talent… and it’s the Cavs… so they probably won’t) but I don’t think he is by any stretch of the imagination there yet.
You’d have Irving before Jennings (Brandon)? Really? And Rubio doesn’t even get a mention? LOL, damn how bad do you need to be right about Kyrie? You just gon’ force him in to the top 10?
definitely. Jennings doesn’t even crack my top ten. I’d choose Lowry and Curry ahead of him. he’s a scoring point guard who can’t shoot.
And, just so you know, i’m far from the only one giving irving such praise
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/36904/irving-better-than-paul-lebron-as-rookie
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=149&f=4229&t=8661025
http://hoopspeak.com/2012/01/kyries-a-poor-mans-nobody/
(according to this, he’s currently the 9th most efficient point guard in the NBA)
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics?&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fhollinger%2fstatistics
PER? Player Efficiency, John Hollinger’s personal stat, is now the measure? I cant put much stock in it, I mean when I saw where Bill Russell was ranked how could this metric mean anything?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/per_career.html
I still think the kid is going to be good, but if Cleveland continues their unique brand of player mismanagement he’ll merely be good, and never more, never great, never a perennial all-star, none of it. Honestly I think the Cavs have more to prove in the front office than Iriving does on the floor.
Man I don’t know how to feel about Westbrook (Westbrick). The guy has talent out the yang but shoot first point that can’t really shoot makes me quite nervous. I actually think that’s going to be what tanks OKC in the playoffs this year.
” Man I don’t know how to feel about Westbrook (Westbrick). The guy has talent out the yang but shoot first point that can’t really shoot makes me quite nervous. ”
That’s how I feel. I actually like the Thunder a lot, and I love watching Westbrook play because he’ll dunk on damn near anybody, but I was surprised he’s in that many of yall’s top 3
I’m going
Paul
Rose
D. Williams
T. Parker
Westbrook
Rondo’s number 6, and it was all I could do not to include him, but you gotta be able to make jump shots when the defense gives them to you. Yall are sleeping on Tony Parker just because the Spurs are never in the press. Chris Paul is EVERYTHING you want in a point guard. He could use a couple more inches in height, but he doesn’t really need them.
Westbrook is the “shootiest” out of all the top PGs but he’s a decent defender and passer and hella athletic. Rondo to me is definitely top tier. You could shuffle the top 5 (other than Paul) and make an argument for any of them.
” You could shuffle the top 5 (other than Paul) and make an argument for any of them.”
God point. That pretty much sums up the whole elite point guard discussion lol
I don’t really think anybody is sleeping on Parker. He’s had a lot of trouble staying healthy the last couple years. I will say his jumper has improved but not enough to keep me from playing off on him constantly. He’s Avery Johnson 2.0 for me. And Westbrook plays D maybe 27.5884% of the time. Him AND Durant have a tendancy to get lazy on that end of the floor.
My top 5?
1. Paul
2. D. Williams
3. D. Rose (only because the dude doesn’t pass enough for me)
4. Parker
5. Rondo
Yeah DWill is the CP3 stopper. And he’s the ONLY one I’ve ever seen.
” Yeah DWill is the CP3 stopper. And he’s the ONLY one I’ve ever seen.”
I was literally JUST about to mention that. I remember when I first discovered that Chris Paul had kryptonite, it was the year he should’ve won MVP (08) when Kobe won it. It was coming down to the last few games. The first one to have a bad game would have to concede the MVP to the other guy (well it was also about which team had the better record but that’s wack to admit) D. Will’s game is so complete (defense included) that it’s scary….I’m thinkin that I might re-do my top 5. Todd’s list is pretty accurate. It’s really a toss up to me between Rondo and Westbrook. Rondo’s a more true point guard, but Westbrook’s a better scorer and harder to guard in general…
Not really. You defend Rondo and Westbrook the same way. Stay 5 feet back at all times or you WILL end up getting snapped off and on sportscenter looking stupid. Rondo will stand there and look lost and Westbrook will toss up 24 jumpers for the night and MAYBE hit 10 of them.
I need to see both Irving and Wall play more, but as of right now Irving strikes me as more of a fluid and natural basketball player. He’s definitely lightyears ahead of him as a scorer, just like Wall’s leaps and bounds more athletic, but DQ made a good point about the assists and steals. I rarely see Irving distributing the rock in his highlights lol
He’s a stone cold assassin when it comes to scoring tho. That jumper is as close to automatic as you can get coming off the dribble
” I rarely see Irving distributing the rock in his highlights lol”
he’s a good passer, but he’s definitely not in the paul/nash/rondo class in that regard.
His assists are lower and his points are higher than most PGs. Maybe that’s an artifact of the team he’s playing with, maybe it’s not… but he honestly does strike me as an Allen Iverson type point guard (meaning not really a point guard but a shooting guard masquerading as a point guard. You could say the same thing about Brandon Jennings).
It’s not even a question. Jennings is and always has been a 2. Westbrook is too on the slick. Same with DRose.
@ Corey- yeah, they’re all “tweeners”, natural scorers that would be ridiculous two guards, but too short to play shooting guard in the league. Rose is a lil bit more of a point guard than Westbrook and Jennings…and I would say Jennings is more of a point guard than Westbrook. Actually I’m not sure if I would say Rose is more of a point guard than Jennings though. I’ve seen Jennings run the point the right way from time to time. Rose has that world class athleticism as a crutch…kinda like Michael Vick used to have
Jennings can run a point mainly because of his time off in Italy. They don’t like to play tweeners in the systems they run over there, and they’re much more willing to teach positions because of the lighter playing schedule. As a result, Jennings had the motive and opportunity to learn how to run a proper point.
And with D. Rose, you are so right about the Michael Vick comparison. What makes it worse is that D. Rose doesn’t have any motivation to learn how to run a proper point the same way all those injuries got Vick to learn how to operate from the pocket. The ability is off-the-charts, and it sounds odd to say that a league MVP needs to seriously improve their game. That said, the Bulls long-term either need to stick a bigger-stronger tweener at the 2 or give Rose the crash course in point guard skills no one ever gave him.
When you watch him play you can tell DRose has the court vision to run the point. Problem is he’s ALWAYS been the guy so he looks to score first and my personal opinion is that he really looks like he doesn’t really trust his teamates to make a bucket when they need one so he just takes it himself. If thats going to be the situation he really needs to get that jumper fixed quick fast and in a hurry. DRose is a mini Lebron. Deadly and damn near unstoppable off the dribble but they both are streaky jump shooters and can’t hit free throws when you have to have them.
He is NOT in the least attractive. Hell NAWWWWWWW!!!!! YYYYYYYUCKKKK. He is maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad regular.
lol, “regular” gets a “yuck?” damn.
” lol, “regular” gets a “yuck?” damn.”
I know right! That’s where we are as a society smh…lol
@ The Champ,
Regular is not what got the YYYYYYYYYYYUUUUUCK….
He just makes me want to puke for some reason. URrrrrrrgh! Iuuunooo…I have a thing for American Asian dudes (in terms of just looking at them) and he disappointed me so! So YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYUCK.
@ Just Me The Guy
Refer to my explanation. Society is still functioning normally.
Aye champ, u BETTER had said t-mac was the best gaurd in his time! Yeaaaaa! When he was @ his best (no injuries) he was better than kobe ,AI, errbody. Lets not forget how he took lebron james to school in OT in the christmas day game of lebrons rookie year. Like “yea bitch i came rite outa high school too, lemme show u something, pay dues.” Lmmfao!!!!!!
In case you forgot Kobe almost ALWAYS sh*tted on T-Mac when they played in his so called prime.
Mane whateva TM would put up 40 points a nite, every nite! AND word on the street is he used 2 smoke hella weed & drink. If he applied himself the same as kobe, he woulda smoked kobe. (See what i did there)
LOL. I TOTALLY saw what you did.
Really??? T-Mac used to smoke weed? He looked like such a straight-laced square to me….good for him. It sux that injuries made a joke out of he and Vince Carter’s career. I used to hope that one day one of them would one day take the throne from Kobe….now I just hope they retire without breaking all the bones in their old *ss bodies smh
Aye champ, u BETTER had said t-mac was the best gaurd in his time! Yeaaaaa!
lol, but i didn’t say that though.
and, um, if i recall, lebron had like 38 on that christmas day game
TMac couldn’t play D against a nucca in a wheelchair.
Aaw mane free my comment. I aint mean 2 say female dog lol
I hate when people compare Lin to Tebow. Tebow was one of the most celebrated college QBs in recent history. The BIGGEST element of Lin’s story is how he came out of NOWHERE. In that respect their stories are antithetical. Tebow has a Heisman for F’s sake. Blatant hating notwithstanding, what Mayweather said about Linsanity is true. There would be no Linsanity if he wasn’t Asian. Thats not a bad thing though. Its like Eminem in rap. Em is a beast but if he was black he’d be just as good and would receive his due but he would receive as much hype and hoopla as he has. Same with Lin.
Tebow was one of the most celebrated college QBs in recent history. The BIGGEST element of Lin’s story is how he came out of NOWHERE. In that respect their stories are antithetical. Tebow has a Heisman for F’s sake
agreed. if fact, the only reason tebow even got the chance to start is BECAUSE he was already so well known
would in my last statement should be WOULD NOT.
In case you were wondering: http://islinsanityhappeningtonight.com/
thanks and sh*t
I’m impressed because the kid not only went to college he graduated from Harvard no less and is a terrific ball player. I’d cheer that no matter his race. Good for him.
I do wonder if his mother was a Tiger Mom. I imagine that Chinese American moms are now in the backyard screaming at their eighth graders to practice their free throws after playing the violin for two hours and working on their AP chemistry.
The story is that his dad did push him a lot. I can’t find the link, but his dad took Jeremy and his brothers to the local rec center near their house 3 times a week to practice the fundamentals for 3-4 hours at a time. They would literally copy the moves they saw off of recorded NBA games and did them over…and over…and over.
And how is this any different from the hours you spent in the gym Todd? I know you put in work honing your craft as a young buck. It kills me that people fail to realize that all athletes put in work; elevation to the next level is a numbers game.
It kills me that people fail to realize that all athletes put in work; elevation to the next level is a numbers game
this is both true and false. it’s true that all players have put in hours upon hours of work, but i wouldnt say that the thing separating the successful from the unsuccessful is mere numbers. some people just get better than others
It isn’t just work. Sometimes it’s luck, exposure and timing. Getting a lingering case of tendonitis going into my Junior year killed me. Also, not everyone develops that move that’ll get them over. Plus, there’s the whole tweener/undersized factor that KILLS people. I know it nailed me a bit.
+1 That’s why I called it a numbers game. In the NBA there’s only 12 on the bench and a few practice players. If the scouts have you pegged wrong in addition to exposure / lack of, it could mean CBA / D league / overseas for your career.
“That’s why I called it a numbers game. In the NBA there’s only 12 on the bench and a few practice players. If the scouts have you pegged wrong in addition to exposure / lack of, it could mean CBA / D league / overseas for your career”
Exactly. That’s what I was tryna say upthread, and it got misinterpreted. Most players have a smaller margin for error due to perceived weaknesses/limitations that scouts have emphasized. A lot of guys with Lin’s talent have slipped through the cracks because of this
Yeah the physical measurables will get you lost in the sauce quick. Ain’t a whole lot of demand for a 5’8 RB that run 4.5′s and ain’t the smoothest running routes.
that whole “tiger mom” thing kills me. those chicks are arrogant. ANY parent who actually PARENTS can produce high-achieving kids … not just asian moms. and there are many real parents who are not asian … it’s just that their kids don’t end up close to suicide because of undue pressure.
“what are you thoughts on the Jeremy Lin phenomenon? Do you think he’ll be a short-lived flash in the pan, or do you see his success continuing?”
1st thought- I’m glad Champ finally wrote about this
#2- When Kobe commented he didn’t know much about Lin neither did I
#3- The timing was perfect for him
#4 I actually like this dude….he seems humble (I guess sleeping on someones couch will do that to you)
#5 He’s smart…how many nba players went to Harvard…..this really doesn’t have anything to do with nothing I just thought I would mention it
#6 I will be watching the game against the heat tonight
#7 I’m interested in seeing him play against top pg’s
#8 I’m surprised my mom hasn’t mentioned him to me yet
#9 I know they’re happy at ESPN…they tired of these niggas taking over the top 10 all the damn time lol
#10 He actually is good
#11 I agree with everything written in the post and I think he will continue to be successful (as long as he doesn’t get hurt or something like that)
Back in the day before the NCAA became about the money, quite a few players came from the Ivy Leagues.
lol, i wouldn’t say quite a few. more like 15.
Plus, remember, Harvard is off the beaten path for the Ivy League. Most of the NBA guys from the league came from Princeton and Penn.
If Harvard could ever beat Penn and Princeton, it would up the profile of the school. Tommy A. is doing a great job of stealing recruits from his boy Johnny Dawkins at Stanford and bringing them east.
Your number 4 seems off. Another part that has captivated the nation and has possibly helped in his success is that he is Asian. No one ever expected for the Asian kid to do well in basketball. Even though he was a great player in high school, no basketball team wanted him and articles have been written that a part of that was bc he was Asian. They “knew” that as an Asian kid he didn’t have the love for the game like he had a love for his studies. Boy were they wrong. His looks, not so much. People may think he is cute now bc of his success but I doubt that has anything to do with his success. I would say his success has helped a lot in that department.
Also, the Tim Tebow craze has more to do with people hating on how he wears his religion on his sleeve than his looks. When you have so many people that hate you for being “wholesome” you will have others that love you for it. Also Tebow was a beast in the SEC and no one can take that away from him. Florida was adores Tebow.
Looks matter but for Lin, his looks are a byproduct of his success. Him being an Asian American elite basketball player has helped. He is out of the norm which has put most of the fuel on this fire.
Regardless of who got hurt, what arena he plays in, and what team he plays for, I hope that by the end of this season, he turns into an overall great athlete.
“Your number 4 seems off. Another part that has captivated the nation and has possibly helped in his success is that he is Asian. No one ever expected for the Asian kid to do well in basketball. Even though he was a great player in high school, no basketball team wanted him and articles have been written that a part of that was bc he was Asian. They “knew” that as an Asian kid he didn’t have the love for the game like he had a love for his studies. Boy were they wrong. His looks, not so much. People may think he is cute now bc of his success but I doubt that has anything to do with his success. I would say his success has helped a lot in that department.”
i dont see where you think my number 4 is off, though
It has nothing to do with that fact that he is supposedly attractive. It’s like you pulled that one out of thin air.
It has nothing to do with that fact that he is supposedly attractive. It’s like you pulled that one out of thin air.
of course i have no facts to back this up, but i maintain that he wouldnt be as popular if he looked like, I don’t know, ***insert random ugly Asian man***
If he looked like ***insert random ugly Asian man*** he would still be popular b/c he is an ASIAN AMERICAN from HARVARD playing in the darn NBA. Point blank, period.
lol! u know black people really, really mean it when they end with “point blank, period”. but yeah, he didn’t say, wouldn’t be popular. he said wouldn’t be as popular. so again, what ur saying doesn’t cancel out #4.
+1000 Whether we like it or not, Asians have their own stereotypes and prejudices to deal with that when we see them out of that “norm” – we’re like really? You people do that? LOL
Champ you are dead on with the NYC marketing hype. As former athletes’ we’ve both been told to prepare as if you are the starter so when your chance comes for the big show, we can’t find a reason to sit you back down. You combine the fact the Knicks were under .500, he’s got a built in fan base with Harvard grads w/ money in NYC (ticket sales), and he’s Asian in a global marketing hub (David Stern loves players with Global appeal) and BOOM!
I’ve looked at other athletes, Mike Piazza / Mario Ellie, who have done the same thing in their respective careers. Both athletes did not get the same amount of hype around the first ten or so starts. Yeah I know I’m dating myself but Mike was BURRIED on the depth chart at the U and Mario got his first professional contract in Ireland after being seen at Rucker park.
I’m not hatin’ on dude because I know many people don’t realize that Ivy league does not translate into sub par basketball. I see many parallells between Lin and Steph Curry. Outside of Curry’s NCAA torunament exploits, were people following Steph when he would drop 30 on College of Charleston??? In the same breath, who among us was looking at the line scores when Lin would drop 30 on Fordham????
The bottom line is all any prepared athlete needs is a platform with enough media to witness them do what they do. Jeremy is doing his thing on the best platform in the entire world.
I see where you’re coming from, but nah. Remember, Lin was buried on the bench BEHIND STEPHEN CURRY. Also, the NBA pedigree gave Stephen Curry a bit of exposure when someone with a different dad would have been completely ignored. But yeah, I remember watching Curry’s SoCon games on channel To Be Continued. I’m that much of a basketball fan.
I’m referring to college careers. Poppa Curry’s exploits didn’t help his sons get into a better basketball school (although young Curry did trade up). MJ’s boys didn’t help fill seats at USF. Why did Doug William’s son accept an offer at Grambling? You would think he’d get more offers on the strength of the name and he committed before his dad decided to come back and coach. I’ll agree that the name may provide access but the youngster still must to put in the work.
MJ’s boys are average college basketball players at best (Its almost impossible for them to be a better college player than MJ)
+1. Genes were in Steph’s favor (both of his parents were athletes). Plus it does help if your dad is Poppa Curry. lol.
“I see many parallells between Lin and Steph Curry. Outside of Curry’s NCAA torunament exploits, were people following Steph when he would drop 30 on College of Charleston??? In the same breath, who among us was looking at the line scores when Lin would drop 30 on Fordham????”
i agree in that it’s rare for a guy to come from a small college background and become a good NBA player. that happens much more often in the NFL than in does in the NBA. at the same time, though, steph curry was a lottery pick. he was on a ton of people’s radars.
Do you think Steph would have been on people’s radar without the tournament runs?
probably not. still would have been on the nba’s radar, though
It’s very possible that he may have. Pics of him launching threes as a kid were in Slam magazine when I was in high school.
I actually knew who Steph was. I love the old hornets teams will Dell burning the nets off with his gray patch of hair. Then I had homies who played for Chattanooga and he used to dig they azzes ALL the way out. (and they typically make a push for the tourney)
Outside of your knowledge of the SoCom conference, if Davidson had not made the tournament (they didn’t go his senior year), he would have been subject to the another player that had a good game against a team that should crush them blip on Sports Center. He might get lucky if someone in the research department recalled that he’s Dell’s son.
I bet the ESPN staffers are trolling for footage of the Harvard vs UCONN game where Kimba and Lin went toe to toe. Lin got his stats but the outcome was never in question. I can almost gaurntee that someone will not say you could see that he had game or he’s shown he can hold his own against the big boys.
I’ve seen the dug up footage. Believe it or not, he was actually dunking on cats from UConn. At the same time, the game was played at the Gampel Pavillion, not the Hartford Civic Center. Take it for what you will.
That’s why I don’t see this being long term. I haven’t seen anything from him that would indicate he can maintain anything like what he’s been doing. Steph was averaging 30ppg for a stretch there. People knew who he was. There’s always some guy that makes some noise in the tourney and gets drafted and disappears. Shot out to Courtney Lee (Eastern Ken.), Trenton Hassell (Austin Peay), and my homie Johnny Tayor (Chattanooga)!
Sidenote: I saw CofC play over New Years. My friends went there for undergrad and they talked about the new basketball arena. When I walked up to it i had to ask where did they use to play (the place isn’t big AT ALL) and they were like in a gym where you pulled out the bleachers. CofC is not known for sports. How are they able to recruit decent basketball players?
“When I walked up to it i had to ask where did they use to play (the place isn’t big AT ALL) and they were like in a gym where you pulled out the bleachers. CofC is not known for sports. How are they able to recruit decent basketball players?”
Our original gym the Kresse Center was a tiny sh*t box so our new joint is a palace in comparison. We have a good basketball buzz due to the work put in by one of our former coaches. We went from an NAIA school whose two main rivals were Vorhees and Claflin to beating Georgia Tech within a few years. They’ve made a few runs into the dance also. The rep was built by going on the road and straight punching larger schools in the damn neck on national tv. They’ve murked North Carolina whom, I’m also a fan of, several times so it’s a combination of things.
Other than that I guess it’s the promise of all you can eat shrimp and grits.
People sleep on CofC but I’m yet to see those guys play scared against ANY team!
“The rep was built by going on the road and straight punching larger schools in the damn neck on national tv. They’ve murked North Carolina whom, I’m also a fan of, several times so it’s a combination of things.” LOL…I’m mad CofC been hurtin ‘em like that. Violence is not necessary.
“Other than that I guess it’s the promise of all you can eat shrimp and grits.” Yum!! But there is nothing worse than some horrible grits that just taste plain.
So what you’re suggesting is that Jeremy Lin is indeed an Outlier as per Malcolm Gladwell: someone who recognizes, prepares for and has taken complete full advantage of every constructive opportunity and natural talent/gift he has been given. In which case, I would absolutely 100% agree.
good point
First, shouts to you for mentioning ANY player who started in the Phillipine Basketball Association…the Most Interesting Sports League in the World. Seriously, sports fans, you have read about this league to believe it. It’s one of the world’s most bizarre institutions, yet it’s fun to watch. Now off to your points:
1. Agreed. Ask Derek Harper why he’ll never go in the Hall of Fame, and the first thing he’ll mention is that being in the Western Conference at the same time as Magic and John Stockton effectively prevented him from ever playing in an All-Star game. Though I think it’ll hurt D. Rose more then Wade.
2. Agreed. New York is a basketball town on the level of nothing else in America, and the Knicks are the fulcrum of the madness. This is a town where everyone plays basketball just as a matter of course. No one cares about High School football, because they’re more likely talking about what happened last summer at Rucker/Dyckman/West 4th/Unsung some league where NBA junkies (and players) hang out. Where there are enough D-I teams within city limits alone to be a legit conference. Where the Knicks can outdraw most of the NBA despite being consistently under 500. Where strangers will stop each other on the street and intelligently discuss how to run and pick-and-roll and where people who you wouldn’t think are sports fans will know about back-up 2-guards in the League.
I went too far, but suffice to say this town not only is obsessed with basketball, but knows the game.
3. I love the rise of the point guard. I got sick of the athlete-as-point-guard phenomenon myself. Is it just me though, or does Ricky Rubio look like a new-school Pistol Pete Maravich?
4. Eh…I don’t think so, if only because of what I mentioned with #2 above. New York loves hoops so much that we don’t care what a good player looks like. Though I do agree that it might make more sense in the rest of the country.
5. I didn’t think of the Lin/Obama connect. You forgot one other fact that connects them: They both stepped onto the world stage after surprising performances in Boston. Obama had his big moment with a speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, while Lin blew up after leading Harvard to a blowout win over Boston College the game after Boston College beat a #1 Ranked North Carolina team.
I knew Lin had the potential to hang around a NBA team after watching him in summer league a couple of years ago. But 20 and 8 a night? Nah. All I saw him as was an Asian JJ Barea. LOL
Ask Derek Harper why he’ll never go in the Hall of Fame, and the first thing he’ll mention is that being in the Western Conference at the same time as Magic and John Stockton effectively prevented him from ever playing in an All-Star game.
lol, and he’d be lying. it’s the hall of fame, not the “hall of guys who were decent starters for a decade or so”
i actually think that lin is going to eventually turn into a barea-like player, but bigger. this isn’t a bad thing at all. i just don’t expect him to continue with the nightly 20 and 8′s.
and yeah, rubio does favor pistol pete a bit, but i’m gonna need him to shoot better than 35% from the field if we’re going to start making actual comparisons.
” i actually think that lin is going to eventually turn into a barea-like player, but bigger. this isn’t a bad thing at all. i just don’t expect him to continue with the nightly 20 and 8′s.”
+1 Dallas is gonna miss Berea a LOT in the playoffs this year. You can already tell. Berea is perhaps a top 5 player as far as spark plugs off the bench are concerned. That’s a highly valued asset in the NBA with playoffs that involve 7 game series. Your starters need all the help they can get with a grind like that. Lin will keep his starting job though.
So my eyes glazed over at most of this, but-
“It’s no accident that most NFL quarterbacks would be considered attractive men even if they weren’t football players. In many cases, they were groomed to be quarterbacks at a young age in large part because they “looked the part” and coaches assumed they’d have the charisma and confidence to lead the rest of the team.”
This makes sense. I was wondering why the hell the quarterbacks are so s.e.x.y! I wondered if it was merely their positions that increased their attractiveness or if all these guys really were just coincidentally handsome.
The fact that I’ve even heard of Jeremy Lin means he’s blowing up because I’m am not a basketball fan. I heard (somewhere) he’s getting all this attention because he’s Asian but I think it’s his great backstory of failures.
“his great backstory of failures.”
what are you referring to?
That comment was based on a faint recollection of people discussing him on ESPN, so I had to hit the internets to clarify what I was referring to:
“Lin was not offered a scholarship coming out of high school, never drafted by the NBA out of college and has been cut by two NBA teams prior to coming to the Knicks. “
Some commentators have said that this is one of the main reasons why he was overlooked since Asians don’t do sports, they do academics. Stereotyping got in the way of seeing talent.
Somebody’s got jokes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zExrVyTX_aw
I like this clip even more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulKS6PstdfI
i actually like lin. he knows how to control an offense. i’m really interested to see how he handles playing a team like the heat who are great on offense as well as defense. how’s he going to handle things when lebron is on him?
i’d be really upset if lin did start in an all star game say over rose or wade. i don’t think he’ll ever be as good as them but that’s not to say he can’t be a great basketball player. it just makes me wonder how many other players could do the say same thing if given the opportunity.
how’s he going to handle things when lebron is on him?
i guess we’ll find out tonight
” it just makes me wonder how many other players could do the say same thing if given the opportunity.”
I would argue more than most people think. So many things had to happen for him to have the opportunity that he took full advantage of. There’s a reason not many people were checking for him…it’s because there are sooooo many other players with the ability/potential to play like that on any given night, that each GM and coach is weighing all his options on a regular basis…
very nice post. clever comparison to president obama … i didn’t see that coming, but it is an interesting parallel.
as a generation x NYK fan-for-life, i, like nearly EVERYONE IN MY GENERATION OR YOUNGER have been waiting ALL MY LIFE for a NYK championship. so do i have linsanity? YES.
i haven’t been this excited for my team in a long while, and though this present iteration was sparked by jeremy, it continues because he’s a solid point guard that has nothing but shooting BEASTS gathered on the floor with him. tyson has been a monster. yesterday’s game against crummy atlanta showed just the beginning of what carmelo will do with his current team this season. amare and landry have been heat.
i really think there’s no stopping this team!
handsome? i don’t know about that. he’s a solid 7 … not really a 9 or a 10. but you’re right, he’s not unpleasant on the eyes, and unfortunately, that helps.
so, yeah, i think linsanity is on some cosmic central casting stuff. the timing was perfect and this is exciting and i’m all in. i’ve switched all my teams since i’ve been in DC so long … except the knickerbockers … and i’m happy for it. will lin last? i think so. his basketball i.q. is good, he takes chances, and as has been said over and over he has the humility of someone who has paid serious dues.
he’ll be around a while.
“so, yeah, i think linsanity is on some cosmic central casting stuff.”
it is, really. it’s an unbelievable and amazing story
While I agree that I hadn’t heard/thought of #’s 1 – 4, you aren’t the first one to draw the parallel between Lin and Obama. CNN posted an article about it last week: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/16/opinion/rushkoff-lin-obama-zuckerberg/index.html.
drats!
I don’t see this turning into any actual long term success. You gotta love seeing a player without the hype and ego doing well but he has too many holes in his game. He’s been on quite a hot shooting streak cause he’s not normally that consistent of a shooter. He still doesn’t like going left but I doubt the lack of D will mean anything. I mean when was the last time you heard of a top 10 defense being coach by Mike D?? The turnovers are going to be an issue cause that will sink you everytime in the playoffs. Overall its a cool story but it will probably just run the normal news cycle and go away. I hope he manages to get paid first though!!
That’s the thing about him though. A lot of his holes will be fixed by experience. I can see the difference from summer league until now. He’s playing the game a lot slower as opposed back then, and it shows. Once he gets a season under his belt of playing with world-class athletes, he’ll be fine. I don’t think he’s talented enough to be D-Rose, but he’s a quality point guard who can start and be that building block to a championship team.
The one thing I love about him is his court vision. He knows what the defense is going to give him, knows the players on the floor and knows who to get the ball to to be productive. The mark of a quality point guard is someone who not only dishes out assists, but can put guys in a position to create with ease as well. All the great point guards have that ability, and he definitely has it.
I slick think that this being a condensed season is helping too. You don’t really get a chance to prepare for opponents before they’re right up on you. If you catch NYC on a back to back Lin will punish you. Plus I gotta see this kid when it counts. Mo Williams has good regular seasons and as soon as the playoffs start I don’t know who that is running around with his jersey on.
Great post! And as a Bulls fan, I was thinking about #1 since this “thing” has started. However, I do see so many “wrongs” with #3. A lot of fans believe dunker = athlete. Lin isn’t an above-the-rim-assasin like Westbrook, Rose, or Wall, but he IS a well-above average athlete…with his size, speed, quickness, and ability to get off the floor (go watch his college game vs. UConn if you need proof). But, judging by turnovers and assists/TO ratio, Lin along with Irving are also learning how to play the pg position in the NBA and they both have further to go than Rose and Wall (who both have better assists/TO ratios than Lin and Irving). Furthermore, Irving has to at least led his team in assists to be in ANY point guard discussion. (Even Westbrook leads OKC in assists with a higher apg average than Kyrie). As a rookie and a second year player, Iverson lead Philly in scoring AND assists (and many don’t consider him a pg).
But for years, the “make-plays-below-the-rim” point guards have dominated the league and nothing is new. Chris Paul is still widely favored as the best pg in the league. The super athletic point guard, Derrick Rose, is the only legitmate threat (of the crop of super athletic PGs) of taking Paul’s title. Prior to Rose and Westbrook’s draft class, the PG debate was a four headed race between Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, and Rajon Rondo. All are “make-plays-below-the-rim” point guards. And prior to that, “make-plays-ABOVE-the-rim” point guards like Baron Davis and Steve Francis took backseats to Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, and Chauncey Billups in the PG debate.
Great Lin-Obama comparison, hadn’t even thought about that!
The only other NY parellel I can think of is when Wayne Chrebet was living in a cheap apartment because he was afraid that he was going to get cut because they had Keyshawn Johnson. The NY media ate that story (humble little guy undrafted out of Hofstra) up.
@ Sigma- I didn’t know about that Chrebret story. He just seemed like Wes Welker before Wes Welker to me. That story’s ok, but yea I could see white people finding it awesome that the short white guy from a small school outperforms the big arrogant black guy with all the money and hype. I have a love hate relationship with sports. Love the action and the stories, but hate the media’s way of spinning them smh lol
True, but Wayne Chrebet made it possible for a Wes Welker type to exist. None of those dude were getting a sniff of the pros unless they were big enough to play tight end or physical enough to play safety. Now, teams are checking for guys like that because they know how useful a player like that can me. Wayne Chrebet made it so that a White guy can actually play wide receiver in the NFL. People forget, but Wayne Chrebet was one of only 2 in the league for a few years.
@ Todd- Yeah, I do tend to forget. He did pave the way for Welker. I didn’t know as much about Chrebet because I wasn’t living in a Northeast city at the time and sports wasn’t covered as in depth as it is today (or if it was, I was too young to follow it as much as I currently do) but I do remember them being really excited about him. You’re right though, white guys’ best shot is usually at tight end or safety. Good point
Todd, Wayne was in the league for 10yrs.
Don Bebe was in Buffalo before Chrebet. The reason these white guys are starting to appear is because the game has evolved. You can’t touch WR anymore so now you don’t need some 6’4 freak of nature. It’s much more efficient (and a whole lot cheaper) to go for what used to be throwaways. The guys that are “too short” or “quick but not fast”. All the positions are evolving except for QB.
I’ve been lurking for definitely over a year, and LOVE what you guys do. Writing everyday is a tough discipline, your voices are great.
I’m a hairdresser and deal with barber banter everyday. It is crazy how many little old ladies know who Lin is! A lot of men are hating, bc Barrea hasn’t been getting much attention. I put on for my city (on, on for my city), but as long as Lin can “perform” (you’re dead on #2 Champ), it’s good to see people excited about basketball again. Period. I will say, Rubio’s passes are something to see in person-his peripheral vision, and sense of space are SICK. Hoooowwwllll!
Being Indian, it IS a big deal that Lin has made it this far. Children of South Asian immigrants are generally pushed to excel academically, and many times (sniff), not allowed to play sports when study time gets threatened. An Asian American kid was able to go to Harvard AND follow passion? I get SO much mess for doing hair instead continuing to teach! It goes beyond basketball, he defies what our parents believed for SO long. Gonna lead to a LOT of brown kids screaming they already finished their homework, running to play 3 on 3. #warmfuzzies
Agreed. Being in a line of work where I have to deal with a lot of the broader Asian diaspora, you hear a lot of this mindset. However, if Lin getting put on means that Asian folk can step out and try different things, that’s a Good Thing ™. School is important, but being in a spot where you can follow your passion, no matter where it takes you, is a definite positive.
Jeremy Lin is good looking?
I had to take a second look after reading that. LOL, he aiight.
Exactly.
im thoroughly enjoying Linsanity. he had me at *son’ing Kobe*. so yeah, Lin has a special place in my heart for that and that alone. he can ball, he’s smart, and he got a lil swag. he’s all good in my book….
great post, Champ!
” im thoroughly enjoying Linsanity. he had me at *son’ing Kobe*. so yeah, Lin has a special place in my heart for that and that alone.”
Yeah, that’s when he won me over lol
To the South Asian poster, that’s really neat. I was thinking before that a lot of Asian young men are looking at their parents saying “see! see! It’s possible!” lol glad for you guys, and glad this will bring more attention to the NBA and the sport of basketball worldwide. I love it
here’s a thought: Lin would look much better with a ##caesar
I liked everything about this article with the exception of #3 Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and John Wall are athletic freaks for their positions. Lin is actually pretty much the standard athlete at point for the NBA.
He probably plays well (I’ve never seen a game). But model-esque? No no no. I wouldn’t give him a yuck but definitley an ehhhhhh. Then again, southeast asian is more my thing….;)