Jeremy Lin Explains College, NBA 'Barriers' Caused by Asian 'Stereotype'

By Edward Shih 6 Apr, 2013 12:36 EDT

Jeremy Lin has proven his game to media sports writers and those watching him play since his rise to fame while playing for New York Knicks until now. As CBS sports NBA writer puts it, "Linsanity wasn't just a flash in a pan thing", but he can actually play and is good.

Lin, the first Chinese-American to be play in NBA, and NBA commissioner David Stern said that Lin’s failure to get a major college basketball scholarship or a roster spot through the NBA draft had to do with his Asian ethnicity.

CBS’s 60 Minutes will do a report on Lin’s story Sunday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, where the Houston Rocket’s point guard sits down and discusses his rags to riches story and his stellar performance that caused the “Linsanity” phenomenon, and the racial obstacles he’s had to overcome.

When playing for High School, Lin led his Palo Alto High School team to a 32-1 state championship winning season where he averaged 15.1 points, 7.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 5.0 steals. He was chosen as California’s player of the year.

In the preview to Sunday’s interview, Charlie Rose asked Lin why he didn’t get a scholarship to nearby UCLA or Stanford. Lin replies, “Well, the obvious thing in my mind is that I was Asian American which, you, is a whole different issue but…I think that was a barrier.”

“I mean...it’s just a stereotype,” Lin said simply. He believes that if he were a black or white player, he would have gotten a scholarship to his dream school, Stanford. However, he went to Harvard instead, where no athletic sponsorship were given, and was a standout in Division I program.

Upon graduation, the six-foot-four-inch guard wasn’t drafted by any of the NBA’s 32 teams in 2011. He was forced to enter NBA the hard way, through a summer league. Playing as bench player for Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, he was then signed by New York Knicks for its bench.

As a devout evangelical Christian, Lin attributed the breakout of “Linsanity” as God’s plan. Through substituting for injured stars, he was given the chance to play and he took full advantage of that and gave a series of stellar performance that brought New York City, the media capital of the world, and then world to its feet.

60 Minutes also spoke with Lin’s parents.

Jeremy Lin at the 2012 Time 100 Gala.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

In order an effort to promote traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Macao YMCA, Guangzhou Suigang'ao Teenagers Institute, and the Teacher Chang Foundation of Taiwan, has conducted a survey on teens measuring their cultural awareness. They found that Hong Kong youths generally identify with and support the values of traditional Chinese culture.
Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.
Yesterday, October 31, was Reformation Day, and Lutherans around the world held various events in commemoration. In Singapore, the Lutheran Church advocated for Christian communion, while the German Lutheran Church encouraged believers to face the challenge of “trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time.”
Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.
2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation
In the afternoon of Reformation Sunday, Oct. 27, some 2.1 million Christians gathered for a joint worship service from 2pm to 5pm in Seoul, Korea to “unite for repentance, revival, and restoration of holiness in our society.” According to organizers, an estimated 1.1 million joined onsite despite the bad weather with another 1 million joining online. The unprecedented joint worship service brought together Korean churches across denominations as they affirmed traditional marriage and family and
Willow Creek Community Church invites believers to write prayer cards for the next president
This past Sunday, Willow Creek Community Church based in Illinois invited believers to “pray for the next president” during the service. The church not only expressed its concern for the upcoming election but also emphasized the role believers should play in the process and the importance of offering prayers for the nation's leaders.

Jeremy Lin Explains College, NBA 'Barriers' Caused by Asian 'Stereotype'

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.

Survey: Hong Kong teens generally identify with traditional Chinese cultural values

Global Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day, ‘trusting in the power of grace in a merciless time’.

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues

2.1M Korean Christians estimated at joint worship service to affirm family, oppose gay marriage, pray for nation

Many American churchgoers expect their pastors’ sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues
American churchgoers are looking for more than biblical explanation from their pastor each week. Many expect the sermons to help them understand and address modern cultural issues.